PEORIA, IL -- The Peoria District 150 School Board got a history lesson and a complaint about sex ed from people who commented at the Nov. 13 board meeting.
The history lesson was from Sharon Crews, who has researched the schools, who they were named for, and even when they were integrated in 1872.
Terry Knapp praised the Manual school band in the Veteran's Day parade, and advocated for a return to summer school instead of a year around school schedule.
But it was teacher Hedy Elliott-Gardner who made news when she criticized the district's progressive sex education program. In effect, she was saying it's not age-appropriate though she didn't use that term.
She also asked for a change to an op-in system instead of an op-out system the district now uses. Thirty parents have opted out, school officials said.
Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat responded that "we don't have the staff for an opt-in piece," and the opt-out system is "more efficient."
Regarding the curriculum, she said "things have changed. We have to teach sexual health." The lessons, though, can be adjusted, she said.
Peoria has one of the highest teen pregnancy and youth STD rates in Illinois.
Here is a recording of the comments:
- Elaine Hopkins
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