Illinois school districts are now deciding whether or not to opt out of the state's new sex education policy for young children. | Pexels.com / Cottonbro
Illinois school districts are now deciding whether or not to opt out of the state's new sex education policy for young children. | Pexels.com / Cottonbro
Forty-three school districts in North Cook are divided on conforming to Illinois’ new law that aligns sex education policies for grades K-12 with national standards.
In North Cook as of June 18, nine of its school districts said they would opt out of the provisions for younger children, while two districts are adopting the sex-ed policy and 32 have yet to report a decision. The new law, which the state Legislature passed in the form of Senate Bill 818, allows districts to either opt out or adopt the sex education policies for younger children contained in the new law.
During discussions about the new policy in the Legislature, Republicans criticized the plan as being too explicit for young children. Among other provisions, sixth-graders would be expected to define phrases such as oral sex and anal sex, while third-graders would be taught to understand the act of masturbation.
Sex education advocates, however, say the new law won’t result in drastic changes for school districts since it backs up what many schools are already doing in the area of sex education.
The Catholic Conference of Illinois opposed SB 818 when it was being considered by the Legislature, arguing that although the plan offers parents an opt-out provision, many parents won’t be aware of their options. The provisions inappropriately call on fifth-graders to understand sexual orientation issues and for eighth-graders to describe how to put on a condom correctly, according to the Catholic Conference.
GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Darren Bailey, a state senator, has also come out strongly against the sex-education revisions.
“Students in the second grade may soon be required to identify consent, gender identity and reproduction, while fourth- and fifth-graders would have to define different types of sex,” Bailey said in a prepared statement. “The bill is obscene and fails to align with community standards.”
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Local School District Decisions on New Sex-ed Policy
| School District | Positions on Sex-ed Standards |
| Arlington Heights School District 25 | Opting out |
| Avoca School District 37 | Waiting or no response |
| Comm Consolidated School District 59 | Waiting or no response |
| Community Consolidated School District 62 | Opting out |
| East Maine School District 63 | Waiting or no response |
| East Prairie School District 73 | Waiting or no response |
| Evanston Community Consolidated School
District 65 | Adopting |
| Evanston Township High School District 202 | Waiting or no response |
| Fairview School District 72 | Waiting or no response |
| Glencoe School District 35 | Waiting or no response |
| Glenview Community Consolidated School
District 34 | Waiting or no response |
| Golf Elementary School District 67 | Waiting or no response |
| Kenilworth School District 38 | Waiting or no response |
| Lincolnwood School District 74 | Opting out |
| Maine Township High School District 207 | Waiting or no response |
| Morton Grove School District 70 | Waiting or no response |
| Mount Prospect School District 57 | Waiting or no response |
| New Trier Township High School District 203 | Waiting or no response |
| Niles Elementary School District 71 | Waiting or no response |
| Niles Township Consolidated High School
District 219 | Waiting or no response |
| Norridge School District 80 | Waiting or no response |
| Northbrook Elementary School District 27 | Waiting or no response |
| Northbrook School District 28 | Waiting or no response |
| Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 | Waiting or no response |
| Northfield Township High School District 225 | Waiting or no response |
| Palatine Community Consolidated School
District 15 | Waiting or no response |
| Park Ridge Community Consolidated School
District 64 | Waiting or no response |
| Pennoyer School District 79 | Opting out |
| Prospect Heights School District 23 | Opting out |
| Ridgewood Consolidated High School District 234 | Opting out |
| River Trails School District 26 | Adopting |
| Rosemont Elementary School District 78 | Waiting or no response |
| Schaumburg Community Consolidated School
District 54 | Waiting or no response |
| Skokie School District 68 | Waiting or no response |
| Skokie School District 69 | Waiting or no response |
| Skokie School District 73-5 | Waiting or no response |
| Sunset Ridge School District 29 | Opting out |
| Township High School District 211 | Waiting or no response |
| Township High School District 214 | Waiting or no response |
| Union Ridge School District 86 | Opting out |
| West Northfield School District 31 | Opting out |
| Wheeling Community Consolidated School
District 21 | Waiting or no response |
| Wilmette School District 39 | Waiting or no response |
| Winnetka School District 36 | Waiting or no response |
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