Blown out of proportion

Before we cave in to another sensationalizing headline or another rumor about the Delaware Valley High School teen pregnancies and STIs, let’s look at the big picture, assess the facts of the situation, and stand together to alleviate the problem. According to the letter, about 10 percent of DV middle and high school students have contracted an STI, which is less than half of the national rate. Each year, 25 percent of teens nationally contract an STD/STI, according to the American Social Health Association. The letter also reports 25-to-30 pregnancies among the approximately 1,500 DV middle and high school female students. Nationally, there are about 126 pregnancies per 1,500 girls age 15 to 19—five times DV—according to the National Center for Health Statistics. While one infected or pregnant student is one too many, we need to act on this problem realistically. Let’s not blow this problem out of proportion. Let’s not point fingers at Delaware Valley for not teaching children morals—something American society prohibits public schools from doing. We should be standing together as a community. Parents need to instill the morals in their children to make responsible choices. Everyone interested in staying informed about this issue and other issues affecting our schools should attend the school board meetings on Thursday, July 17 at the DV Administrative Offices. The current board members have done a good job of encouraging public comment at meetings. The safety committee meets at 5 p.m., long-range planning at 6, and the regular board meeting at 7. I also encourage readers to visit my new blog, RB for DV, at www.rbfordv.blogspot.com. The website is a place for us all to post informative links and share opinions about the policy decisions our school is making. Hopefully, the collaboration can help strengthen our community. Ryan Balton Milford