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
Seven school districts in Jackson County are mum on Illinois’ new law that aligns sex education policies for grades K-12 with national standards.
In Jackson County as of June 18, one of its districts said it would opt out of the provisions for younger children, while seven 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 |
| Carbondale Consolidated High School District 165 | Waiting or no response |
| Carbondale Elementary School District 95 | Waiting or no response |
| Desoto Consolidated School District 86 | Waiting or no response |
| Elverado Community Unit School District 196 | Waiting or no response |
| Giant City Community Consolidated School District 130 | Waiting or no response |
| Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186 | Waiting or no response |
| Trico Community Unit School District 176 | Opting out |
| Unity Point Community Consolidated School
District 140 | Waiting or no response |
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