End of Session Report

2025 End of Session Report 

August 2025

The 2025 End of Session Report provides highlights of the 2025 Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly. A full comprehensive summary of all bills impacting K-12 public education will be published in the Digest of Bills.  

This report highlights significant bills the IASB Governmental Relations team engaged with during the session, including those that passed both chambers and those that did not advance but remain under consideration. Some may return in future sessions, often with revised language or renewed advocacy. Awareness of these developing issues is critical, as many will continue to shape education policy in years to come. 

Our goal is to provide members with an overview of the work done on their behalf and encourage continued engagement in IASB’s advocacy efforts.  

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Upcoming IASB Publications 

Digest of Bills – September 2025 
In September, IASB will publish the Digest of Bills, which includes a comprehensive summary of all legislation affecting K-12 public education that passed both chambers and is awaiting action by the Governor. This report provides a thorough list of bills expected to be signed into law. 

New School Laws – January 2026 
Members can expect the New School Laws publication in early 2026. This document will compile all new laws enacted in 2025 that impact Illinois public schools. While similar to the Digest of Bills, New School Laws will exclude any measures vetoed by the Governor unless those vetoes are overridden in veto session. It will also highlight changes that affect IASB’s PRESS Policy Service. 

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If you have questions or need further clarification on any legislative matter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the IASB Governmental Relations staff at govrel@iasb.com. Our effectiveness depends on IASB members engagement — and the Association thanks you for your continued support. 

Quick Links
Session Overview
End of Session Omnibus Bills - Budget  
Bills That Passed Both Chambers
Bills That Did Not Pass Both Chambers

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Session Overview

In the first year of the 104th General Assembly, the IASB Governmental Relations team reviewed over 450 bills that could impact Illinois school districts. The team engaged in testimony, negotiations, and collaboration with stakeholders to influence the outcome of the most consequential legislation. With 432 bills ultimately passing both chambers, over 80 of which directly affect K-12 public education, the volume of legislation required IASB and its partners to prioritize efforts strategically. This work occurred against a backdrop of fiscal uncertainty, as lawmakers contended with declining federal pandemic-era funds and slowing economic growth, prompting repeated downward budget revenue revisions.  

On the final day of session, the Illinois General Assembly passed a $55.2 billion FY26 budget, the Budget Implementation Plan (BIMP), which makes statutory changes necessary to ensure the approved appropriations can be properly spent, and an omnibus revenue bill which included more than $800 million in revenue enhancements for FY26.  

However, several key bills failed to pass prior to adjournment. Efforts that stalled include comprehensive reform of the Tier 2 pension system; reforming the transit system and addressing a significant CTA budget shortfall, an omnibus FOIA/OMA bill, an omnibus election bill, and an energy omnibus bill aimed at strengthening the state’s power grid. Given the importance of these issues to the state, renewed efforts are expected in veto session, which is scheduled for two weeks in October, or during the spring legislative session.

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End of Session Omnibus Bills - Budget 

SB2510 (Sims Jr./ Welch) – Budget  

The Illinois General Assembly approved a $55.2 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which is in line with the $55.4 billion in expected revenue. Lawmakers trimmed almost $400 million from the budget originally proposed by Governor Pritzker earlier this year and added more than $800 million in new revenue sources to help balance the spending plan. 

K-12 Education Highlights include: 

Evidence-Based Funding (EBF)

$8.9 billion total was appropriated to the EBF which represents a $307 million increase over fiscal year 2025 (FY25). This is $43 million less than the $350 million statutory minimum and was achieved by pausing the Property Tax Relief Grant in FY26. 

Mandated Categoricals (MCATs)  
For school districts, the FY26 budget keeps funding for three key Mandated Categoricals (Regular Transportation, Special Education Transportation, and Special Education Private Facilities) at the same dollar amount as FY25. But because the total amount districts are claiming for these services has increased by about $122 million, the state will cover a smaller share of each district’s costs. This means proration will increase in FY26 for these three MCATs, and many districts will receive less reimbursement from the state than they have in the past. 

Two MCATs (Special Education Orphanage and Regular Education Orphanage) increased by $20 million in FY26. These MCAT line items are statutorily required to be funded at 100% and the additional $20 million achieves that funding level. 

Teacher Vacancy Pilot Program 
$30 million was appropriated to this program which represents a $15 million decrease when compared to FY25 and FY24 appropriations ($45 million each of those fiscal years). This is the third and final year of this program which is an initiative of Governor Pritzker.  

Other K-12 Education funding highlights:

• After School Programing - $35 million was awarded for after school programs in FY26. 

