Pueblo District 70 pauses roll out of controversial curriculum after parents voice concerns

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Parents are voicing their frustrations with leaders in Pueblo's District 70 after a worksheet for 3rd graders asked them their preferred pronouns. 

D70 told KRDO13 that they've taken that part out of the worksheet and until further notice, they are pausing the official rollout of the new curriculum it was a part of.

District officials said the question was admittedly a mistake. In a brief overlook of the new TRAILS curriculum, they didn't catch the prompt on the worksheet.

A parent actually brought the question to the school's attention.

In March, the district accepted a $700,000 in-kind contribution to adopt the "TRAILS" curriculum. It's a series of lessons geared towards mental health, something the district said is a vital need for the students. However, during a meeting on Tuesday, the school board's president said the board was never made aware that these lessons were already being taught in classrooms.

“We did approve that. But we didn’t approve the implementation of the curriculum. We were not given the opportunity to make that vote as a board," said Anne Ochs.

Some teachers had already begun teaching the TRAILS curriculum, which is how a parent discovered the question on the worksheet.

"It also had on it gender and sex and sexual orientation and I just don’t know that that’s necessary," said D70 Superintendent, Ronda Rein.

Rein said when concerns were raised about this particular question, it was immediately removed. Still, many parents have expressed concerns about what else the TRAILS curriculum may entail.

To get a full look at the TRAILS Curriculum & Instruction, click here.