- Vermont state law mandates the teaching of sexuality education as part of comprehensive health education.
- All sex ed curricula must include instruction on abstinence.
- Sex ed curricula are not required to include instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, but they are required to be culturally competent.
- Sex ed curricula are not required to include instruction on consent, but there must be instruction on sexual violence.
- Parents or guardians may remove their children from instruction pertaining to disease if the content conflicts with their religious beliefs. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
- The Vermont Health Education Sample Graduation Proficiencies & Performance Indicators and Sample Comprehensive HIV Policy for Schools: Pre-K–12 indicate benchmarks for students to achieve throughout their education. The State Board of Education also adopted the National Health Education Standards as a framework for schools to develop health curricula.
Bills to Watch
- HB 106 was introduced in 2023. It would protect the freedom of teachers to instruct on gender identity, and on systemic and structural racism.
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 Vermont profile.