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) - $59.3 million was appropriated for CTE. This represents a $1.3M increase in state funds when compared to FY25. 

• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library - $3.3 million was appropriated to continue the implementation and expansion of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Illinois.

• Computer Science Equity Grant - $3 million was appropriated to this grant program which represents level funding to FY25.

• Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Program - $1.5 million was appropriated for the implementation of the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Program. This year the program includes a state numeracy plan. This represents a $1.5 million decrease in state funds when compared to the FY25 budget. 

• Teacher Recruitment Efforts, all with level funding to FY25

  • $8 million for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship  
  • $10.75 million for the Golden Apple Scholarship 
  • $6 million for the Grow Your Own Teachers Program

HB1075 (Sims Jr/ Gabel) – Budget Implementation Act (BIMP)
The BIMP is the companion to the state’s budget bill and includes several provisions affecting K-12 education. The BIMP puts the budget into action by making the necessary changes to state law so that the funds approved in the budget can be spent. This year’s BIMP includes the following K-12 items:  

1. Police Training Academy Job Training and Scholarship Program – Allows participating counties, school districts, and law enforcement partners to seek federal, state, and private funds to support the police training academy job training and scholarship programs.
2. Reimbursement Claims for children attending private schools – For FY26 only, school districts will be allowed to submit certain reimbursement claims related to special education placements to ISBE until September 15 (instead of August 15). 
3. Changes made to the Evidence-Based Funding Formula (EBF) in the BIMP:  
   • Requires ISBE to use a Comparable Wage Index (CWI) developed by the University of Illinois (replacing the current study produced by Texas A&M). The CWI is a tool used to account for regional cost differences. Under the EBF model, the CWI helps adjust Tier funding to reflect these regional economic differences.
   • For FY26 only, any new state funds that are appropriated to the EBF that exceed $300 million do not have to be appropriated to the Property Tax Relief Grant. This change is warranted due to the reduced EBF allocation in the budget from $350 million to $307 million.  

HB2755 (Villanueva/ Tarver II) – Revenue Omnibus  
To help fund the FY26 budget, the legislature also passed the FY26 Revenue Package to raise a number of revenue streams projected to bring in over $800 million. Some of the key revenue enhancements include: 

• Tax Amnesty Program ($228 million) 
• Motor Fuel Sales Tax revenue transfer ($171 million) 
• Sports Betting Tax increases ($36 million)
• Hotel Operator Occupation Tax ($15 million) 
• Telecommunications Tax ($49 million) 
• Corporate Tax changes ($72 million) 

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Bills That Passed Both Chambers

Throughout the 2025 legislative session, over 450 bills that impact public education were filed. Below are highlights of key education bills that passed both chambers.

Bills IASB Supported That Passed Both Chambers

The bills listed below were actively supported by IASB in committee hearings. The bills passed through both the House and Senate and have been sent to the Governor.  

SB851 (Murphy/Mussman) Multifunction School Activity Bus (MFSAB) – The bill allows districts to transport students in grades 9-12 in a multifunction school activity buses (MFSAB) for career-related activity (currently MFSABs may only be used for curriculum-related activities), including a college, university, or student job site developed through a partnership with a school.  

SB1231 (Loughran Cappel/Hirschauer) Due Process Hearing – This bill extends the minimum number of days to seven (currently five) that a school district has to initiate a formal hearing to resolve disputes between a parent and a school about special education services. It also allows 60 days (currently 30) for districts to complete independent evaluations.  

SB1740 (Edly-Allen/Mussman) Mandate Reduction Council – This bill creates a Mandate Reduction Council to evaluate and assess mandates in the Illinois School Code for the purpose of modifying, combining, or eliminating mandates. The legislation also modifies, renumbers, and eliminates numerous existing outdated mandates in the School Code. 

SB1920 (D. Turner/ Faver Dias) AI Guidance for Schools – This bill requires Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), in consultation with stakeholders, to develop and publish statewide guidance by July 1, 2026, for school districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in elementary and secondary education. The bill also requires that by July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall encourage school districts to gather teaching resources to support American Sign Language (ASL) programs.  

SB2057 (Hastings/Meyers-Martin) Threat Assessment Response Plan – Requires ISBE to provide guidance to school districts on the key steps and considerations to include in their threat assessment procedures, including how and when to notify parents and community members of a threat. This guidance will be published on ISBE's website, and school districts must update their threat assessment procedures to incorporate the required information during the school year following its publication. IASB worked with ISBE and the Senate sponsor to require ISBE to ensure the additional requirements could be incorporated into existing threat assessment procedures and policies. 

