Colorado § 22-25-106 - Local comprehensive health education programs - local student wellness programs - establishment of comprehensive health education advisory councils.

§ 22-25-106. Local comprehensive health education programs - local student wellness programs - establishment of comprehensive health education advisory councils.

(1) (a) Each school district and board of cooperative services may and is encouraged to establish a local comprehensive health education program. To ensure that a local comprehensive health education program reflects the health issues and values of the community, each school district or board of cooperative services may establish a comprehensive health education advisory council, or may add necessary representatives to the school district's accountability committee created pursuant to section 22-11-301 or other appropriate committee, to address and make recommendations to the school district or board of cooperative services concerning the curriculum of the local comprehensive health education program.

(b) Each school district and board of cooperative services is further encouraged to establish a local student wellness program that includes or is otherwise coordinated with health education. A school district's or board of cooperative services' comprehensive health education advisory council or accountability committee may address and make recommendations to the school district or the board of cooperative services concerning the local student wellness program, including but not limited to the programs to be provided and best practices and strategies for involving families and the community in the local student wellness programs.

(2) In establishing a comprehensive health education advisory council or in supplementing an accountability committee or other appropriate committee, the board of a school district or board of cooperative services is encouraged to appoint members of the community who represent various points of view within the school district concerning comprehensive health education; however, a majority of the committee shall be comprised of parents of children enrolled in the district. Members may include, but shall not be limited to, parents, a member of the clergy, teachers, school administrators, pupils, health-care professionals, members of the business community, law enforcement representatives, senior citizens, and other interested residents of the school district.

(3) In addition to the requirements of section 22-25-104 (3), each school district and board of cooperative services is encouraged to include instruction in its local comprehensive health education program which:

(a) Promotes parental involvement, promotes abstinence from high-risk behaviors, fosters positive self-concepts, develops decision-making skills, and provides mechanisms for coping with and resisting peer pressure;

(b) Focuses on the dynamic relationship among physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being; and

(c) Integrates available community resources into the educational program.

(4) (a) Each local comprehensive health education program which is adopted by a school district or board of cooperative services shall include a procedure to exempt a student, upon request of the parent or guardian of such student, from a specific portion of the program on the grounds that it is contrary to the religious beliefs and teachings of the student or the student's parent or guardian.

(b) Any local school district or board of cooperative services which adopts a local comprehensive health education program shall ensure that at a minimum the following public information requirements are met:

(I) Written notification of such local comprehensive health education program shall be given to the parents or guardians of all students within such school district or board of cooperative services, including notification that a student is allowed an exemption which permits such a student, at the request of the parent or guardian of the student, to be excused from all or any part of the local comprehensive health education program; and

(II) The curriculum and materials to be used shall be made available for public inspection at reasonable times and reasonable hours and a public forum to receive public comment upon such curriculum and materials shall be held.

Source: L. 90: Entire article R&RE, p. 1096, § 62, effective May 31. L. 92: (4) amended, p. 550, § 28, effective May 28. L. 2002: (1) and (2) amended, p. 1018, § 27, effective June 1. L. 2008: (1) amended, p. 675, § 6, effective August 5. L. 2009: (1)(a) amended, (SB 09-163), ch. 293, p. 1533, § 20, effective May 21. L. 2023: IP(3) amended, (SB 23-023), ch. 25, p. 89, § 4, effective August 7.