Their fear is that clinics will dispense pills that end a pregnancy, or refer pregnant students to outside clinics that provide surgical abortions, without parents’ knowledge or permission and paid for with public dollars.
“Public schools should not be places where children can get an abortion,” said Susan Swift, vice president of legal affairs for the Right to Life League, which seeks to ban abortions. “This is yet another attempt to separate parents and children, and they’re using the state Department of Education to do it. … This is a huge deal.”
As an alternative, Swift’s group would like to see schools notify parents immediately if a student is pregnant, refer students to prenatal care and offer information about adoption and parenting.
In light of the Supreme Court’s recent overturn of Roe v. Wade, Swift is hopeful that legislators will reconsider efforts to provide reproductive health services on campus, even in left-leaning California.
Services at school health clinics vary depending on the school, district and outside agency providing care, but in general, school-based health clinics do not provide abortions on campus, said Lisa Eisenberg, director of policy and external affairs for the California School-Based Health Alliance. If a pregnant student comes to a school-based health center, staff are likely to offer counseling and support and refer them to other resources, though each clinic is free to operate as it sees fit.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Mendez High School in Boyle Heights last month unveiled a new, 6,500-square-foot health clinic on campus. The largest such health center in LAUSD, the clinic has 12 rooms for medical, dental, optical and mental health visits. The center has two entrances — one for students and one for the public — and is expected to be a hub in the predominantly lower-income Latino community.
It’s also expected to aid students’ education and career planning by offering internships for students who hope to enter the medical field.
“The opening of the Sylvia Mendez Wellness Center will mark a historic milestone for the Boyle Heights community,” said Maria Brenes, executive director for InnerCity Struggle, a local community group, according to a release from the district. “After many years of organizing and advocacy by students, families, school leadership and community residents, the Wellness Center will be a reality that will serve as a much-needed health resource for our community.”
The district also opened a new wellness center that will serve two high schools in the San Fernando Valley. The $11.31 million Balboa Student and Family Wellness Center will provide medical and mental health services to students as well as their families and members of the community.
This story was first published by EdSource.