HB22 (A. Johnson/Didech) School Facility Needs – Introduces new stipulations regarding developer donations and impact fees related to school buildings. It clarifies that these financial contributions may cover costs associated with constructing new school buildings if such needs are directly linked to specific developments. The affected school district must verify the necessity and associated costs.  

HB2967 (Castro/ Costa Howard) Dual Credit – This bill makes changes to the Dual Credit Quality Act. It requires that the school district and local community college begin negotiations to reach a partnership agreement no later than 60 calendar days after the school district’s request. It prevents a school district from working with any other postsecondary institution until it has first tried to negotiate with its local community college. It sets new rules for school districts partnering with out-of-state colleges, requiring districts to show that they have tried to partner with in-state colleges first, although existing partnerships with out-of-state colleges are legacied in. The legislation creates a standing Dual Credit Committee to meet at least annually to focus on improving dual credit opportunities. The legislation also creates an appeals process if a community college denies a dual credit course request. Finally, the bill clarifies the rules around teacher credentialing for dual credit courses including specifying the requirements for a fully qualified instructor and making the use of professional development plans permanent, which is important as they allow qualified high school instructors the ability to teach dual credit classes while they seek full certification. 

Bills IASB Opposed That Passed Both Chambers

The bills listed below were actively opposed by IASB in committee hearings and the bills passed through the House and Senate to be signed into law by the Governor. 

SB1799 (Villivalam/ Olickal) Third-party Contractors – This bill limits the district’s ability to use third party non-instructional services in emergency situations. Under the bill, emergency situation is now further defined as “a sudden and unforeseen event or change in circumstances that would result in a near-term interruption of non-instructional services that calls for immediate action” (currently an emergency situation is one that threatens the safety or health of the school district’s students or staff). New requirements on the district include that if a district intends to contract out non-instructional services, it must publicly post the affected job positions for the entirety of the emergency contract and any renewals of the contract. Additionally, if a board seeks to renew or enter into any new emergency contract for the same group of employees two times, it must hold a public hearing or obtain the mutual agreement of the applicable collective bargaining unit. If a board seeks to renew (or enter into a new contract) three times, mutual agreement with the collective bargaining unit must be obtained. IASB’s outstanding concern included narrowing the definition of emergency situations which could inhibit school districts from providing essential student services 

HB3247 (Villa/Jiménez) Undocumented Students – Prohibits school districts from denying any child a free public education based on their actual or perceived immigration status and bars districts from engaging in certain activities related to immigration enforcement. It also prohibits the exclusion of a parent or a guardian because of the parent’s immigration status. Specifically, schools are prohibited from inquiring into a student’s immigration status (unless required by law) and from designating that information as directory data. The bill also requires school districts to adopt a formal policy and develop clear procedures for reviewing and authorizing any requests from law enforcement agents seeking access to school property. While much of the bill codifies existing protections established by the Supreme Court under Plyer v. Doe, this bill creates an individual right of action against school districts, including attorney’s fees. The potential increased risk of litigation and new financial liabilities for school districts was the basis for IASB’s opposition.

Bills IASB Worked to Amend That Passed Both Chambers

The bills listed below were negotiated and IASB and other management groups worked to amend them in an effort to better align with our members’ needs. These bills passed through both the House and the Senate. 

HB1316 (Tracy/Davidsmeyer) Gun Incident Reporting – This bill expands requirements for school officials to promptly report to the principal when they become aware of any person in possession of a firearm or threats of gun violence on school grounds (currently only observing a person in possession of a firearm requires reporting to the principal). If the individual in possession of a gun is a student, there is an additional obligation for the principal to notify the student’s parent or guardian. 

HB1366 (Preston/ Crawford) IEP Parental Notification – Stipulates that prior to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, parents or guardians must receive notification of their right to invite additional individuals who may assist them, such as experts or advocates familiar with their child's needs. HB1366 tasks the State Board of Education with creating and distributing concise and informative materials about the IEP facilitation process to school districts.  

HB1787 (Loughran Cappel/ Hirschauer) School Safety Drills - Training Subs – This bill requires school districts to provide substitute personnel training on school evacuation drills and law enforcement lockdown drills (currently only required to be provided to full time staff). It also requires school districts to ensure that support materials for substitute personnel are effectively implemented, including ensuring maps of all exits are visibly displayed in every classroom and that the information packets provided to full-time-equivalent employees must contain district-approved materials detailing emergency procedures related to evacuation and lockdown.  

