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Parent urges district not to eliminate standalone 9th-grade health course
Summary
During public comment Nicole Gates urged the board not to eliminate the standalone ninth-grade health course and warned that embedding health lessons into biology would dilute both instruction and essential life-skill training (CPR, drug and vaping education). Gates cited on-campus incidents involving edibles and vaping as reasons to retain a dedicated health class.
Nicole Gates told the board she strongly opposes a plan to eliminate the standalone ninth-grade health course and instead embed health content into biology. Gates argued health class teaches vital life skills — including drug and vaping education and CPR — that would be lost or diluted if compressed into an already content-heavy biology course.
"I respectfully ask the district not to move forward with these plans because eliminating health class and embedding portions of it in biology is not in the best interest of BUSD high school students," Gates said, citing instances she said her children have witnessed on campus (including a student passing out after consuming an edible and frequent vaping in restrooms). She asked the board to preserve a dedicated health course so students receive focused instruction on physical, mental and social-emotional health.
