Distributed via Email: July 30, 2009

GOVERNOR SIGNS INTO LAW ALLIANCE BILLS

In the last couple of weeks, Governor Pat Quinn has signed into law dozens of bills, including two initiated by the School Management Alliance. A bill to establish a superintendent mentoring program and a bill regarding school business official certification have been enacted into law.

SB 1276 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) requires all school district superintendents who begin serving on or after July 1, 2009 and have not previously served as a school district superintendent in this state, to participate in a two-year superintendent mentoring program established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). A new superintendent will be matched with a superintendent who has served in Illinois for at least three years and who has demonstrated success as an instructional leader as determined by ISBE rule. Mentors shall complete mentoring training through a provider selected by the ISBE. The implementation of the program is contingent on the General Assembly appropriating funds to the ISBE for this purpose. The bill is now Public Act 96-0062, effective July 23, 2009.

SB 187 (Maloney, D-Chicago) allows for a chief school business official endorsement if, among other conditions, the certificate holder has 2 years of university-approved practical experience. The bill is now Public Act 96-0056, effective January 1, 2010.

OTHER BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW

SB 35 (Garrett, D-Lake Forest) provides that for paid sick leave for adoption or placement for adoption, the school board may require that the teacher or other employee provide evidence that the formal adoption process is underway. Such leave is limited to 30 days unless a longer leave has been negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative. The bill is now Public Act 96-0051, effective July 23, 2009.

SB 75 (Bond, D-Grayslake) sets forth the school safety purposes for which surcharges imposed for certain violations of the special school zone speed limit may be used by school districts. This includes the Safe Routes to School Program and safety programs within the School Safety and Educational Improvement Block Grant Program (in addition to the existing purposes of school zone safety education and the purchase, installation, and maintenance of caution lights mounted on school speed zone signs). The bill is now Public Act 96-0052, effective July 23, 2009.

SB 204 (Demuzio) provides that a school board shall make school buildings available for use as civil defense shelters in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The bill is now Public Act 96-0057, effective July 23, 2009.

SB 223 (Forby, D-Benton) modifies the definition of "public works" in the Prevailing Wage Act. It now includes all projects financed in whole or in part with bonds, grants, loans, or other funds made available by or through the State or any of its political subdivisions. The bill is now Public Act 96-0058, effective January 1, 2010.

SB 612 (Lightford, D-Maywood) doubles the number of Charter Schools allowed to 120, with 70 schools allowed in Chicago. The bill makes many other changes to the Charter Schools Law. The bill is now Public Act 96-0105, effective July 30, 2009.

SB 1293 (Clayborne, D-E. St. Louis) adjusts debt limitations for Belle Valley S.D. #119 provided that taxpayers approve a referendum to issue bonds to build and equip a school building to replace a school that was damaged by mine subsidence. The bill is now Public Act 96-0063, effective July 23, 2009.

SB 1675 (Murphy, R-Palatine) requires all 7th graders and all high school students enrolled in U.S. History to view a Congressional Medal of Honor film made by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. The bill is now Public Act 96-0099, effective July 27, 2009.

SB 1796 (Lightford) establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma. The bill is now Public Act 96-0106, effective July 1, 2009.

SB 1828 (Steans, D-Chicago) creates the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act to establish and maintain a longitudinal data system by entering into one or more agreements that link early learning, elementary, and secondary school student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit records. Subject to appropriation, the bill requires the Illinois State Board of Education to establish a data warehouse that integrates data from multiple student unit record systems and supports all of the uses and functions of the longitudinal data system. The bill is now Public Act 96-0107, effective July 30, 2009.

SB 1984 (Lightford) provides that "educational employer" under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act includes the governing body of a charter school, and the governing body of a contract school or contract turnaround school established under certain provisions of the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. It also provides that "educational employer" includes a subcontractor of instructional services of a school district, combination of school districts, charter school, or contract school or contract turnaround school. The bill is now Public Act 96-0104, effective January 1, 2010.

SB 2119 (Steans) creates a task force to develop strategies to allow for the innovation, intervention, and restructuring of schools, including those that need comprehensive or focused intervention. The bill is now Public Act 96-0109, effective July 30, 2009.

HB 867 (Osterman, D-Chicago) establishes the charge of aggravated battery if a person discharges a firearm on school grounds and injures a student or a teacher. The bill is now Public Act 96-0041, effective January 1, 2010.

HB 972 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) requires a public school to hold a moment of silence if school is in session on November 11, Veterans' Day. The bill is now Public Act 96-0084, effective July 27, 2009.

HB 1013 (Boland, D-Moline) requires that state-funded building construction and major renovations of existing state-owned facilities must meet certain energy and environmental standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) program rating system, the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes rating system, or an equivalent rating system. The bill is now Public Act 96-0073, effective July 24, 2009

HB 2530 (Holbrook, D-Belleville) adds relocation expenses as a result of mine subsidence to the section of the School Code that provides for loans or grants to school districts for temporary relocation and adds the replacement or reconstruction of school buildings destroyed or damaged by mine subsidence as one of the first priorities in the School Construction Grant Law. The bill is now Public Act 96-0102, effective July 1, 2009.

HB 3731 (Mathias, R-Buffalo Grove) allows school boards to award high school diplomas to honorably discharged veterans who served in the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam Conflict. The bill is now Public Act 96-0088, effective July 27, 2009.

HB 3787 (Tryon, R-Crystal Lake) provides that when a school bus driver permit holder who is a service member is called to active duty, the employer of the driver must notify the Secretary of State that the permit holder has been called to active duty. The Secretary of State shall characterize the permit as inactive until a permit holder renews the permit. The bill is now Public Act 96-0089, effective July 27, 2009.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) met in an emergency meeting last week to determine how to allocate the lump sum budget amounts that were appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. Usually, the state budget bill provides the amount of funding for each line item in the ISBE budget. This year, with the adoption of the "50% budget", the legislature appropriated lump sum amounts to state agencies and is allowing each department to make the required allocations and program cuts.

Though a separate bill was approved to provide elementary and secondary schools the funding for General State Aid and mandated categorical grants, the ISBE had to make the tough choices about funding the other budget line items. Many line items were "zeroed out", leaving the programs with no funding (fast growth districts, gifted education, hard-to-staff schools, for example).

For the complete ISBE budget chart, you can go to the ISBE web page here.

ALLIANCE MOURNS LOSS

Members and staff of the organizations that comprise the School Management Alliance are mourning the loss of one of their own. Wayne L. Sampson, 67, who served as executive director of the Illinois Association of School Boards from 1989 until his retirement in 2000, died on July 21, 2009, in Morton. Sampson, a former school board member and President of the IASB, was originally hired as Director of Governmental Relations at the association. As chief executive at IASB he became a major force behind the formation of the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance. During his tenure he introduced the legally referenced policy subscription service (PRESS), and led adoption of the Association's current mission statement: "...excellence in local school governance and support of public education." It was under Wayne Sampson that the IASB pledged to strengthen the association's legislative efforts by hiring two additional lobbyists for a team of three legislative specialists. Sampson hired IASB/Alliance lobbyists Ben Schwarm and Deanna Sullivan in 1990.

More information can be found here.

This 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 Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance.

General Assembly Bill Text/Status

Alliance Legislative Reports are Cosponsored by IASB and:
[ IPA ] [ IASA ] [ IASBO ]

Return to ALR Menu