Curriculum Objections
As provided in Board Policy 6:40, the District’s curriculum is grounded in the District’s educational mission and incorporates instruction on all subjects required by State law and regulation. Generally, students are expected to engage in all aspects of the District’s instructional program.
In limited circumstances, parents/guardians may seek to have their student exempt from a particular instructional material or program. Such requests must be based either upon the statutory provisions which permit parental “opt-out” in the Illinois School Code, as set forth below, or a student’s right to the free exercise of religion as provided by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Parents/guardians seeking such exemptions must submit their request on the District’s Curriculum Objection Form, linked below, and must state, with specificity, the basis for seeking such an exemption. The Superintendent or designee will review such requests for exemption in accordance with its Curriculum Objection process and procedures and then grant or deny the request considering the District’s educational mission, applicable law, and graduation requirements set forth by the District and the Illinois State Board of Education.
The Illinois School Code establishes the following “opt-out” provisions for parents/guardians in relation to curricular content:
- Comprehensive Personal Health and Safety and Sexual Health Education (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1a (d))
- Dissection of animals, 105 ILCS 112/1 et seq; 105 ILCS 5/27-14
- Family Life Instruction, 105 ILCS 110/3
- Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disability Confidentiality Act (740 ILCS 110/1 et seq.)
- Instruction related to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 105 ILCS 110/3
- Instruction on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), 105 ILCS 110/3
- Instruction on recognizing and avoiding sexual abuse (105 ILCS 5/27-13.2) (K-8)
- Lockdown drills, 105 ILCS 128/20
- Organ/tissue and blood donation, 105 ILCS 5/27-23.5 (schools with grades 9 and 10)
Exemptions that are not based on one of the statutory provisions above or an undue burden on students’ rights to exercise their religious beliefs will not be granted.
Parents/guardians and members of the public have the right to inspect any instructional material used as part of their child's educational curriculum pursuant to School Board Policy 7.15, Student and Family Privacy Rights. Parents/guardians seeking to inspect any instructional materials must submit their request on the District’s Request to Inspect Curriculum and/or Instructional Materials Form, linked below.
Parents/guardians who have concerns about instructional materials or programming that are not related to the exemptions outlined above should discuss such concerns with their student’s teacher.