LCPS Hopes To Reinstate ‘Family Planning Services’

By Doug Wernet

LAS CRUCES — Family Planning Services were recently eliminated from Las Cruces public schools, but superintendent Stan Rounds said he is working with state health department officials to reinstate them soon.

The district had to remove the services under a directive from the health department stating that both parents of a child could not legally deny access to the program. In 2007, the school board voted to give parents the choice to allow access for their children to contraceptives and pregnancy tests within the schools.

During the past two week hiatus, nurses have had to refer students to outside doctors for pregnancy and sexual health issues. Rounds said he hoped students who need to use the services the program provides have been able to get them through the referral program.

“I can’t give you a guarantee that some of the kids haven’t dropped through the cracks, because likely some have, but I don’t believe it’s in large numbers. We’ve all made a comprehensive effort to make sure we attempt to continue those services, for the kids that were receiving those services,” Rounds said.

Though the LCPS Superintendent said he wants to have the program reinstated within a few weeks, some have said that may not be soon enough. In 2007, there were 674 babies born to teenage mothers, 55 of which were aged 15 or younger.

Jasmine Shelton and Mikkiko Perez-Martini said that if a family planning program had been available when they were younger, things might have been different for them.

“They should have the opportunity to get the help they need instead of not talking to anybody and being in a rut at such a young age,” said Shelton.

“At 15, it’s really hard to raise a baby,” added Perez-Martini.

Advocates of the family planning services program said the numbers of teenage pregnancies could go up if the program isn’t reinstated. “Well I would think that would sound an alarm bell in anybody’s head. We’ve got a real problem here in Dona Ana County,” said one of the program’s supporters.