YUHSD previews 2010-2011 school year
The Yuma Union High School District board met Wednesday for a special meeting to discuss routine personnel, consideration to approve job descriptions, course descriptions and health course supplemental materials for sexual education before the upcoming school year begins.
First the board looked at a list of routine personnel. They reviewed and approved the categories of personnel for administrative and certificating employees in addition to updated job descriptions.
YUHSD Superintendent Toni Badone explained that as jobs become vacant or changes need to be made, job descriptions will be updated throughout the year.
“Jobs change over time, so that's the reason for those three job descriptions,” said Badone when explaining the new descriptions for the auditorium manager positions as well as the network manager position.
Course descriptions for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year were also approved and can be found online at www.yumaunion.org under the “Helpful Links” tab.
The consideration to approve health course supplemental materials passed 4-1 with board member Mary Melchionne opposing.
“I'm going to vote no and I'd like to tell you why,” said Melchionne. “We've been teaching sex education in schools now for 40 years ... We just don't seem to have any results, we've got day-care centers in our schools and we have more pregnancies now than we ever have ... I'm just going to say no because we keep pouring money into the same old stuff and it never changes, it doesn't seem to me.”
Instructional materials would include things like how to reduce the risk of pregnancy, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and HIV in addition to building prevention skills.
“This information is on the Arizona Department of Education approved list and curriculum,” said Associate Superintendent Richard Faidley as he explained that the information is research-based and also supported by the federal government.
Badone said students would have the opportunity to opt out of the course as well as the whole unit.
“The emphasis right from the beginning is on abstinence, but it is also informative and is meant to help students build skills to be able to make good decisions to prevent pregnancy, STDs and HIV,” said Badone about the supplemental materials.
The materials will be provided if YUHSD receives the money from the Campesinos Sin Fronteras Grant Program, but the district will not find out if it will get the grant until September.
Sarah Reed can be reached at sareed@yumasun.com or 539-6858.
