The Maine Department of Education has deemed that a Heritage of Maine program on sex education does not meet the state’s Learning results as a stand-alone program.

“These abstinence-only education programs as stand alone programs do not meet the health education standards of the Maine Learning Results,” David Stockford of the department wrote in an informational letter to the state’s school superintendents. “Finally, the Maine Department of Education is not working with ‘Heritage of Maine,’ nor do we endorse their curriculum.”

The announcement did not come as a surprise to Heritage of Maine President Mary Schiavoni, who said her program’s focus is on sex education and is not an overall health program.

“We never advocated (it) as a stand alone program,” she said. “We work collaboratively with schools.”

Heritage of Maine is a character-based abstinence education program that is funded through federal grants. The program is offered free to Maine schools and provides its own materials and instructors.

Several Scarborough parents who expressed concerns regarding the district’s sex education classes asked the district to investigate the Heritage of Maine program.

Schiavoni said she has told the Department of Education that she is willing to discuss the program, but the agency has not reviewed the program or what it entails.

“The fact of the matter is the folks from the Department of Education have never formally evaluated our program,” she said. “We’d love to sit down and meet with the people from the DOE.”

Stockford counters that the state has met with Heritage of Maine and has requested material, some of which it has received. However, he said if schools choose to use to program, it is up to them to ensure that all of the Learning Results criteria are met.

This is the third letter from the department regarding Heritage of Maine. The first one was on Aug. 9, 2004, when the state said the program did not meet requirements. In March 2005 another memo was issued indicating that it was acceptable to use the program in addition to a comprehensive health education program.

The latest letter reiterates what was first said in 2004, that the Heritage of Maine program does meet the legislative definition of family life education.

“They don’t understand the program because they got it wrong again,” Schiavoni said.

While the Scarborough school administration did not seem supportive of allowing Heritage of Maine to teach in the schools, Schiavoni is now in the process of revamping the curriculum to better adapt to the school system’s course schedule.

She also is planning on keeping in contact with the school district and answering questions that arose during last week’s school board meeting.