The school board had postponed voting on the program for two weeks “to give staff more time to ensure that it did not include any instruction on contraception.” According to The Baker County Press, the vote took place after “virtually no discussion.” #
Baker County is one of several others to have strictly interpreted Florida’s statute on abstinence education. Other counties have adopted “abstinence-based” curriculum, which include information on contraception and STDs. Baker County’s curriculum, however, will focus on the “benefits and values achieved through self-confidence, assertiveness, communication skills, performing community service and setting and achieving goals.” #
Earlier this year, students from Baker County acted as part of a “listening tour” alongside the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition’sTeen Pregnancy task force. The tour voiced information gathered from a survey of teens in Baker on the subject of teen pregnancy, sex education and birth control. #
Students on the tour told members of the community that the sex education curriculum in Baker focused too much on abstinence and not enough on contraception– a problem which will continue unaddressed. #
Other counties are currently expanding their curriculum, arguing that the statute is less of a strict mandate and more of a framework. #
Manatee County recently expanded its sex education curriculumto include more comprehensive information, while also teaching abstinence. Manatee officials were concerned that an abstinence-only curriculum was contributing to the county’s high number in teen pregnancy and STD’s. Parents and school board members in Flagler County shared similar concerns.#