Eating Disorders

...ba href=/eating disorder/a/b section, one on drug and alcoholism and a section on child development." Schmidt also said eighth-graders were taught about birth control with an emphasis on abstinence as the best method to prevent unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

"Parents can review materials if they so choose," Schmidt said.

"If they don't want their children to take the course, they can sign an opt-out form." The Senate bill and state board decision would replace opt-out with an opt-in policy, which means parents would have to sign permission slips for their students to be able to take the sex education class.

Currently most districts in Kansas, including Shawnee Mission and De Soto, have an opt-out policy, which means parents sign permission slips to get their students out of the sex education class if they prefer.

Some viewed the policy change negatively because students with parents who don't communicate with the district or forget to sign won't be able to take the class.

Gamble said the board's decision was roughly the same thing as the bill.

"The bill was a response to a misunderstanding as far as I could tell," she said.

"There was a distinct impression the board had removed sex ed from the curriculum.

We moved it from one location in the accreditation standards into another." The majority on the state board, including John Bacon - whose district includes De Soto - supported the opt-in policy.

Bacon was unavailable for comment.

Four board members including Gam...

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