Commentaries at the San Antonio Report provide space for our community to share perspectives and offer solutions to pressing local issues. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author alone.
In some San Antonio high schools, baby bumps can feel almost as common as backpacks. In my graduating class alone, there were at least three teen moms juggling pregnancy, diapers and high school coursework.
On graduation day many, teachers included, made comments like, “It was a miracle she even graduated.” Despite the success of these young moms, it shouldn’t have taken a miracle to get any of them across the stage.
In South Texas, teen pregnancy rates are up to four times higher than the national average, but this isn’t just a regional issue. Out of the 50 states, Texas has consistently ranked among the top 10 for teenage pregnancies, with the state’s repeat teen pregnancy rates also tracking high.
In 2020, 1 out of every 6 teens who had given birth already had at least one other child. Out of these young parents, only about half will finish high school, while an even smaller percentage will go on to pursue higher education. Despite these alarming and persistently high numbers, pregnant and parenting students in Texas middle and high schools are often overlooked and stigmatized.
Such a disconnect from meaningful support systems limits their ability to succeed in and graduate from high school, with it often leaving young moms to choose between school or their role as a parent. Under the current system, they are not just unseen, but outright neglected and underserved. What’s worse? Such protective policies do exist, just not for them.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex- based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. In addition, Title IX also specifically protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination, ensuring that they have equal access to education and extracurricular activities. The law also mandates accommodations such as excused medical absences, in-class support and private lactation spaces, which are all designed to help pregnant and parenting students succeed without facing discrimination or denial of benefits.
In 2023, Texas expanded Title IX protections under the Education Code for pregnant and parenting students in higher education. Under the new regulations, which explicitly protects postsecondary students, specific accommodations were outlined such as early class registration, dedicated liaisons who help them access support services and the newly implemented requirement of collecting data on pregnant and parenting students’ success.
While these protections were a huge success for higher-ed students and ensuring their success in school, they are only for college students. Not for 15-year-olds trying to finish 10th grade while raising a baby. Not for middle schoolers navigating pregnancy and puberty at the same time. And definitely not for the teen moms I saw struggling to stay afloat in my high school.
Such a lack of support and dismal of young parents leaves a significant gap in support for young parents in the K-12 system, making it harder for students to succeed.
There is a gap in Texas’ current education system and a deficit in provided support. Middle and high school aged parents often live at home, don’t drive, and rely on school as their only access to resources. The current system in place often pushes young parents out of school due to a lack of support and wraparound services. Young student parents need the support that they are not currently being afforded. Texas needs to extend the same Title IX protections given to college students to those in middle and high school. That means:
- Priority class registration, so they can schedule school around childcare or other medical and immediate needs.
- A designated staff liaison at every school to connect young parents and their families to community resources, academic help, and other necessary support.
- Required data collection, so schools know how many parenting students they have and how they can best meet their needs.
Such accommodations are key to a healthy school and parenting balance, as well as ensuring success for parenting students.
As a student who has watched my peers and fellow community members fall through the cracks, I’m asking Texas lawmakers and school administrators: Don’t leave pregnant and parenting students behind.
Extend the Title IX protections currently offered in higher education to students in middle and high school. Give them the tools, support, and dignity they deserve, not just to graduate, but to thrive.
