In a snap decision, the board of Colorado’s third largest school district voted Tuesday night to require parental permission before middle and high school students participate in the state’s largest youth health survey instead of the current opt-out policy.
The move is a significant shift in how the Douglas County School District collects health data: prioritizing explicit parental consent over anonymous, voluntary data collection used to better understand youth health and what factors support youth to make healthy choices.
“Our schools, they exist to serve our families and not to replace them,” said board member Becky Meyers…