Distributed via Email: February 18, 2010

The state legislature starting working in earnest this week to slog its way through the over 3,000 new bills that have been introduced this year (this is on top of the 7,000 bills submitted last year). Committees began considering many of the bills this week. There are two weeks left for the Senate to dispense with Senate bills in committee; the House has three weeks left before its committee deadline.

Both chambers return to work next week; Tuesday through Thursday.

"NO MANDATES" BILL RECEIVES COMMITTEE APPROVAL

Despite a hard push by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to kill the bill, legislation intended to provide mandate relief to school districts was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee Wednesday. Both teachers' unions also opposed HB 4711 (Eddy, R-Hutsonville). The bill now goes to the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration.

The bill provides that no school district is obligated to comply with any statutory or regulatory mandate or requirement unless a separate appropriation has been enacted into law providing funding for the school year during which such mandate is required.

OTHER BILL ACTION THIS WEEK

SB 2507 (Wilhemi, D-Joliet) increases the debt limit for Wilmington 209U under certain circumstances. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

SB 2537 (Maloney, D-Chicago) provides that an endorsement for a chief school business official endorsement must include the requirement that the certificate holder has 6 semester hours of internship in school business management. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

SB 2575 (Clayborne, D-E. St. Louis) would exempt from the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law the levies for police pensions, fireman pensions, and pensions for members of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (including non-certified school district employees). The bill was defeated in the Senate Revenue Committee.

HB 4780 (Chapa La Via), an Alliance initiative, extends the time period for allowing interfund transfers by three years (from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2013). It allows a school district to transfer funds among the education fund, the operations and maintenance fund, and the transportation fund. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

HB 4797 (Mautino, D-Spring Valley) extends the special property valuation procedures for wind energy devices through assessment year 2016 (instead of 2011). The bill was approved by a House Revenue sub-committee and will be sent to the full Revenue Committee for consideration.

HB 4879 (Eddy) includes the number of pupils enrolled in early education programs in a school district's transportation reimbursement. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

HB 5120 (Rose, R-Mahomet) clarifies that a school bus must contain an operating two-way radio or a cellular radio telecommunication device while the school bus driver is in possession of a school bus. The bill was approved by the House Vehicles and Safety Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

HB 5481 (Kosel, R-New Lenox) allows for the funding of local gifted education programs by ISBE, through a request for proposals process, if funds are available for that purpose. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

SJR 68 (Collins, D-Chicago) encourages school districts to explore the introduction of Arabic as a foreign language in their curriculum. The resolution was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for consideration.

BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK

SENATE EXECUTIVE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 11 a.m., Room 409, State Capitol

SB 2494 (Meeks, D-Chicago), in its original form, creates a statewide private school voucher program. An amendment is filed, however, that would narrow the voucher program to Chicago only. It would establish vouchers (in an amount up to the current per pupil foundation level in the General State Aid formula) for parents of students in Chicago who attend the lowest performing public schools. The vouchers could be redeemed at a non-public school, creating a flow of public school funding to non-public schools.

SB 2495 (Meeks) removes the cap (currently set at 120) for the number of charter schools allowed in the state.

SB 2496 (Meeks) allows for a public school choice program where any Illinois student could attend any Illinois school without regard to residency, and without being charged tuition.

SB 2500 (Meeks) reconstructs the Chicago Public Schools Board of Directors and removes the power that allows the Mayor to appoint the board members. Board members would be elected in the future.

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m., Room 118, State Capitol

Subject matter: Education Funding

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 4 p.m., Room 409, State Capitol

SB 2647 (Koehler, D-Peoria) makes changes to the School Code and the School Construction Law regarding school districts that operate under a Public Building Commission.

SB 2980 (Maloney, D-Chicago) allows a school board to waive, by resolution, any statutory or regulatory curricular mandate for which the school district does not receive a separate state appropriation through the ISBE or reimbursement by the State to extend the school day or year (with exceptions for special education requirements, graduation requirements, and any curricular mandate directly related to an Illinois Learning Standard). It also provides that if a student requests information on any curricular mandate that has been waived, then the school district shall provide the student with the requested information.

