More than three years after the Roaring Fork School Board of Education adopted its comprehensive human sexuality curriculum, the topic remains a hot-button issue among parents and community members because of the intensity of the materials — leading some to claim the curriculum was adopted under “political motivations.”

The Board of Education requested an update on the curriculum labeled the “3Rs, Rights, Respect, Responsibility,” following increased community interest during the 2025-26 school year, most notably from a group of concerned parents who voiced their opinions during school board meetings. 

During Wednesday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, directors listened as RFSD Superintendent Anna Cole and Assistant Superintendent Stacey Park presented information on curriculum implementation, opt-out data, parent communication, community feedback and more. 

“This curriculum is really focused on safety,” Cole said during the meeting. “We see comprehensive sexual health education as a primary prevention strategy to keep our students safe. It is evidence-based that it prevents sexual abuse, addresses critical risk factors, promotes inclusion and positive school culture, addresses consent gaps, etc. 

“We have a responsibility under the Safe Schools Act to implement curricula that keep kids safe,” she continued. “We have a legal and ethical responsibility as mandated reporters to use prevention and trauma-informed response to help survivors heal and make sure students have access to tools and resources.”

Cole said the 3Rs curriculum is supported by “a variety of sources,” including the 2026 Colorado Office of School Safety Child Sexual Abuse and Assault Prevention Resource Guide, an 83-page guide covering laws, definitions, and guidance on building such a program. The guide refers to the 3Rs curriculum as “evidence-based” and “effective.”

RFSD didn’t implement the curriculum at face value; the board selected a specific set of required lessons that were “highlighted for their safety.” The school district is not the only Colorado district to use the 3Rs. Other Colorado districts that have implemented the 3Rs include Canyon City, Steamboat Springs, Denver, Aurora, Adams 14, Fremont, Ridgeway, Silverton, St Vrain, Durango 9-R, Westminster, and Harrison.

The board memo detailing the update explained that after the district received data from its informal survey, it found that all schools have successfully integrated “Required Lessons” into their schedules, while half of the schools are also implementing “Recommended Lessons.” 

The lessons are delivered by school nurses and counselors, with support from health teachers and, in some cases, community partners such as local doctors. 

The memo states that parent opt-out rates are low across the district, “typically ranging from less than 1% to approximately 5% per grade level, though a few schools (Crystal River Elementary School, Sopris Elementary School) reported slightly higher concentrations (6-12%) in specific early elementary grades. The highest opt-out rate was the Crystal River Elementary School Kindergarten opt-out rate at 13%.”

According to Cole, the main takeaways they’ve heard from the community over the winter and spring revolve around making it easier to access information, increasing transparency about what the curriculum covers, improving opt-out accessibility, and ensuring that students who have been opted out don’t feel isolated after the fact. 

The district has updated its website to include far more information about the 3Rs than previously available, in an effort to provide curriculum transparency. They are also banking heavily on the incoming ParentSquare communication tool for the 2026-27 school year, which will streamline a school’s ability to communicate with parents.

Communicating with parents, or an alleged lack thereof, is what rebooted the tense conversations between the community and the school district. In many prior public comments, community members asked the board to switch their process from opt-out to opt-in, though Cole explained why that would be counterintuitive. 

“Our goal here is to maximize student access to the curriculum that we believe is essential to creating safe schools,” Cole said on Wednesday. “Opting-in rather than out undermines the validity of that effort, and frames it as something that’s taboo, rather than something we believe is beneficial to all students.”

Cole said the district also recognizes that parents need clear access to information about the curriculum.  

“It’s also why we take the concerns the parents have shared with us regarding notifications, transparency, access, and stigma very seriously,” Cole said. “It’s essential that we ensure parents can review materials, can ask questions, and can make decisions regarding their child’s access to the curriculum in a very informed and accessible way.”

Cole said Wednesday’s update was just the start, and that schools working together is the key to offering students safe and important resources. 

“There are things that are working really well in some schools that we can do everywhere,” she said. “We believe this curriculum is really important to keeping our kids and our schools safe, and therefore we need to make sure that we’re really tight on communicating with parents and honoring their wishes.”
For more information about the Comprehensive Human Sexuality Curriculum, visit rfschools.com.