In response to the The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (CHPE) that would require all public school students to learn about a broad range of topics, including human relationships, mental health, social well-being, physical fitness, and sexual reproduction, the New Jersey Catholic Conference has developed this guide to help Catholic families of public school students better understand their opt-out rights and how to effectively exercise them.

See the following Frequently Asked Questions and contact information to learn more. To download a copy of this information, click HERE.

Question: Must the school provide a copy of the health education curriculum upon request to help me decide if I want my child enrolled in this curriculum?

Answer: Yes, the school must make available a copy of the curriculum for review upon request. Be sureto ask your child’s school’s principal or vice-principal, or the district’s curriculum director, about textbooks, instructors notes, and other instructional materials.
Question: If our school brings in a guest speaker for an assembly to discuss a topic related to family life education, is the school required to notify me in advance?

Answer: No. However, you may ask the school in advance for plans to bring in guest speakers and the content of their presentations to help you decide if you want your child to participate.

Question: What if I have not received opt-out information from my child’s school district?

Answer: If you have not received adequate information from your school district regarding opting your child out of the CHPE curriculum, please visit your school district’s website, which should provide the information you are seeking. If it does not, we recommend you contact the district’s curriculum director or your parish’s director of religious education for assistance.

Question: If I have contacted my child’s school requesting that s/he be excused from some or all of the CHPE curriculum to no avail, what should I do next?

Answer: You have several options: You may contact your district’s curriculum director, superintendent, or local school board (all of whom can be found on the school/district website). Be sure to document your steps along the way, including all inquiries made by you and the responses you received. If you need more help, you may contact the State of New Jersey at:
Office of Controversies and Disputes, State of New Jersey, Department of Education, P.O. Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625 • 609-376-9079 • [email protected]

For more information, you may also contact: Dr. George Corwell, Director, Office of Education, New Jersey Catholic Conference, 149 N. Warren Street, Trenton, NJ 08608 • [email protected] • 609-989-1120 ext. 16