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Derby schools to post video, opt‑out form under House Bill 2382; parents can opt students out
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Holly Putnam Jackson outlined the district’s plan to implement HB 2382: identify affected courses K–12, post a neutral three‑minute ultrasound/high‑definition animation video with a translatable opt‑out form and offer alternative activities for students whose families opt out.
Dr. Holly Putnam Jackson, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, told the Board on Sept. 22 that Derby Public Schools has selected materials and an opt‑out procedure to meet House Bill 2382 requirements.
"House Bill 2,382 ... is enacted that any school district that offers any course or other instruction that addresses human growth, human development, or human sexuality shall include ... a high quality computer generated animation or high definition ultrasound of at least 3 minutes in duration that shows the development of the brain, the heart and other vital organs in early human fetal development," Dr. Putnam Jackson read from her memo. The administration charted classes from elementary through high school that meet the statute’s scope and identified where the video will be shown in each course sequence.
She said the district has selected a neutral, factual video that meets the statutory description and an opt‑out letter. The district will post the materials in the same location on the website where other human growth and development resources are housed, attach a QR code to the opt‑out form, and make materials translatable into multiple languages so families can review them in advance. Students whose families opt out will be assigned an alternative activity during the lesson window, the district said.
Board members asked whether the district had already selected the video and where materials would be posted; Dr. Putnam Jackson confirmed that the video and opt‑out letter were selected and would be linked with the district's human growth resources online. She said the district plans to calendar lessons and notification weeks in advance to give families time to opt out if they choose.
The item was informational; no formal vote on curriculum adoption was recorded at the meeting.
