POLICY:
Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) administration is required by law to provide comprehensive sexual education per the requirements of Senate Bill 5395.
WSSB may choose to provide additional sexual education that are consistent with the requirements in the Healthy Young Act.
WSSB is required by law to provide annual education on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome prevention education to all grade levels. Annual instruction must also include “age appropriate information about the legal elements of sexual [sex] offenses where the minor is a victim and the consequences upon conviction.”
Comprehensive sexual health education instruction offered by WSSB will be medically and scientifically accurate, appropriate for the age of students, appropriate for the students regardless of gender, race, disability status, or sexual orientation, and include information about abstinence and other methods of preventing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence will not be taught to the exclusion of other instruction on contraceptives and disease prevention. WSSB’s comprehensive sexual education will be consistent with the State Department of Health and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction guidelines and requirements.
Any parent or legal guardian may choose to excuse their child from the instruction of comprehensive sexual health education by filing a written request to the Director of On-Campus programs or designee. The Director of On-Campus Programs or designee must grant the written request to have the student excused from instruction.
Any parent or legal guardian may file a written request with the Director of On-Campus Programs or designee to review the comprehensive sexual health education curriculum.
At the beginning of each school year, WSSB must notify parents and guardians in writing, or in accordance with the methods the school finds most effective in communicating with parents or guardians that they will be providing comprehensive sexual education. The notice must include, or provide a means for electronic access to, all course materials, by grade, that will be used during the instruction.
Legal References: Senate Bill 5395, RCW 28A.300.145, RCW 9A.44, RCW 28A.600.480 (2), WAC 392-140-140, RCW 28A.230.020, RCW 28A.330.100 (5), RCW 28A.405.060, RCW 28A.405.030, RCW 28A.230.070