Johnson County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to accept an amendment to the Juvenile Justice and Youth Development agreement during its formal meeting on Oct. 6, changing how Iowa city schools teach health classes.

The agreement was made between the program and the University of Iowa, with the UI doing it on behalf of the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP). The program is taught in the Iowa City Community School District.

The amendment will be in effect for fiscal year 2023. The amendment proposes “changing programming to 6th and 8th grade classrooms and with new curricula that is aligned with the National Sexuality Education Standards,” as stated in a document provided on Sept. 28’s board meeting agenda.

In the original agreement for the program, it saw “two 45-60 minute classroom discussions for each Iowa City Community School District 7th and 9th grade health and personal development class,” according to the agenda.

The proposed change would be to shift the classes from being taught at the 7th and 9th grade level to the 6th and 8th grade level.

In an email to The Daily Iowan, Laurie Nash, youth and family service manager for Johnson County, wrote the proposal came after talking with RVAP and they requested the amendment.

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“The amendment will allow for more cohesiveness among the activities provided by RVAP and the work being done by United Action for Youth,” Nash wrote. “It also provides for better alignment with the Iowa City Community School District’s K-12 Health and Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum.”

The amendment will not add any additional cost to the program, which will currently costs $27,000 for fiscal year 2023.