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
Eight school districts in Sangamon County are mum on Illinois’ new law that aligns sex education policies for grades K-12 with national standards.
In Sangamon County as of June 18, three of its districts said they would opt out of the provisions for younger children, while eight other districts have yet to say if they would opt out . 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 |
| Auburn Community Unit School District 10 | Waiting or no response |
| Ball Chatham Community Unit School District 5 | Waiting or no response |
| Divernon Community Unit School District 13 | Waiting or no response |
| New Berlin Community Unit School District 16 | Waiting or no response |
| Pawnee Community Unit School District 11 | Waiting or no response |
| Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8 | Opting out |
| Riverton Community Unit School District 14 | Opting out |
| Rochester Community Unit School District 3A | Waiting or no response |
| Springfield School District 186 | Waiting or no response |
| Tri City Community Unit School District 1 | Opting out |
| Williamsville Community Unit School District 15 | Waiting or no response |
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