The officer stationed at Naperville North or Naperville Central can no longer write your child a ticket on school grounds. That's the practical effect of revised agreements District 203 finalized with both the Naperville and Lisle police departments.
District 203 officials told NCTV17 the revisions were driven by two factors: compliance with a new Illinois law that took effect July 1, 2026, and a deliberate decision to refer to every student in the agreements as a "minor," regardless of whether they've turned 18.
Under the revised language, an 18-year-old senior receives the same protections as a 14-year-old freshman during disciplinary interactions with school-based officers.
What the state law requires
The Illinois law (SB 1519) that took effect July 1, 2026, mandates that any district employing a school resource officer must establish a formal memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement. That memorandum must clearly define the officer's role and explicitly prohibit the officer from issuing tickets or citations on school property.
The law also bars schools from issuing monetary fines, fees, or citations to students for municipal code violations on school grounds during school hours.
Illinois State Superintendent Tony Sanders said the law closes a loophole that harmed families financially: "The practice has disproportionately impacted students of color and harmed low-income families, forcing them to pay exorbitant and unnecessary fines instead of buying groceries and other household needs."
A 2022 investigation by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune found more than 140 Illinois school districts had issued municipal citations, often around $200, for infractions like vaping, truancy, or "disturbing the peace." Black and Latino students were ticketed at disproportionately higher rates.
Two agreements, two police departments
District 203 serves more than 16,000 students across Naperville and Lisle. The revised agreements cover Naperville Central High School, Naperville North High School, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington junior highs, and all D203 elementary buildings.
The district maintains separate intergovernmental agreements with the Naperville Police Department and the Lisle Police Department because some D203 schools serve students in the Lisle area. The SRO agreement update appeared on the D203 board agenda as early as February 2026, according to public meeting recaps.
The full text of the revised agreements has not been publicly released in detail. Families can review the agreements through the district's public records portal at naperville203.org or through a FOIA request under 5 ILCS 140.
What comes next
Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, District 203 must submit an annual report to the Illinois State Board of Education documenting how many students were referred to law enforcement. The state will begin publishing that data statewide on January 31, 2029.
