Board adopts human sexuality education policy to align with Utah law and board rules

The Wasatch County School Board approved an update to district policy to align human sexuality education with Utah Code 53G-10-402 and Board Rule R277-474, district staff said.

Director Johnson explained the policy requires two formal instruction points between grades 7 and 12 (the district teaches health 1 in seventh grade and health 2 in ninth grade), uses state-recommended instructional materials (staff cited Goodheart Wilcox as a recommended publisher), and mandates instructor training and a committee review process for materials. Johnson said the committee included parents, teachers, administrators and a board member, and that the curriculum materials are posted on the district website under Teaching and Learning.

The policy also establishes a process to log and respond to community complaints and maintains that instruction will follow state law. Johnson described the curriculum as abstinence-focused in line with state standards and said instructors would be expected to follow Utah law regarding topics they can and cannot address.

One board member suggested inviting a Wasatch County Health Department representative to committee work because the department's data (for example, rising syphilis rates) informs community health priorities; staff said they would consider that recommendation. The board voted to adopt the policy on a motion and second.

The policy, as described at the meeting, includes parent notification and an opt-in approach when required by law; staff said they would build a form administrators can use to record complaints before the start of the next school year.