Policy IHAM
Health Education and Exemption From Instruction
School Board Approved: December 2, 2024
Consistent with state law and Department of Education requirements, health and physical education, including instruction about parts of the body, reproduction, sexuality education, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and related topics, will be included in the instructional program. Sexuality education shall include instruction relative to abstinence and sexually transmitted infections.
Instruction or programming must be appropriate to grade level, course of study, and development of students and must occur in a systematic manner. The Superintendent will require that faculty members who present this instruction receive continuing in-service training, which includes appropriate teaching strategies and techniques.
Parents and legal guardians shall be notified by e-mail, other written means, website/social media postings or phone call, not less than two (2) weeks in advance of use of the curriculum course material to be used for instruction or program of human sexuality, human sexual education, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. Such notice will be delivered via email, other direct written means, website/social media posting, or phone call. The notice shall identify and provide contact information for the Principal or other staff member whom a parent or guardian should contact to arrange an opportunity to inspect the curriculum course material. However, no notice is required if a District employee is responding to a question from a student during class.
In accordance with the federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, as a School District that receives federal Department of Education funds, and also in accordance with NH RSA 186:11, IX-c, the Superintendent shall develop procedures to allow the parent/guardian of a student to inspect any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum for the student. The procedures will provide access to the requested instructional material promptly (as is reasonable under the circumstances) to instructional material within a reasonable period of time after the request is received. Accordingly, the notice will identify and provide contact information for the Principal or other staff member whom a parent or guardian should contact to arrange an opportunity to inspect the curriculum course material.
Opt-Out Procedure and Form Parents/guardians, or students over eighteen years of age, who do not want their child to participate in a particular unit of health or sex education instruction for religious reasons or religious objections, are allowed to have their child opt-out of such instruction. (Note: Per RSA 186:11, IX-c, parents/guardians have additional opt-out rights under Board policy IGE.)
Parents/guardians who do not want their child to participate in a particular unit of health or for religious reasons must complete a Health and Sex Education Exemption/Objectionable Course Material Opt-Out Form. Opt-out Forms are available from either the health education teacher or the Principal. Opt-out requests must be submitted annually and are valid only for the school year in which they are submitted.
Any student who is exempted by request of the parent/guardian under this policy may be given an alternative assignment sufficient to meet state requirements for health education. The alternative assignment will be provided by the health education teacher in conjunction with the Principal.
District Policy History:
First reading: November 4, 2024
Second reading: November 18, 2024
Third reading/adopted: December 2, 2024
District revision history: New Policy
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