SB 3000 (Garrett, D-Lake Forest) creates the Instructional Mandates Task Force charged to explore and examine all instructional mandates governing public schools and to make recommendations concerning the propriety of all existing mandates, the imposition of future mandates, and waivers of instructional mandates. It also establishes a moratorium on the passage of legislation that imposes instructional mandates on the public schools in this state through Jan. 2, 2014.

SB 3014 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville), an Alliance initiative, provides for the employment of assistant principals and addresses their duties, contracts, reclassification, and development and submission of an evaluation plan.

SB 3062 (Meeks, D-Chicago) makes clarifications for students with an individualized education program (IEP) regarding the taking of the Prairie State Achievement Examination in 11^th grade.

HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 8 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol

HB 4886 (Black, R-Danville) allows a school district, by resolution of its board, to operate on a 4-day school week plan approved by the ISBE.

HB 5029 (Flowers, D-Chicago), among many changes regarding all-terrain vehicles (ATV), requires school districts to provide instruction in relation to the laws regarding the operation of ATVs in grades kindergarten through 12.

HB 5034 (Flowers) requires school boards to make all students undergo an electrocardiogram (EKG) test as part of the comprehensive health examinations.

HB 5136 (Black) removes the Illinois General Assembly from the mandate waiver provisions of the School Code and leaves the authority for all waiver approvals and appeals to the State Board of Education.

HB 5220 (Cavaletto, D-Salem), an Alliance initiative, provides for the employment of assistant principals and addresses their duties, contracts, reclassification, and development and submission of an evaluation plan.

HB 5302 (Reis, D-Olney) phases out the "hold harmless" provision in the General State Aid formula after the 2012-13 school year and prohibits any new school districts from becoming eligible under the "hold harmless" provision in the next two years.

HB 5340 (Chapa La Via, D-Aurora), with respect to criminal history records checks of applicants for employment with a school district, includes other school districts and a local law enforcement agency as entities to which any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the school board or the regional superintendent of schools may be transmitted.

HB 5344 (Chapa La Via), subject to funding by the ISBE, provides that a school board shall require a school to provide recordings for its blind and dyslexic students and requires the ISBE to provide funding to school districts for the provision of recordings for blind and dyslexic students.

HB 5400 (Howard, D-Chicago) requires instruction on violence prevention and conflict resolution to be for a period of not less than 3 weeks per calendar year for grades 6 through 12 and requires school districts to provide in-service instruction for teachers to assist them in implementing the program.

HB 5472 (Flowers), under certain conditions, requires school boards to publish the school lunch menu and the nutrition content, including calories, of each meal item.

HB 5515 (Hoffman, D-Collinsville) includes transfers from the school district's life/safety fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund, up to the $0.05 levy for local property taxes, for building repair work.

HB 5698 (Cultra, R-Onarga) removes language that provides that the school district's discipline policy shall not include slapping, paddling or prolonged maintenance of students in physically painful positions and provides that a teacher or other certificated employee shall not be liable for enforcing the discipline policy adopted by a school board.

HB 5889 (Pihos, R-Glen Ellyn) provides that beginning July 1 public school districts are not required to implement instructional mandates.

HB 5948 (Mendoza, D-Chicago) creates the Mass Influenza Vaccination School Program Act to require that the Department of Public Health in consultation with the Director of Insurance and the State Board of Education to establish school-based influenza mass vaccination programs in elementary and secondary schools to vaccinate children against influenza. Participation in the programs by a school district or an individual would be voluntary.

HB 5981 (Fortner, R-West Chicago) allows for an approved alternative program to the current Transitional Bilingual Education Article of the School Code.

HB 6042 (Eddy), beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, removes the requirement that the ISBE test pupils in the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th grades in writing, and beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, students shall not be tested in writing as part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination.

HB 6079 (Black) provides for the establishment of cooperative high schools or elementary schools.

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.

Alliance Legislative Reports are Cosponsored by IASB and:
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