Beaufort County HAC to review new online high‑school health course as 'Baby Olivia' bill looms

The Beaufort County School District Health Advisory Committee on Tuesday reviewed plans for a new online high‑school health course and set a timeline for committee review, saying a pending state bill could require changes to the reproductive‑health unit.

The course is being built through the Lowcountry Virtual consortium and is intended to meet the high‑school health credit required for graduation for students enrolled in the district’s virtual programs. Committee members agreed HAC must formally review and approve the course before it moves to the district’s academic committee.

"Lowcountry Virtual has done their due diligence in preparing the course," Karen McKenzie, director of teaching and learning for Beaufort County, said, describing the course as independent modules that include a CPR requirement and a parent notification letter format already used by the district. McKenzie said the online health offering will be a half‑credit course that runs across four weeks, with students completing independent modules and with district support available.

Karen Lebec, the district’s virtual instructional coach, told the committee she can prepare a one‑page packet linking each module and the module videos so HAC members can review materials outside of the live sandbox environment. "I can get a one‑pager with information that links each of the modules and hyperlinks for the videos," Lebec said. She asked committee members to understand that previewing videos via external links may show ads on public platforms but said the actual course will use Canvas Studio so students will see only approved course videos.

Committee members asked Lebec to send the one‑page review packet to Robin Cushonberry by March 5 so HAC members would have time to examine content before the committee’s next meeting on March 30. Lebec estimated those materials could be ready in about 10 business days; McKenzie estimated the complete course could be ready for HAC review in roughly six weeks.

The committee also discussed how pending state legislation could affect the course. Amy Prior, HAC chair, described House Bill 3256 (referred to in the meeting as the "Baby Olivia Act") and said it would require the district to include "a three‑minute high‑definition ultrasound video that demonstrates organ development and computer‑generated animation of fertilization" if it becomes law. "If that is passed, we would probably have to preview and critique whatever we're going to try and present to students before we can make our recommendation to academic committee," Prior said.

Members emphasized that module 7 will contain reproductive‑health material and that, where appropriate, the module can be removed for students whose parents opt out; the committee agreed to use the HAC’s existing opt‑out letter format to notify families in advance. Lebec confirmed module 7 can be segregated so students who opt out would not be exposed to that specific module.

The committee asked staff to monitor legislative developments and the final language of any bill carefully to determine whether content would be mandatory for all students or removable via opt‑out. If staff receive the one‑page packet as requested, HAC will review module content at the March 30 meeting and then carry recommended changes to the academic committee and, subsequently, the full board if required.

The committee did not take a final vote on the course during this meeting; next steps are the one‑page distribution, HAC review of module 7 at the March 30 meeting, and subsequent academic‑committee consideration in April.