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
Eleven school districts in Marion County are mum on Illinois’ new law that aligns sex education policies for grades K-12 with national standards.
In Marion County as of June 18, two of its districts are opting out of the provisions for younger children, while 11 districts have yet to say if they will opt out of the sex-ed provisions. 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 |
| Central City School District 133 | Waiting or no response |
| Centralia High School District 200 | Waiting or no response |
| Centralia School District 135 | Waiting or no response |
| Iuka Community Consolidated School District 7 | Opting out |
| Kell Consolidated School District 2 | Waiting or no response |
| Odin Consolidated High School District 700 & 122 | Waiting or no response |
| Patoka Community Unit School District 100 | Opting out |
| Raccoon Consolidated School District 1 | Waiting or no response |
| Salem Consolidated High School District 600 | Waiting or no response |
| Salem School District 111 | Waiting or no response |
| Sandoval Community Unit School District 501 | Waiting or no response |
| Selmaville Community Consolidated School
District 10 | Waiting or no response |
| South Central Community Union District 401 | Waiting or no response |
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