PSD approves new curriculum

POMEROY–The Pomeroy School District (PSD) board approved a Healthy Relationships curriculum called “Principles of Effective Prevention Programs” as the new sexual health education on January 27.

The PSD coordinated with Quality Behavioral Health to provide the school with a program to help educate students of all ages about “sexting” and preventing sexual assault. The program meets the guidelines set forth by the State of Washington.

Senate Bill 5395 states “Passed by the legislature in 2020, effective December 3, 2020; it requires all Washington public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education instruction that is medically and scientifically accurate, evidence-informed, age-appropriate, aligned with health and learning standards, and inclusive of all students regardless of their protected class status...Parents and guardians have the right to opt their child out of any or all instruction in comprehensive sexual health education; school districts must honor the parent or guardian’s request to opt their child out; school districts must consult with parents and guardians in the adoption of their locally determined comprehensive sexual health education curriculum; and school districts must notify parents and guardians at the beginning of the school year when their child’s school will be providing sexual health education instruction and make instructional materials available to parents and guardians for review…”

The curriculum selection must consider these factors: “medically and scientifically accurate; age appropriate; inclusive of all students, regardless of their protected class (Chapter 49.60 RCW); and consistent with the Washington State Health and Physical Education K-12 Learning Standards and the 2005 Guidelines for Sexual Health Information and Disease Prevention developed by the Washington State Department of Health or OSPI…” For mor information on requirements, visit

(https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/bulletinsmemos/bulletins2020/Bulletin-092-20-Addendum.pdf)

The district will implement the “Principles of Effective Prevention Programs” which will provide age-appropriate and comprehensive prevention skills. The board carefully researched the curriculum options before making a decision. After thoughtful consideration, the board voted to implement the Healthy Relationships sexual health education program to satisfy the Washington State requirement to provide sexual education for all students. Parents can expect a letter outlining program conditions.

In other PSD business, the Jr./Sr. High School Principal Amy Miller informed the board of a miscomputation in the Grade Point Average system. The error is due to an inaccuracy in the master program of Skyward, the system that the PSD uses to compute GPAs. Principal Miller said there was no way to know how long it has been happening, but she is hopeful that it was a one-time error.

PSD Superintendent Rachel Gwinn presented Director Bart Gingerich with a certificate from the Washington State School Board of Directors, celebrating his 20 years of service.

The board approved hiring Fred Knebel as Junior High Wrestling Coach. They also approved a request to surplus a 2004 passenger state bus. The bus has 300,000 miles on it.