Aurora school curriculum team urges board to replace state Cyber SWAT lessons with locally vetted alternatives

Aurora School leaders and classroom teachers urged the Preston County Board of Education on April 13 to allow county-approved alternatives to the state-provided Cyber SWAT and related curricula required under Senate Bill 466.

"We are asking you today that since Common Sense Media lessons are what has been agreed upon to be used if a parent opts out... then why can't we use these Common Sense Media lessons for third through fifth grade?" said the Aurora curriculum presenter, Miss Durst, outlining concerns that the state materials are not age-appropriate, place sensitive subject matter on students without teacher-led discussion, and lack accommodations such as read-aloud options.

Fifth-grade teacher Tiffany Foreman told the board she has taught in the district for more than 20 years and said the state lessons include vocabulary and scenarios she considers unsuitable for 8–11 year olds. "My fifth graders are kids who are still outside playing at recess... I cannot support being required to teach this program," Foreman said, adding that classroom teachers had not been trained or given guidance for handling potentially triggering content.

Aurora principal Mandy White and other curriculum-team members asked the board to consider a two-tiered solution: adopt Common Sense Media for grades 3–5 and Safer Smarter Teens for grades 6–8 to meet the safety-while-accessing-technology mandate while preserving age-appropriate instruction. They said Common Sense Media already meets many local needs and would also serve as the county’s replacement for parents who opt out of the state lessons.

Board members acknowledged the staff concerns and the tight timeline. "If you can stipulate with certainty that your two proposals meet every level of this bill, then I think... Mr. Martin [the superintendent] would consider that with the curriculum director as giving us a second alternative," said board member Mr. Kisner. Superintendent Martin and the district curriculum director said they would evaluate whether the locally proposed combination satisfies the letter of SB 466 and said they would contact the West Virginia Department of Education for clarification if needed.

The board did not take immediate action; members asked administration to vet the Common Sense Media/Safer Smarter Teens proposals against the statute and the state-provided materials and to report back. Aurora requested placement of the matter on the next meeting agenda if agreement with the administration is not reached.

Why it matters: School staff raised concerns that the state curriculum spans a wide age range without grade-level differentiation and provides limited teacher guidance and accommodations. The board’s decision will affect what thousands of Preston County students are taught about online safety and digital citizenship and how parents’ opt-outs are handled.

What’s next: Administration will review whether the Aurora team’s suggested materials meet SB 466 requirements and return to the board with findings or a recommendation. Aurora requested an agenda slot at the next meeting if an acceptable agreement is not reached.