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
The 42 school districts in DuPage County are divided on conforming to Illinois’ new law that aligns sex education policies for grades K-12 with national standards.
In DuPage County as of June 18, 20 of its school districts said they would opt out of the provisions for younger children, while three are adopting the new sex-ed policy and 17 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 |
| Addison School District 4 | Opting out |
| Benjamin School District 25 | Opting out |
| Bensenville School District 2 | Waiting or no response |
| Bloomingdale School District 13 | Waiting or no response |
| Butler School District 53 | Waiting or no response |
| Cass School District 63 | Opting out |
| Center Cass School District 66 | Waiting or no response |
| Community Consolidated School District 180 | Opting out |
| Community Consolidated School District 89 | Opting out |
| Community Consolidated School District 93 | Opting out |
| Community Unit School District 200 | Waiting or no response |
| Community Unit School District 201 | Waiting or no response |
| Consolidated High School District 94 | Opting out |
| Consolidated High School District 99 | Waiting or no response |
| Darien School District 61 | Waiting or no response |
| Downers Grove School District 58 | Opting out |
| Du Page High School District 88 | Opting out |
| Elmhurst School District 205 | Opting out |
| Fenton Consolidated High School District 100 | Waiting or no response |
| Glen Ellyn School District 41 | Opting out |
| Glenbard Township High School District 87 | Opting out |
| Gower School District 62 | Waiting or no response |
| Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 | Opting out |
| Hinsdale Township High School District 86 | Waiting or no response |
| Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204 | Waiting or no response |
| Itasca School District 10 | Opting out |
| Keeneyville School District 20 | Opting out |
| Lake Park Consolidated High School District 108 | Adopting |
| Lisle Community Unit School District 202 | Waiting or no response |
| Lombard School District 44 | Opting out |
| Maercker School District 60 | Adopting |
| Marquardt School District 15 | Opting out |
| Medinah School District 11 | Waiting or no response |
| Naperville Community Unit School District 203 | Waiting or no response |
| Queen Bee School District 16 | Waiting or no response |
| Roselle School District 12 | Waiting or no response |
| Salt Creek School District 48 | Opting out |
| School District 45 DuPage County | Opting out |
| West Chicago Elementary School District 33 | Opting out |
| Winfield School District 34 | Adopting |
| Wood Dale School District 7 | Waiting or no response |
| Woodridge School District 68 | Waiting or no response |
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