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Board adds 'Day 7' online‑safety lesson to Science Hill family life curriculum; approves updated unit
Summary
The Johnson City School Board approved adding a Day 7 unit—adapted from NetSmartz—covering online safety to the ninth‑grade family life curriculum following staff review and minor clarifying edits requested by board members.
The Johnson City School Board voted to add a Day 7 online‑safety lesson to the ninth‑grade family life curriculum after staff said the change responds to a small state law revision requiring online safety content.
Dr. David Timbs and Carmen Bryant presented the addition, saying the material was adapted from NetSmartz, the resource the state recommended. "What we presented to you tonight is actually adapted from the website NetSmartz, which the state recommended in the actual law," Timbs said. The Board asked staff to clarify acronyms and to ensure parents have the opportunity to review materials before instruction begins.
Board members verified that the curriculum would continue to be taught by a male/female team of wellness teachers with school counselors joining on specific days, as in the existing structure. The district also said it would post the updated materials on the website and hold a spring review session ahead of instruction.
A motion to approve the addition passed on a voice vote. Instruction for the unit is scheduled to begin in the spring wellness classes (the presenters referenced a May 12 start date for the spring wellness sequence) and staff said they would make minor edits (for example expanding acronyms such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children where they appear) before posting the documents for parent review.
Board members noted the legal requirement and the district's plan to keep the curriculum transparent and accessible to parents.
