I was ashamed and appalled last year when I learned that the Newport-Mesa Unified School District failed at teaching comprehensive sexual education.
Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties did a study on school districts and their adherence to the law regarding sexual education and discovered that our district received a 59.34 on a scale of 100.
We were risking our children’s lives by not giving them adequate sexual education.
I am thrilled to learn that parents in our community demanded our students receive a better education, one that will finally be in compliance with the state education code and inevitably prevent teen pregnancy and contraction of STDs.
When the report was delivered this year, the Newport-Mesa school district, after updating curriculum, received the highest rating equivalent to our neighboring district in Irvine.
As a pastor in our community it is important for me to know that our children’s best interest is in mind and that our schools meet state standards.
I congratulate Planned Parenthood for calling our district to accountability, our parents for demanding the best for their students, and the Newport-Mesa school district for righting a wrong and recommitting itself to quality education and protection for the children in our community.
The Rev. Sarah Halverson
