The Price Kids Pay

Do Police Give Students Tickets in Your Illinois School District?

by Ruth Talbot, ProPublica, Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune, and Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica. Updated July 21, 2022

Illinois law prohibits schools from fining students for disciplinary reasons, but an analysis by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica found that school officials have been referring students to the police, who then issue tickets for violating local ordinances. Search below for a public school or district to see if reporters identified ticketing there. (Note: This database does not include all public schools in Illinois.) Related investigation →

Help us report on ticketing in schools. Tell us about your experience with fines.

In the districts where ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune collected data, we identified

11,950

total tickets issued

1,845

tickets issued for truancy

municipalities send juveniles’ debts to collections

District and Schools	Tickets Identified	May Send Juveniles’ Debts to Collections
CUSD 300 Harry D Jacobs High School Dundee-Crown High School Oak Ridge School Carpentersville Middle School Hampshire High School	1,070	yes
SD U-46 Elgin High School Larkin High School South Elgin High School Kenyon Woods Middle School Bartlett High School Streamwood High School	719	yes
Township HSD 211 Palatine High School William Fremd High School North Campus Schaumburg High School James B. Conant High School and Hoffman Estates High School	568	yes
Moline-Coal Valley CUSD 40 Moline High School Moline High School Coolidge Campus	298	unknown
St Charles CUSD 303 St. Charles East High School St. Charles North High School Compass Academy Wredling Middle School Thompson Middle School	284	yes
Plainfield SD 202 Plainfield Academy Plainfield High School Plainfield East High School Plainfield North High School Plainfield South High School	270	yes
McHenry CHSD 156 McHenry High School West Campus McHenry High School East Campus	255	yes
Woodstock CUSD 200 Woodstock High School and Woodstock North High School	236	yes
CHSD 99 Downers Grove North High School Downers Grove South High School	231	no
Harvard CUSD 50 Harvard High School Harvard Junior High School	231	yes
Township HSD 214 Buffalo Grove High School Elk Grove High School John Hersey High School Prospect High School Rolling Meadows High School Wheeling High School	218	yes
Cons HSD 230 Carl Sandburg High School Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Victor J Andrew High School	218	unknown
Oswego CUSD 308 Bednarcik Junior High School Oswego High School Oswego East High School	194	yes
East Peoria CHSD 309 East Peoria High School	193	unknown
Quincy SD 172 Quincy Senior High School	185	unknown
Crystal Lake CHSD 155 Crystal Lake South High School Crystal Lake Central High School Prairie Ridge High School Cary-Grove Community High School	177	yes
Bloom Township HSD 206 Bloom Trail High School Bloom High School	171	unknown
Elmwood Park CUSD 401 Elmwood Park High School	170	unknown
J S Morton HSD 201 Morton East High School Morton Freshman Center Morton West High School	167	unknown
Leyden CHSD 212 East Leyden High School West Leyden High School	158	yes
Rockford SD 205 Auburn High School Rockford East High School Guilford High School Jefferson High School Eisenhower Middle School Bernard W Flinn Middle School Kennedy Middle School Abraham Lincoln Middle School Rockford Environmental Science Academy West Middle School	157	unknown
Limestone CHSD 310 Limestone Community High School	157	yes
Highland CUSD 5 Highland High School	148	no
Aurora East USD 131 East Aurora High School Cowherd Middle School Simmons Middle School Waldo Middle School Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy East Aurora Extension	143	yes
Niles Township HSD 219 Niles North High School Niles West High School	142	unknown
Pekin CSD 303 Pekin Community High School	142	no
Huntley Community School District 158 Huntley High School	140	unknown
DeKalb CUSD 428 DeKalb High School Clinton Rosette Middle School Huntley Middle School	135	yes
Rock Island SD 41 Rock Island High School	134	unknown
