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<P><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma,sans-serif">The Urbana School Board has again changed the schedule for its consideration of the new health curriculum. The new schedule is:</FONT></P>
<P>Tuesday, January 17 presentation to the Board by the District's Curriculum Committee</P>
<P>Tuesday, February 7 Board Study Session -- this is the most important meeting to attend</P>
<P>Tuesday, February 21 Board may vote on adoption of curriculum at this meeting</P>
<P>All meetings are at 7:30 p.m. at the Burkholder Administration Building, 205 N. Race, Urbana</P>
<P>The Illinois State Board of Education standards and state statute do not prohibit teaching about contraception in public schools. The State does require that any discussion in the classroom about sexual intercourse include stressing the importance of abstinence until marriage. A few of the seven school board members have expressed concern about including contraception in the curriculum, even for 10th graders. It appears they are afraid of creating controversy. They need to know that refusing to teach high school students about birth control and safer sex is more controversial than leaving these importance subjects out of the curriculum.</P>
<P>Please contact school board members -- especially if you are a parent of a student in Urbana schools. Thank you,</P>
<P>Esther Patt</P></DIV></div></html>