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October 14, 2025
LANSING – Michigan parents would continue to have the chance to opt their children out of any sex education instruction in public schools under proposed updates to the state’s health education standards.
Local control of how or if school districts use the health/sex education standards also would remain in place, as would the separation of optional sex education instruction from health education classes that are required for students to graduate.
“Health education is important to our children. Too many Michigan parents are confused due to widespread misinformation about these proposed health education standards and how they will affect children,” said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “Politicians, media, and advocacy groups have spread falsehoods to scare parents into thinking that schools would teach sex education to their children without giving parents a chance to opt out from the instruction. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The State Board is considering updating health education standards for public schools for the first time since 2007. Following a public presentation at last month’s State Board of Education meeting, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) accepted written public comments on the proposed Michigan Health Education Standards Framework through last Friday.
MDE staff is reviewing the written public comments and will then recommend updated health education standards to the board at a future meeting.
“Parent rights, local control and transparency are and would remain important parts of health education and sex education,” said Dr. Diane Golzynski, MDE deputy superintendent for business, health, and library services. “The sex ed standards opt-out provision would allow parents to choose for themselves whether or not their children should take part in sex education classes.”
Districts, with parent input, decide whether to offer sex education and what to include. Content is recommended by mandatory Sex Education Advisory Boards which must comprised of at least 50% parents at the local level. Local school boards approve the content. According to Michigan law, if sex education is offered locally, parents must be notified, be allowed to review the materials, and can opt their children out without penalty. The proposed health/sex ed standards can be critical to a student's social, emotional, physical, and civic development and should be use as guidance at the local level.
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