Topeka ? The State Board of Education failed to reach a decision Tuesday about sex education.

The board deadlocked 5-5, failing to adopt an advisory policy for schools.

Cynthia Akagi, a Kansas University health education expert who is in charge of recommending health standards for schools, expressed frustration about the impasse.

“I wish the board would leave it to what’s best for the local districts,” said Akagi, an assistant professor who chaired a committee of health teachers and nurses that proposed the standards.

For now, the deadlock leaves the current policies in place, which allows for local control. But Board Chairman Steve Abrams said the board would take up the issue again, probably next month, since the sex ed guidelines are contained in broader health education curriculum standards.

The dispute is about how to enroll students in sex ed, which is now left up to individual school districts.

Most districts, including Lawrence, have an “opt-out” policy, meaning students will be taught sex ed unless the parent signs a slip that excuses the student from the class.

Akagi and other health experts say that process has worked well, allowing parents who don’t want their children to take sex ed to remove them from class, while also giving local boards discretion.

But several conservative state board members have pushed for an “opt-in” policy, meaning parents would have to sign a statement giving students permission to take sex ed.

• Sexual education guidelines under fire (09-12-05)
• Petition urges state board to let alone sex ed policy (08-03-05)
• On the street: Should parents have to sign a permission slip for their children to take sex education? (08-03-05)
• Board of Education studying opt-in sex-ed policy (06-15-05)

The conservatives say that would require schools to be more informative to parents about what the class will cover, and it will open communication between the students and parents about sex.

“I believe this is a matter of life and death and trumps local control,” said board member Connie Morris, a Republican from St. Francis.

Board impasse

But neither side on the divided board could muster a majority.

Conservatives have a 6-4 edge and have won on several issues, including approval of science standards that open up evolution to criticism.

But on this issue, conservative Kathy Martin, a Republican from Clay Center, sided with moderates.

She said she wanted to maintain local school district control over the decision, and she noted that the “opt-in” proposal could be a problem for teachers trying to round up the permission slips.

Akagi said “opt-in” would result in fewer students taking sex ed because some parents were too busy or uninvolved to take the time to give their children permission to take the class.

She said if the board ultimately recommended “opt-in” only, then she and her committee would take their names off the proposed health standards.

Public speaks out

During a public comment period before the board started discussing the issue, speakers represented the division on the board.

Erik Ahlen, a sophomore from Eudora, said the opt-in proposal would result in an increase in teen pregnancy, a higher demand for abortions and “give the wrong idea of the opposite sex.”

He said schools should be offering more sex education.

The Rev. Thom Belote, minister of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Shawnee Mission, presented petitions signed by 2,000 people supporting the current policy.

“We don’t need to put any more stumbling blocks out there for our children,” Belote said.

But several others argued against sex education in school.

Joy Bourdess, of Overland Park, said in her conversations with teenagers, they told her that sex education made them more curious about having sex.

Seagayle Henderson, of De Soto, said the opt-in approach would give parents greater ability to review materials in the class.

“Will they be promoting alternative lifestyles? Will they be practicing putting condoms on their fingers?” she asked.

Leaders don’t agree

Many of the conservatives voiced dissatisfaction with the way sex ed was presented.

Morris said when a child opted out of the class, they were ostracized. “The students are teased; they are the oddball and sent to the library to do busy work,” she said.

Ken Willard, a Republican from Hutchinson, said the opt-out policy has been a failure because of increases in sexual activity among teens.

But board member Sue Gamble, a Republican from Shawnee, said teen pregnancy rates were at historic lows.

“We have a process, that as far as I can tell, is working well,” she said.