At the March 6 Washington County School District Board of Education meeting, parent Sherry Gillen addressed the board during the public comment period to urge earlier and repeated instruction for children about sexual misconduct, inappropriate touching and personal safety.

Gillen said she discusses these topics with her children at home and believes instruction should begin at younger ages because children are exposed to devices and social media early. She asked that permission slips and notices about classroom films and reading material be sent earlier for parents' review and recommended that conversations about appropriate and inappropriate behavior begin in kindergarten and be reinforced regularly.

Gillen also said she worries about bombs and guns and that parents want schools to stress safety. She gave an example of hearing her 12-year-old tell her she carries a door stopper in her backpack for protection. The superintendent invited her to leave contact information and said staff would follow up; Gillen completed a speaker card during the meeting for a follow-up from district staff.

What’s next: district staff asked Gillen to provide contact information on the speaker card and said they would follow up on her concerns. No formal board action followed public comment during the meeting.