Brockton Public Schools

School Committee Policy

PARENT NOTIFICATION RELATIVE TO SEX EDUCATION - IHAM-R

In accordance with General Laws Chapter 71, Section 32A, the Brockton Public School Committee has adopted this policy on the rights of parents and guardians of our students in relation to curriculum that primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues.

At the beginning of each school year, all parents/guardians of elementary students in our schools will be notified in writing of the courses and curriculum we offer that primarily involve human sexuality and human sexuality issues. The Superintendent of Schools will designate the principal of each school to be responsible for sending the notice (s). Parents/guardians of students who enroll after the start of the school year will be given the written notice at the time of enrollment. All secondary student/parent handbooks will include a similar notification of curriculum information to be signed by parents and returned to each school. If the planned curriculum changes during the school year, to the extent practicable, parents/guardians will be notified of this fact in a timely manner before implementation.

Parents will have the right to:

  1. Exempt their child from any portion of the curriculum that primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues, without penalty to the student, by sending a letter to the school principal requesting an exemption. Any student who is exempted by request of the parent/guardian under this policy may be given an alternative assignment.
  2. Inspect and review instructional materials for these curricula, which will be made reasonably accessible to parents/guardians and others to the extent practicable. Parents/guardians may arrange with the principal to review the materials at the school, and may also review them at other locations that may be determined by the Superintendent of Schools.

A parent/guardian who is dissatisfied with a decision of the principal concerning notice, access to instructional materials, or exemption for the student under this policy may send a request to the Superintendent for review of the issue. The Superintendent or his/her designee will review the issue and give the parent/guardian a timely written decision, preferably within two weeks of the request issue.

The Superintendent of Schools will distribute a copy of this policy to each principal by September 1 of each year.