(SPOKESMAN REVIEW) – Public schools in Washington will be required to teach comprehensive sexual health multiple times during a student’s K-12 education after voters approved Referendum 90, according to Tuesday’s early results. The vote was split about 60-40 in Tuesday’s first vote count.
The referendum sparked a bitter debate throughout Washington since it was first put on the ballot in June. Opponents of the sex ed bill that passed last session gathered more than 266,000 signatures to bring the question to voters in November.
The bill, which was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in March, would require all school districts in Washington to teach comprehensive sexual health education multiple times throughout a child’s K-12 education. Students would be taught inclusive, age-appropriate sex ed once in kindergarten through third grade, once in grades 4-5, twice in grades 6-8 and twice in grades 9-12.