Minooka CHSD 111 Minooka Community High School - Central Campus Minooka Community High School - South Campus	129	unknown
CHSD 218 Dwight D. Eisenhower High School Harold L. Richards High School Alan B. Shepard High School Delta & Summit Learning Center	122	yes
Rich Township HSD 227 Rich Township High School - STEM Campus Rich Township High School - Fine Arts and Communications Campus	121	yes
Oak Lawn CHSD 229 Oak Lawn Community High School	117	yes
Wauconda CUSD 118 Wauconda High School	112	unknown
Bradley Bourbonnais CHSD 307 Bradley Bourbounnais Community High School	109	yes
Riverside-Brookfield Township SD 208 Riverside Brookfield Township High School	103	yes
Bremen CHSD 228 Bremen High School Hillcrest High School Oak Forest High School Tinley Park High School	96	yes
Mundelein Cons HSD 120 Mundelein High School	95	no
Indian Prairie CUSD 204 Metea Valley High School Waubonsie Valley High School Fischer Middle School Granger Middle School Still Middle School Neuqua Valley High School	93	yes
Galesburg CUSD 205 Galesburg High School Churchill Junior High School Lombard Junior High School	92	unknown
Northfield Township HSD 225 Glenbrook North High School Glenbrook South High School	91	unknown
Thornton Township HSD 205 Thornwood High School Thornridge High School Thornton Township High School	90	yes
Waterloo CUSD 5 Waterloo High School Waterloo Junior High School	89	unknown
Lemont Township HSD 210 Lemont High School	85	unknown
Naperville CUSD 203 Naperville Central High School Naperville North High School	79	unknown
Mt Zion CUSD 3 Mt. Zion High School	79	no
Sandwich CUSD 430 Sandwich Community High School	78	unknown
Barrington CUSD 220 Barrington High School Barrington Middle School- Prairie Campus	78	unknown
Edwardsville CUSD 7 Edwardsville High School	77	no
Belleville Township HSD 201 Belleville High School-East Belleville High School-West	77	unknown
Sycamore CUSD 427 Sycamore High School	75	no
Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125 Adlai E Stevenson High School	74	yes
Proviso Township HSD 209 Proviso East High School Proviso West High School Proviso Math and Science Academy	73	unknown
Washington CHSD 308 Washington Community High School	72	unknown
Granite City CUSD 9 Granite City High School	70	unknown
Belvidere CUSD 100 Belvidere High School Belvidere North High School	69	unknown
Fenton CHSD 100 Fenton Community High School	68	unknown
Township HSD 113 Highland Park High School Deerfield High School	66	unknown
New Trier Township HSD 203 New Trier Township High School - Winnetka Campus New Trier Township High School - Northfield Campus	62	unknown
CHSD 117 Lakes Community High School Antioch Community High School	62	yes
Round Lake CUSD 116 Round Lake Senior High School Magee Middle School	59	unknown
Maine Township HSD 207 Maine East High School Maine South High School Maine West High School	58	yes
Ridgewood CHSD 234 Ridgewood Community High School	58	yes
Yorkville CUSD 115 Yorkville High School	57	yes
Canton Union SD 66 Canton High School	54	no
Rock Falls Township HSD 301 Rock Falls Township High School	54	no
Ottawa Township HSD 140 Ottawa Township High School	51	unknown
Lincoln CHSD 404 Lincoln Community High School	50	unknown
Glenbard Township HSD 87 Glenbard South High School Glenbard West High School Glenbard East High School Glenbard North High School	49	unknown
Mendota Township HSD 280 Mendota Township High School	48	unknown
Thornton Fractional Township HSD 215 Thornton Fractional North High School Thornton Fractional South High School	46	unknown
Evergreen Park CHSD 231 Evergreen Park Community High School	46	unknown
Murphysboro CUSD 186 Murphysboro High School	46	unknown
Lake Forest CHSD 115 Lake Forest High School	46	yes
Joliet Township HSD 204 Joliet Central High School Joliet West High School	46	no
Streator Township HSD 40 Streator Township High School	45	yes
La Salle-Peru Township HSD 120 LaSalle-Peru Township High School	44	unknown
DuPage HSD 88 Addison Trail High School Willowbrook High School	43	unknown
Bethalto CUSD 8 Civic Memorial High School	43	no
Collinsville CUSD 10 Collinsville High School	42	unknown
Marengo CHSD 154 Marengo Community High School	42	unknown
