ASKED FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ISSUES REGARDING STUDENT PREGNANCIES AND SEX EDUCATION:

As you read this, you will see my obvious concerns.  There were (are?) too many pregnant students.  I didn't want to take federal funds for the program because of the strings attached.  I thought that students were moving into the district or perhaps just showing up from other districts to take advantage of the KISD program (that would be, if not illegal, unfair to local taxpayers footing the bill.  I also thought the director of the program did not have an authorized and comprehensive curriculum for this program. I also didn't like that these students were allowed to be with the other students and that the District was providing child care.  (Old fashioned me!)

After this initial inquiry, Ken Burton and I attended a program for Pregnant students and the fathers of those students.  It was very eye-opening. The meeting was held at the Kingsland Baptist Church, and all the participating students were there.  The meeting started with the wife of the KBC pastor  making a speech and telling everyone that "she was born to an unwed mother."  I was stunned.  What a thing to tell students! I think it didn't help matters. I really didn't want to know that either!

The other thing that I couldn't believe was the effort to tell all the young girls how to work the system, how to get free food, how to get Food Stamps and so on.

I was not impressed.

I also felt that the sex education curriculum being taught to 7th grade students was worthless.  As it turned out, Hugh Hayes had kept the fact from the Board that the State had canceled the program as a mandated program two years prior! So much for transparency.

I also thought that all of these matters that I was bringing forward were things a competent superintendent would have already done and already have in place!

To:  Board Members

From:  Ken Burton and Mary McGarr

Regarding:  Increased number of pregnant students, the expanding Pregnancy Program, and the need to implement an additional abstinence directed curriculum model for younger students.

At the May 1995 special board meeting a request was made to expand the Pregnancy Program to another high school (KHS) and add another teacher.  Although there are federal funds from a grant to supplement the program, local funding must also be used.  It was also noted at the meeting that over the last four years 178 students have been served.  It should also be noted that when our district accepts these federal funds, our district's curriculum also comes under the direction of federal guidelines and initiatives.  (There are strings attached.)

Ken Burton and Mary McGarr met with some parents who have also expressed the desire to review what we have, make sure it is effective and to see what changes, if any, need to be made.  Ken and I hope that all of you will join with us in seeking this information.  Please let Ken or me hear back from you with regard to our proposal.  Our requests at this time are for information, for the initiation of some tracking, and for a study regarding the implementation of an abstinence directed curricula (with some additional modules) which reflect the beliefs of KISD residents and the Texas State Legislature.

These requests include:

     1.  Development of statistics (beginning now) to track pregnant students with regard to:

          a.  age

          b.  location of residence within the district

          c.  number of pregnancies

          d.  length of time in the district

          e.  location of residence in year prior to registration in the program

          f.  length of time in the program

          g.  level of educational attainment in KISD

          h.  level of post KISD educational attainment

   2.  Analysis of the program with regard to:

          a.  method of initial identification of pregnant student

          b. number of repeaters in program

          c. number of pregnant students moving in from outside the district to take advantage of KISD program

          d.  percentage increase each year from the inception of the program to the current time and to continue

               in total number of students served

          e.  percentage increase in number of students (from the inception of the program to the current time

               and to continue) served at each school

          f.  number of referrals to other agencies and for what purpose

   3.  Analysis of the total KISD pregnancy and sex education programs

          a. establish relationship between sex education taken in seventh grade and number of students

              becoming pregnant who have participated in that course (statistics should be tied to specific

              schools.)

        b.  review all prevention and intervention programs provided by KISD in health courses and elsewhere.

        c.  review participation by young men who fathered children whose mothers are in KISD programs

   4.  Analysis of other related programs with regard to pregnant students

        a.  sex and heath education programs (review and develop an integrated curriculum for entire

             program) (Seventh grade program has been used for four years now.  Has it been effective and how

             do we know?)

        b.  drugs and drug awareness (review the impact of the DARE program with regard to its

             statistical effectiveness on students)

        c.  alcohol (review efforts to curtail the use of alcohol by high school students)

        d.  values and morality education (review implementation of board resolution in fall of 1994)

    5.  Ask for administrative recommendation as an agenda item in July for Board policy to address these

         concerns