A Kansas law now mandates that public schools show students a three-minute video on fetal development in classes covering human growth, development or sexuality.
Kansas House Bill 2382, which took effect in July, requires the video shown to cover the development of major fetal organs using either a high-definition ultrasound or a high-quality computer-generated animation. The specific video used is selected by individual school districts.
Executive Director of Academic Services for the Blue Valley School District, Kelly June, said the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) notified districts about the law, but districts need to determine how to comply.
“While they’re (KSDE) giving us information about the law, they are not providing any guidance whatsoever around how to carry it out,” June said.
She said the district coordinated with other Johnson County school districts to select a video from Encyclopaedia Britannica to ensure consistency for students across the county.
June said the video provides factual information but does not always align with the district curriculum in each of the courses, and teachers are not required to create lessons around it.
She said classes that ended at the semester showed the video before winter break, while yearlong courses have flexibility in timing.
At BVNW, this requirement applies to students taking the classes Biology, Honors Biology, AP Biology, Introduction to Health Sciences, Anatomy & Physiology, Health & Wellness and Child Development & Human Growth.
On Dec. 4, assistant principal of curriculum and instruction, Jeff Aman, held a meeting with teachers at BVNW of affected subjects to discuss how the video will be implemented and determine where the video would best fit within their courses.
Families will receive an email before the video is shown in their students’ class, allowing them to opt their students out of viewing. Students who opt out will step into the hallway during the video and then return to class.
Aman said the video presents factual information and should not pose issues in a classroom setting.
“If students or parents are frustrated or irritated, they can come talk to me at the point of contact, not their science teacher,” Aman said. “It was a state-level decision, so our role is just to enact it.”
He said the school’s focus is on maintaining compliance with state law while keeping discussions centered on science.
“We’re a public school that operates under the auspices and oversight of the state, so we have to just be in compliance with state law, just like any business would,” Aman said.
