- Idaho state law does not require the teaching of sexuality education.
- Idaho Statute §33-1608 states that the “primary responsibility of family life and sex education” rests with a student’s home and church. All sex ed curricula that are implemented must reinforce this message.
- School boards must include parents and community groups in all aspects of instituting and evaluating sex education programs.
- The aforementioned statute also mandates that sex ed programs reinforce the relationship of sex to “the miracle of life” and include “knowledge of the power of the sex drive and the necessity of controlling that drive by self-discipline.”
- Parents or guardians who wish to excuse their children from sex ed must file a written request to the school board. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
- The Idaho Department of Education’s Idaho Content Standards for Health Education requires that content related to the “consequences of sexual activity” begin in grades 6-8 and, by grade 12, include encouragement of abstinence.
Some Sex Ed Advocates Within the State
For more detailed information on how various districts in the state have been implementing these standards — and for recent legislation — you can read SIECUS’s Idaho profile.