SIMI VALLEY : Board Will Decide Birth Control Issue

After months of debate, Simi Valley school officials are scheduled on Tuesday to decide whether to add birth control information to the sex education curriculum.

A citizens committee formed to study the issue in December recommended adding such information to lessons in seventh and 10th grades. The panel also said school officials should better teach students how to practice abstinence.

Parents on both sides of the issue have turned out at nearly every school board meeting since the committee held its first talks in September. The 25-member committee was comprised by teachers, administrators, parents and religious representatives.

In addition to the birth control issue, the school board is scheduled to take up more budget cuts at Tuesday’s meeting. However, officials expect the birth control debate to last so long that the meeting will be continued to Wednesday night.

The board is expected to pass a proposal to cut all operational budgets by 8% to save $150,000 a year. However, officials dumped a plan to move high school athletics from sixth-period to after school so that fees could be charged to parents for transportation to sporting events.

Instead, sports programs districtwide will be asked to find ways to cut $100,000 from the budget through fund-raisers and other initiatives.

Tuesday night’s meeting will be preceded by a public forum at the school district offices on Cochran Street at 4 p.m. The regular board meeting will begin one hour early, at 6 p.m., in the council chambers at City Hall.

Wednesday’s meeting will be 6 p.m. at Berylwood Elementary School.