Utah on its Way to Banning Sex-Ed in Schools

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Utah may have boasted the most restrictive sex education laws in the country if a bill passed through the state legislature in 2012 had been signed into law. The proposed law would have restricted schools from teaching any type of sex ed in public schools outside of abstinence and would have prohibited discussion on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the fact that this bill passed in both the state House and Senate, there was plenty of opposition to the bill from state lawmakers, educators, and even parents. Governor Gary Herbert ultimately vetoed the bill on March 16, 2012.

About the Bill

Referred to as HB363 and sponsored by Bill Wright (R-Holden), this bill would have defined sex education in the state of Utah as abstinence-only and would have banned schools from providing instruction on sexual intercourse, homosexuality, contraceptive methods, and sexually transmitted diseases. According to Deseret News, Wright sponsored the bill as a response to what he called “inappropriate material” presented in classrooms. Specifically, Wright was opposed to material produced by Planned Parenthood being distributed to students. Wright said he believed sex education was something that should take place in the home, rather than the school.

At the time, Utah schools were allowed to offer sex-education courses with some restrictions attached. Schools were allowed to provide instruction about sexual intercourse and contraception without advocating for it. Parents could choose not to have their

A new report from the National School Board Association’s Center for Public Education found that high schools vary greatly in their ability to prepare students for life after high school. At the core of this study appears to be a very important term that requires a precise definition: rigorous curriculum. We’ll take a look at what a “rigorous curriculum” looks like and whether high schools across the country are rising to the task of offering this type of curriculum to their students.

Rigorous Curriculum Produces College and Career Readiness

According to the National School Board Association, a “rigorous curriculum” is required to produce “college and career-ready graduates,” but beyond that statement, the processes involved in reaching that goal become somewhat murky. How do schools know if the curriculum presented to students is “rigorous” enough to ensure success? The report does take the time to define “rigorous curriculum” accurately to make it easier to assess high schools and their ability to prepare students for the future.

First, the website offers a definition of rigorous curriculum that was provided by the National High School Alliance, which reads, “An educational experience that leads to a common outcome – that all students are well prepared for post-secondary education, career, and civic life.” The definition goes on to state that rigor is characterized by a “steadfast focus” on increasing achievement through high-level coursework and aligning high school requirements with expectations for both college and career paths.

Rigor and Common Core

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The state of Virginia will not be requiring public schools to accommodate home-schooled athletes in their sports programs, now that the bill dubbed the “Tim Tebow” bill has been shot down in a congressional vote. The bill was named for the NFL quarterback currently on the roster for the Denver Broncos, who was home-schooled through high school but played on the football team of his local public school. While the vote was close, some republicans and the majority of Democrats in the state agreed that a requirement would be unfair to public schools on both an economic and participation level.

This video reports on the failure of the so-called Tebow bill.

The Impact of the Bill

According to a report at the Washington Post, the “Tim Tebow” bill would have ensured tens of thousands of home-schooled students across the state had the right to participate in athletic programs at local public schools. State officials estimate that around 32,000 students are home schooled in the state, although the Home School Legal Defense Association believes that number to be much higher. There is no way to predict how many of these students would take advantage of athletic programs if they were given the chance.

Currently, 25 states allow for such participation, under a variety of guidelines, according to information provided to the New York Times by the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Following on the heels of their success in urban areas like Brooklyn and the Bronx, the Eagle Academy Foundation network is about to expand into Newark this fall. The all-boys public school was designed to help at-risk youth discover academic success, leading to many life opportunities. The single-sex school will open up for the 2012-2013 school year and will eventually serve male youth from grades six through 12.

About Eagle Academy Foundation

According to the Eagle Academy Foundation website, the foundation “empowers at-risk inner city young men to become academic achievers, engaged citizens, and responsible men by providing quality education resources and proven effective community-based initiatives to address the shortfalls in public education to effectively educate them.”

Eagle Academy strives to combine a rigorous academic curriculum with instruction in vital social development skills to help young men succeed in school and after. According to the Newark Patch, these schools were founded in 2004 and currently boast more than one thousand students across their three locations in the heart of New York City. The academy is a partnership between Newark Public Schools and various faith-based and community organizations that provide personalized mentoring to students.

“We see so many young men engaged in negative behavior, walking around with their pants hanging off their behinds,” David Banks, president, and chief executive officer of the Eagle Academy Foundation, told the Newark Patch. “This school is where we teach them discipline and respect for themselves and the community.

Most educators would agree that the proper amount of discipline is essential to a healthy learning environment. However, the means of achieving that discipline has been a debate that has raged for decades. The latest system implemented in Chicago charter schools is no exception. Students in these schools pay a hefty price – quite literally – for even the smallest infractions. And while charter school staff members believe that price has resulted in more orderly classrooms and higher student achievement, some parents and students think it borders on harassment.

The Charge for Rule-Breaking

The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago has implemented a new discipline program that involves fining students for infractions of all kinds. Last year, when the system was first introduced, the Noble school system collected nearly $190,000 for rule-breaking that ranged from chewing gum to bringing a cell phone into class. The money raised went to pay for the after-school detention program and the dean of discipline position that oversees the program at all the Noble schools.

Students caught with shoes untied or shirts un-tucked, chewing gum, or using cell phones are given demerits for breaking the rules. For example, an untied shoelace is worth one demerit, while cell phone use costs four demerits. Students who receive four demerits in a two-week period are fined $5 and receive after-school detention. If a student gets a total of 12 demerits in a single school year, he must attend a behavior class over the