Morton CUSD 709 Morton Junior High School	39	unknown
Lockport Township HSD 205 Lockport Township High School Central Campus Lockport Township High School East	39	no
Reavis Township HSD 220 Reavis High School	38	no
CCSD 15 Winston Campus Junior High School	36	unknown
Lake Park CHSD 108 Lake Park High School - West Campus Lake Park High School - East Campus	36	unknown
Roxana CUSD 1 Roxana Senior High School	34	unknown
Il Valley Central USD 321 Illinois Valley Central High School IVC Learning Center	34	unknown
East Peoria SD 86 Central Junior High School	34	unknown
Valley View CUSD 365U Bolingbrook High School Romeoville High School	34	unknown
Hinsdale Township HSD 86 Hinsdale Central High School Hinsdale South High School	32	yes
CHSD 94 West Chicago High School	28	unknown
Grant CHSD 124 Grant Community High School	26	unknown
Morris CHSD 101 Morris Community High School Vocational School	25	unknown
Sterling CUSD 5 Sterling High School	22	no
Oak Park - River Forest SD 200 Oak Park and River Forest High School	21	unknown
Pinckneyville CHSD 101 Pinckneyville Community High School	21	unknown
O Fallon Township HSD 203 O'Fallon Township High School	21	unknown
Jacksonville SD 117 Jacksonville High School	19	unknown
Marion CUSD 2 Marion High School Marion Junior High School	19	unknown
CHSD 128 Vernon Hills High School Libertyville High School	19	yes
Hononegah CHD 207 Hononegah Community High School	18	unknown
Bloomington SD 87 Bloomington High School	18	unknown
Springfield SD 186 Lanphier High School Springfield Southeast High School Springfield High School Springfield Learning Academy	18	yes
County of Woodford School Metamora Township High School	18	yes
Warren Township HSD 121 Warren Township High School	17	yes
Taylorville CUSD 3 Taylorville High School	16	unknown
Jersey CUSD 100 Jersey Community High School Jersey Community Middle School	15	unknown
Charleston CUSD 1 Charleston High School	14	yes
Princeton HSD 500 Princeton High School	14	yes
Hall HSD 502 Hall High School	14	no
Manteno CUSD 5 Manteno High School Manteno Middle School	14	unknown
Lincoln Way CHSD 210 Lincoln-Way Central High School Lincoln-Way West Lincoln-Way East High School	14	unknown
Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 Homewood-Flossmoor High School	12	yes
Aurora West USD 129 West Aurora High School Herget Middle School Jefferson Middle School Washington Middle School	12	yes
Richland County CUSD 1 Richland County High School Richland County Middle School	11	unknown
Geneva CUSD 304 Geneva Community High School	11	unknown
Johnsburg CUSD 12 Johnsburg High School	11	yes
Salem CHSD 600 Salem Community High School	10	unknown
Zion-Benton Township HSD 126 Zion-Benton Township High School	10	unknown
United Township HSD 30 United Township High School	10	unknown
Geneseo CUSD 228 Geneseo High School	8	unknown
Effingham CUSD 40 Effingham High School	6	unknown
Steger School District 194 Columbia Central Junior High	5	unknown
Fairfield Comm H S Dist 225 Fairfield Community High School	5	unknown
Centralia HSD 200 Centralia High School	4	unknown
Lake Zurich CUSD 95 Lake Zurich High School	4	yes
Seneca Township HSD 160 Seneca High School	4	no
Ball Chatham CUSD 5 Glenwood High School	3	unknown
Rantoul Township HSD 193 Rantoul Township High School	2	unknown
Herrin CUSD 4 Herrin High School	2	unknown
Carbondale CHSD 165 Carbondale Community High School	2	no
Danville CCSD 118 Danville High School	2	unknown
Freeport SD 145 Freeport High School	1	unknown
Oblong CUSD 4 Oblong High School	1	unknown
Pontiac Township HSD 90 Pontiac High School	1	unknown
Batavia USD 101 Batavia High School	1	unknown
Central CUSD 301 Central High School	1	unknown
Peoria 150 Manual High School Peoria High School Richwoods High School Woodruff Career and Technical Center Knoxville Center for Student Success	1	unknown
Mascoutah CUD 19 Mascoutah High School	1	unknown
Crete Monee CUSD 201U Crete-Monee High School	1	unknown
Bond County CUSD 2 Bond County Community Unit High School	0	unknown
Evanston Township HSD 202 Evanston Township High School	0	unknown
Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 Mahomet-Seymour High School	0	unknown
Champaign CUSD 4 Centennial High School Central High School	0	unknown
