Sexual Health and Safety Education

School code requires all Illinois school districts to provide comprehensive health and personal safety education. Our district teaches the following topics according to the Illinois Physical Health and Safety Standards. Insturctional units include the following topics: 

• Human growth and development

• Family life, including sexual abstinence until marriage*

• Prevention, transmission, and spread of STI and disease including AIDS*

• Age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention*

* Parent or guardian can notify the school that their child will opt out

Illinois public schools are required by law to provide all students, from Grades Pre-K through 12, with age-appropriate personal safety awareness and prevention education. This program is referred to as Erin’s Law. In compliance with the Erin’s law requirement to provide developmentally sensitive and appropriate training for students, our district’s social workers have carefully developed and delivered lessons that teach our students to understand, identify, and protect themselves from sexual abuse and assault. More information about Erin’s Law can be found on this web page: Erin’s Law. 

Contact School Social Worker for inquiries or more information.  

Rutland CUSD 230 will not teach comprehensive sexual education aligned with Comprehensive Personal Health and Safety and Sexual Health Education (National Sex Education Standards) during the 2024-2025 school year. With this clarification, Rutland CCSD 230 will continue to use our current sex education units, which align with the Illinois Physical Development and Health Standards for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Health and Safety Education Plan for 2024-2025

• Grades K-8: Erin’s Law lessons

• Grade 6-7: Specific Health Units - nutrition, body systems, personal health, hygiene

• Grade 8: Gameplan Curriculum

No student is required to participate in any class or course in comprehensive personal health and safety education. Parents or guardians may opt the student out of instruction by submitting a request in writing to their child’s school.

Resources for Parents

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) maintains a resource guide on sexual abuse response and prevention. The guide contains information on and the location of children’s advocacy centers, organizations that provide medical evaluations and treatment to victims of child sexual abuse, organizations that provide mental health evaluations and services to victims and families of victims of child sexual abuse, and organizations that offer legal assistance to and provide advocacy on behalf of victims of child sexual abuse. This guide can be accessed through the ISBE website at www.isbe.net or you may request a copy of this guide by contacting the school’s office.

Faith's Law Notifications: Employee Code of Professional Conduct

The Employee Code of Professional Conduct (Board Policy 5:120) defines, in part, appropriate conduct between school employees and students. A copy of these standards can be found on the District’s website or requested from the Superintendent's Office. 

Contact Superintendent for inquiries or more information.