By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
"Convoluted, manipulative, and wrong for a number of reasons.” That's how Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly described House Bill 2382 when she vetoed it in April. Kansas legislators later overrode the vetoes, affirming a law that requires school districts to show a video of a developing fetus to students at all grade levels during any course that broaches human growth, development, and sexuality. During Monday night's board meeting, USD 428 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction JoAnn Blevins outlined what the bill might look like for Great Bend students.
"The stipulation in that is that it had to be a 3-minute, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound, that shows the development of the heart, lungs, and other vital organs in early human development," Blevins said. "Any course. That's all the law stipulates. It doesn't say anything else."
District nurses and administrators are currently trying to identify all courses, grades pre-K through 12, that might qualify for inclusion under the broad definition of classes included in the bill. Discussions about puberty have long been introduced during grades 4-6, and several middle and high school science classes will also require inclusion of the video. One board member asked if a written math problem involving growth would require that class to show the video.
"What we're working on right now is to identify which grade levels that would include at the elementary level, then we can start maybe procuring grade-appropriate presentations," Blevins said.
The law, which went into effect on July 1, does not specify how districts should document how and when the videos or shown, nor repercussions for not showing it. Blevins said some students may be required to watch the video multiple times if participating in various science classes that involve human growth, development, or sexuality. She also said parents will be able to opt their students out of the video.