Dear Parents and Guardians:

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Thank you for your interest in protecting your students from sex education in Michigan public schools.   Attached to this Memo is a Parental Opt-Out Form that you can fill out for each of your students and present to the principal or other administrator at your school. 

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The purpose of this form is to provide a clear Opt-Out document with clarifying examples that will require the school to cease and desist teaching, lessons, or discussions regarding human sexuality and/or family planning with your student as indicated by your specific selections on the opt-out form.

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According to Michigan law, the school must adhere to Parental Opt-Outs for sex education.  All sex education must be approved by the Board of Education and in compliance with the SEAB (Sex Ed Advisory Board).  All sex education must also be contained to a specific time, place, curriculum, and  provided by a qualified sex education instructor.  Parents must be informed prior to such education, given the opportunity to preview the curriculum, and be provided the right to opt-out without any negative consequences to the student.

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You should fill out two copies for each student, one for the school to keep in your student’s file, and one for you to keep for your records. 

There is a place at the bottom for the signature of the person who receives the form, and the date it was received. Be sure to have the signature on all copies. If the recipient questions signing the form, thinking that they are somehow approving it or agreeing with it, indicate that it is only stating that it was received on a certain date. As an alternative, they can use a “received” stamp with the date to record that it was provided to the school.

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If there is a “school approved” form, you can attach this form to it, and write on the school form that there is an attached form that specifies your instructions regarding your child.

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You might get some pushback about whether this is legally binding on the school. You do not need to engage in a discussion with the administrator on that, but simply state that regardless of what the school believes is its legal effect, you are requesting that the Parental Opt-Out Form be placed in your child’s file along with the other forms, e.g. medical releases, student handbook receipts, permission slips, that are kept there.