New law prohibits paddling of private school students

It's the start of a new school year and classrooms throughout Illinois could be looking different through new laws going into effect now and in the near future.

Whether it be a preschool classroom, all the way to college, here are some changes you can expect.

Corporal punishment

Illinois has banned corporal punishment in public schools since 1994. That same policy has not been applied to private schools, but a newly signed law will change that.

The law, which keeps nonpublic schools from slapping or paddling a student, placing a student in a physically painful position and the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student; goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Down time

Aiming to reduce stress and keeping kids focused, another law will emphasize giving them down-time during the school week.

The new law requires all public school districts to offer relaxation time or relaxation activities for at least 20 minutes a week. The time would be used to emphasize self-care and downtime as a way to improve overall health.

Native American education

Through legislation signed into law last year, public elementary and high schools will include a unit of Native American history this school year in their social studies curriculum.

Each school district is in-charge of actually creating the curriculum, but the Illinois State Board of Education will provide guidelines for how to develop it. Per the bill, the lessons should detail Native American contributions in "government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of their own nations and of the United States.”

Dangers of fentanyl

Similarly, all public high school students will also receive instruction on the dangers of fentanyl. In every state-required health course, curriculum will cover the legal and illegal uses of fentanyl and explain the reasons why it is often laced with other drugs such as cocaine or heroin.

In 2022 alone, there were 3,261 fatal opioid overdoses in the state according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. A large share of these overdoses were caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Defibrillators on-hand

Legislation going into effect in January will require schools to have automated external defibrillators on the premises during both the school day and during extracurricular activities.

These types of defibrillators are used to revive someone after they suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest, such as during a heart attack. They are already required in fitness centers and gyms, including those in schools.

No legacy admissions

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Aug. 9 that prohibits public colleges and universities from considering an applicant’s relation to any past, current or prospective donors during the application process.

It also bars those schools from considering an applicant’s “legacy status,” or whether they are related to former students. The practice of legacy admissions came under fire at Ivy League schools like Harvard University particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in 2023.

Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: New laws in the classroom on punishment, down time, fentanyl dangers