Milwaukee Public Schools Marks Grant Money for Sex Ed

Milwaukee Public Schools will use a new $1.1 million CDC grant, which will come in $225,000 installments over five years, to boost student awareness of the risks of teen pregnancy and STDs.

In the first year, the district plans to focus on six to eight high schools, six to eight middle schools, and six community learning centers that provide care, tutoring and activities for students outside traditional school hours. Though not finalized, the list will include Washington High School and South Division High School, said Judy Gerrity, program coordinator for health and physical education.

"I think we've done a good job of trying to prevent tobacco and alcohol use and improving nutrition. This is another area where we want to focus and now have the resources to do so," Gerrity said.

Gerrity said the money will go toward building or strengthening school health teams, including teachers and guidance counselors, who can then assess specific needs at individual schools. Money will also go toward in-service training for teachers on health subjects, and for new textbooks.

Milwaukee's teen pregnancy rate is among the highest in the country, said district Health Services Coordinator Kathleen Murphy. The city also suffers from a high rate of chlamydia among adolescents. The CDC grant coincides with an effort to revise the human growth and development curriculum taught in Milwaukee Public Schools. The new curriculum will include more up-to-date information about STDs.

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