Beaufort HAC to review draft online high‑school health course; reproductive module flagged for close scrutiny

Beaufort County’s Health Advisory Committee on an abbreviated, no‑quorum meeting heard a substantive update about a new online high‑school health course developed through the Lowcountry Virtual Schools consortium and set a timeline for committee review.

Chair Amy Pryor said the district has worked with Lowcountry Virtual to assemble a modular half‑credit course that will satisfy the state’s health requirement for graduation. Staff told the committee the draft is not yet final; developers expect roughly six more weeks of work, and they proposed giving HAC members access to a one‑page guide with hyperlinks so members can review modules and video content independently.

Karen LeBeck, the district’s virtual instructional coach who joined the meeting online, said she could provide a 1‑pager linking to each module and the course videos. LeBeck noted that the live course will be delivered inside Canvas Studio (a closed environment with no external ads) but that borrowing or preview links may open public video pages that could display ads; she estimated materials could be available to HAC members within about 10 business days.

Staff described the course as modular and independent‑study friendly, with built‑in supports, a CPR requirement, and a half‑credit (four‑week) pacing for students. The district intends to pilot the course with virtual ninth‑grade students in the coming year and, once HAC review is complete, route the recommendation to the academic committee and then the school board.

Committee members singled out module 7 — which contains reproductive‑health content — for close scrutiny. Pryor and other members noted pending state legislative activity could affect course content: meeting participants referred to a bill called the “Baby Olivia” Act (cited in the discussion as House Bill “32 56”) that, if enacted as described at the meeting, would require showing a high‑definition ultrasound video illustrating fetal development. Staff said HAC would be asked to review any required video material and that the district would follow legislative guidance after the bill’s passage.

To accommodate review and parent notification, staff proposed using the HAC‑created opt‑out letter format (currently sent a few days to a week ahead) and confirmed module 7 can be removed for students whose parents opt out.

The committee agreed to schedule a focused review at the next HAC meeting on March 30 at 5:00 p.m.; staff and LeBeck will circulate the 1‑pager and the module materials in advance to allow independent review.

What happens next: The district will send the 1‑pager and hyperlinks to the HAC contact (Robin Cushonberry) so members can review individual modules before the March 30 meeting; HAC’s recommendation will then go to the academic committee (scheduled April 22) and, if recommended, to the school board.

Sources: Committee discussion and staff presentation during the meeting. Direct quotes in meeting materials come from Karen LeBeck (virtual instructional coach) and chair Amy Pryor.