Family Life Education (FLE) 6-30

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 6-30

PERSONNEL

Family Life Education (FLE)

1. Generally

   The School Board approves the inclusion of Family Life Education (FLE) in the curriculum. Instruction shall be organized and maintained under applicable law and the Virginia Department of Education regulations and guidelines for locally developed FLE curriculum content. The School Board shall conduct a review of its family life education curricula at least once every seven years, shall evaluate whether such curricula reflect contemporary community standards, and revise such curricula if necessary.

2. Instructional Content and Materials

   All instructional content covered in Family Life education must be approved by the School Board. Instructional staff must use only those materials provided by the Department of Teaching and Learning. No other materials relating to FLE may be available for circulation to students. Adult students or the parents/legal guardians of minor students must be provided the opportunity to review all FLE materials before FLE instruction is provided.

3. Staff Training

   The Superintendent or designee shall select and provide training for those teachers authorized to teach FLE instruction. No person shall provide FLE instruction unless so selected and authorized.

4. Separate Sessions

   As determined in the locally developed FLE curriculum, portions of classes in the FLE program which deal exclusively with human sexuality or other sensitive topics may be conducted in separate sessions for boys and girls.

5. Review of complete family life education program- parents/guardians
   1. Every parent, guardian or other person in the Commonwealth having control or charge of any minor student enrolled in the school division shall have the right to review the complete family life curricula, including all supplemental materials used in any family life education program. A complete copy of all printed materials shall be made available through any available parental portal and kept in the school library or office and made available for review by such parent or guardian during school office hours before and during the school year. The audio-visual materials shall be made available to parents for in-person review, upon request, on the same basis as printed materials are made available.
   2. The Superintendent or designee shall develop and distribute to parents/legal guardians of students participating in the family life education program and post for public view on the School Division’s website a summary designed to assist parent/legal guardians in understanding the program implemented in its schools as such program progresses and to encourage parental/legal guardian guidance and involvement in the instruction of students. Such information shall reflect the curricula of the program as taught in the classroom. Such summary shall state the following “parents and guardians have the right to review the family life education program offered by the School Division, including written and audio-visual educational materials used in the program. Parents and guardians also have the right to excuse their child from all or part of family life education instruction.”
6. "Opt-out" Procedures

   The Superintendent or designee will develop "opt-out" procedures for parents/legal guardians who do not want their minor children included in all or part of the FLE program. Each school shall ensure that parents/legal guardians of minor students will receive the opt-out form and associated grade level curriculum links at least thirty days prior to the first lesson. Adult students may "opt-out" of inclusion in all or part of any FLE program.

Legal Reference

Code of Virginia § 22.1-207.1, as amended. Family life education.

Code of Virginia § 22.1-207.1:1, as amended. Family life education; certain curricula and Standards of Learning.

Code of Virginia § 22.1-207.2, as amended. Right of parents to review certain materials; summaries distributed on request.

Virginia Board of Education Regulations 8VAC20-131-170, as amended. Family Life Education.

Virginia Board of Education Regulations 8VAC20-671-560, as amended. Family Life.

Virginia Board of Education, Guidelines, Family Life Education. (Revised 2020), as amended.

Adopted by School Board: June 8, 1989
Amended by School Board: August 14, 1989
Amended by School Board: January 16, 1990
Amended by School Board: July 13, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: February 27, 2018
Amended by School Board: October 8, 2024