School Policies

Prioritizing the safety, growth, and well-being of every student.

At St. Peter, our policies are designed with one priority in mind: the safety, growth, and well-being of every student in our care. Download our Student and Parent Handbook for complete policies, procedures, and program details for enrolled families. We encourage all parents to read it carefully to understand our general educational philosophy and curriculum.

Student & Parent Handbook (PDF)

Understanding Faith’s Law.

Faith’s Law is named after advocate and survivor Faith Colson, who campaigned for legislative change after experiencing sexual abuse by a teacher in an Illinois high school. The law was created to strengthen protections for students and ensure that educator sexual misconduct is identified, reported, and prevented across all Illinois K-12 schools.

The law consists of two primary parts:

Part 1: Definitions and Standards (Public Act 102-0676)

Effective December 2021, this phase:

  • Established a formal definition of sexual misconduct within the Illinois School Code.
  • Expanded the criminal definition of grooming and added it to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
  • Required all schools to develop and post a formal Employee Code of Professional Conduct.
  • Mandated that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provide a resource guide for students, parents, and teachers.

Part 2: Accountability and Hiring (Public Act 102-0702)

Effective July 1, 2023, this phase focuses on transparency and rigorous vetting:

  • Employment History Reviews (EHR): Schools must conduct thorough background checks on all new employees and contractors to see if they have a history of sexual misconduct. This prevents "passing the trash," where employees with a history of abuse move from one district to another.
  • Parental Notification: Schools are now required to notify parents or guardians if their student is involved in an alleged act of sexual misconduct.
  • License Oversight: Superintendents must report any reasonable cause of sexual misconduct to the State Superintendent, who has the authority to suspend or revoke professional licenses.

Our Commitment

The goal of Faith’s Law is to ensure schools have the information necessary to make safe hiring decisions and to provide families with the transparency they deserve. Our school is fully compliant with these regulations to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment for every student.