St Joseph Ogden CHSD 305 Saint Joseph-Ogden High School	0	unknown
Mattoon CUSD 2 Mattoon High School	0	unknown
Central A & M CUD 21 Central A & M High School	0	unknown
Central CHSD 71 Central Community High School	0	unknown
Mt Vernon Township HSD 201 Mount Vernon Township High School	0	unknown
City of Chicago SD 299 All Chicago Public High Schools	0	unknown
Prairie Central CUSD 8 Prairie Central High School	0	unknown
Dwight Township HSD 230 Dwight Township High School	0	unknown
Olympia CUSD 16 Olympia High School	0	unknown
CUSD 200 Wheaton North High School Wheaton Warrenville South High School	0	unknown
Harrisburg CUSD 3 Harrisburg High School	0	unknown
Benton Cons HSD 103 Benton Consolidated High School	0	unknown
Frankfort CUSD 168 Frankfort Community High School	0	unknown
Vienna HSD 133 Vienna High School	0	no
Massac UD 1 Massac County High School	0	unknown
Carterville CUSD 5 Carterville High School	0	unknown
Coal City CUSD 1 Coal City High School	0	yes
Newark CHSD 18 Newark Community High School	0	unknown
Plano CUSD 88 Plano High School	0	unknown
Macomb CUSD 185 Macomb High School	0	unknown
Kewanee CUSD 229 Kewanee High School	0	unknown
Anna Jonesboro CHSD 81 Anna-Jonesboro Community High School	0	unknown
Kaneland CUSD 302 Kaneland Senior High School	0	unknown
Decatur SD 61 Eisenhower High School MacArthur High School	0	unknown
Triad CUSD 2 Triad High School	0	unknown
East Alton-Wood River CHSD 14 East Alton-Wood River Community High School	0	unknown
Columbia CUSD 4 Columbia High School	0	unknown
Dixon USD 170 Dixon High School	0	unknown
Dunlap CUSD 323 Dunlap High School	0	unknown
Freeburg CHSD 77 Freeburg Community High School	0	unknown
East St Louis SD 189 East St. Louis Sr. High School	0	unknown
Rochester CUSD 3A Rochester High School	0	unknown
Bismarck Henning CUSD Bismarck Henning Rossville Alvin Cooperative High School	0	unknown
Armstrong Township HSD 225 Armstrong High School	0	unknown
Harlem UD 122 Harlem High School	unknown	unknown
Argo CHSD 217 Argo Community High School	unknown	unknown
Urbana SD 116 Urbana High School	unknown	unknown
Paris Cooperative High School Paris Cooperative High School	unknown	unknown
Nashville CHSD 99 Nashville Community High School	unknown	unknown
Clinton CUSD 15 Clinton High School	unknown	unknown
McLean County USD 5 Normal Community High School	unknown	unknown
Elmhurst SD 205 York Community High School	unknown	unknown
Gardner S Wilmington Township HSD 73 Gardner-South Wilmington High School	unknown	unknown
Illini West H S Dist 307 Illini West High School	unknown	unknown
Ohio CHSD 505 Ohio Community High School	unknown	unknown
Kankakee SD 111 Kankakee High School	unknown	unknown
St Anne CHSD 302 St. Anne Community High School	unknown	unknown
Waukegan CUSD 60 Waukegan High School - Washington Campus	unknown	unknown
Grayslake CHSD 127 Grayslake Central High School Grayslake North High School	unknown	unknown
North Chicago SD 187 North Chicago Community High School	unknown	unknown
Alton CUSD 11 Alton High School	unknown	unknown
Richmond-Burton CHSD 157 Richmond-Burton Community High School	unknown	unknown
Rochelle Township HSD 212 Rochelle Township High School	unknown	unknown
Cahokia CUSD 187 Cahokia High School Cahokia Middle School Alternative Development Program	unknown	unknown

Help ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune Report on Police Issuing Tickets at Schools

Police are ticketing students at schools across Illinois for behavior such as vaping, littering and disorderly conduct. Many students are forced to appear at hearings, which means missing school time, and the cases almost always result in judgments against the students, which carry fines as high as $750. We have found students as young as 10 are being ticketed, and Black students are disproportionately impacted.

To continue with this important reporting, we need to hear from people who have been affected by tickets handed out at school. Are you a parent, school worker, researcher or attorney? Please fill out this brief survey.

We take your privacy seriously. We are gathering these stories for the purposes of our reporting and will not publish your name or information without your consent.