Distributed via Email: November 13, 2008

SENATE MEETS IN TWO-DAY SESSION

The Illinois State Senate convened on Wednesday and Thursday this week to consider bills vetoed by the governor and a few other issues that were pending from the spring legislative session. Action was limited, however, as most senators were meeting and discussing the fate of their respective caucuses as both Republicans and Democrats will soon be electing new leaders. Please refer to Alliance Legislative Report (95-81) for more details about the change in leadership.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are scheduled to return to the Capitol next Wednesday to resume the Veto Session.

BILL APPROVED ON SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS

The Senate approved a bill Thursday that requires school districts to conduct a law enforcement drill each year to prepare students and school personnel for evacuations for incidents of shootings, bomb threats, etc. SB 2688 (Kotowski, D-Park Ridge) was originally amended in the spring to contain the safety drill provision and has been pending in the Senate the past several months. An Alliance amendment was added in May to make implementation of the bill less disruptive for schools. The bill now goes to the governor for consideration.

SB 2688 requires schools to conduct a law enforcement drill during each academic year to prepare students and school personnel for incidents such as bomb threats, shootings, etc. The law enacted in 2005 that required additional fire drills and bus evacuation drills did not mandate the law enforcement drill provided for here.

The Alliance amendment allows the drill to be conducted according to the school district's current emergency and crisis response plans (already required by law) so that no new requirements and criteria would force a school district to change its procedures. The amendment also allows schools to perform the law enforcement drills on days and times when students are not present in the school building so school officials can work with law enforcement to perfect the crisis plan without the ensuing trauma of having young students "live that moment".

For the full text of the amendment, click here.

BILL APPROVED ON TRUANCY ORDINANCES

The Senate approved a bill Thursday regarding municipal truancy ordinances. SB 2743 (Noland, D-Elgin) was pushed by the City of Rockford in response to an issue raised by the U.S. Department of Education. The intent is to allow school attendance information to flow from school districts to the police unimpeded by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The bill provides that a fine imposed by a municipal ordinance regulating truants may not exceed $100, or community service, or both for violators age 13 and under (now, age 10 and under) and provides that the parent or custodian of the violator is subject to the fine or community service if the violator is under the age of 13. The bill goes on to state that a school district may disclose education records relating to attendance to juvenile authorities if the school board determines the disclosure will enhance the juvenile justice system's ability to serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records are released. The juvenile authority must certify in writing that the records will not be disclosed to any other entity without the prior written consent of the student's parent or custodian, except as provided under State law.

The bill now goes to the governor for consideration. For full text of the bill, click here.

SENATE SETS HEARING ON MANDATE WAIVERS

The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, November 19 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss mandate waiver requests. The meeting will be held in Room 212 of the State Capitol. Representatives from those school districts that have had a waiver request transferred to the General Assembly are encouraged to attend and make the case for the waiver request.

LEGISLATIVE PANELS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Several legislative and political issues will be the center of panel sessions at the upcoming IASA/IASB/IASBO Joint Annual Conference in Chicago. This is a good opportunity to hear from legislators and other experts about emerging legislative and educational issues.

Saturday, November 22, 10:30 a.m., Regency C Ballroom, Chicago Hyatt

"Legislative Issues Impacting Schools": State Representative Roger Eddy; Alliance lobbyist Calvin Jackson; State Superintendent Chris Koch; State Representative Mike Smith

Saturday, November 22, 1:30 p.m., Regency B Ballroom, Chicago Hyatt

"The Status of the School Construction Funding Proposal": State Representative Lou Lang; State Representative Suzi Bassi (Representing House Leader Tom Cross); Alliance Lobbyist Ben Schwarm; representative from Chicago Public Schools/City of Chicago

Saturday November 22, 3:30 p.m., Regency B Ballroom, Chicago Hyatt

"School Funding and Reforms": Associate Professor Brian Gaines (U of I); President Tom Johnson (Taxpayer Federation of Illinois); State Representative David Miller; Alliance Lobbyist Deanna Sullivan

*The legislative report is written and edited by the lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards to provide information to the members of the organizations that comprise the Statewide School Management Alliance.

General Assembly Bill Text/Status

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