HB2337 (Koehler/Faver Dias) Special Ed Settlement – This bill puts limits on the prospective waiver of legal rights and claims that are allowable under special education mediation, resolution, and settlement agreements. The bill includes three significant limitations on those waivers. First, the right being waived must be specifically related to the student who is the focus of the mediation or settlement process. Second, the waiver must only cover claims that are directly associated with those raised within the complaint being settled. Third, the duration of such waivers is limited to a reasonable duration, not to exceed the term of the mediation, resolution, or settlement agreement. 

HB2390 (Fine/Katz Muhl) Special Ed Joint Agreement – This bill makes changes to the withdrawal process for a district from special education joint agreements. If a district plans to withdraw from the joint agreement, its school board must hold a public meeting at least 18 months before the planned exit date, send a written notice to all other member districts at least 10 days before the meeting, and create a comprehensive plan explaining how it will manage the withdrawal. The plan must then be reviewed by the regional superintendent or executive director. If the plan is in compliance with the guidelines, the State Board of Education and the other member districts will be notified that the withdrawal is approved. Other key provisions include that the joint agreement must include rules for how to divide shared property if the agreement ends or if a district leaves and a requirement for an annual presentation of the joint agreement’s budget and explain how each district’s fees are calculated. 

HB3522 (Belt/Stuart) Direct Admission Program – This bill establishes a direct admissions program to automatically admit qualifying students into Illinois public institutions of higher education (excluding the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois Chicago). The legislation requires that no later than the end of the 2025-2026 school year, school districts must begin to communicate the program to students and parents/or guardians and allow students the opportunity to opt in to the program. The bill also requires ISAC to provide a consent form to school districts no later than June 30, 2025. The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) will report on program outcomes starting in 2029. Despite IASB’s efforts to push back implementation to the 2026-27 school year, the advocates felt the program needed to begin in the upcoming school year. IASB staff worked to address student privacy concerns. 

SB71 (Murphy/Keicher) Hazardous Substances Emergency Plan – Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Office of Homeland Security, in consultation with ISBE, shall provide school districts with guidance for implementing a response plan for the release or explosion of hazardous substances being transported. By July 1, 2027, school districts, in consultation with their local emergency planning committee or emergency services and disaster agency, shall develop procedures for each of its schools based on these guidelines. The school shall also provide relevant information to staff regarding safety protocols and evacuation plans. IASB worked with the sponsor to incorporate this emergency response into its existing emergency response plan structure.  

SB191 (Morrison/ Morgan) School Bus Safety Belts – This bill provides that, beginning July 1, 2031, each designated seating position in any newly purchased school bus shall be equipped with a 3-point seat safety belt, as defined in the bill, which must be in good operating condition and meet all applicable federal standards. This mandate is limited to newly purchased school buses. IASB worked to push back the implementation date and minimize fiscal impact of this mandate.  

SB408 (Koehler/Crawford) Student Records – This bill amends the definition of “student permanent record” in the Illinois School Student Records Act (ISSRA) to include a summary of performance for students that received special education services which must remain confidential unless authorized for disclosure under certain circumstances. However, the summary of performance may be excluded from a student permanent record if parents are notified of specified information regarding the summary of performance documents and the parent or student, if over 18, consents in writing to exclude the document.  

SB1519 (Villa/Ford) School Ticketing – The bill sets forth annual reporting requirements to ISBE beginning in the 2027-2028 school year related to student referrals to law enforcement. By January 31, 2029, and by January 31 of each year thereafter, ISBE shall issue a report on student referrals to law enforcement. The bill also requires that, beginning July 1, 2026, schools must work with local law enforcement to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for school resource officers. Lastly, the legislation prohibits students from being issued tickets or citations as a school-based disciplinary consequence or for a municipal code violation on school grounds during school hours or while taking school transportation. However, violations of traffic, boating, or fish and game laws are excluded from this prohibition. IASB worked with other school management groups to remove opposition. 

SB1560 (Feigenholtz/LaPointe) Mental Health Screening – The bill provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, ISBE shall make available resource materials, including model procedures and guidance, to support the phased implementation of universal mental health screening for districts to offer them annually to students enrolled in grades 3-12. The guidance shall also identify mental health screening tools that districts may use with students and outline the training required for school personnel involved in the process. IASB worked with other school management groups, the advocates, and the sponsor to limit this requirement to students in third grade and older and to delay implementation to ensure that districts do not have to administer mental health screeners until the state has successfully procured a screener and made it available to school districts at no cost.  

SB1672 (Belt/Faver Dias) Early Literacy Screeners – The bill requires for the 2026-2027 school year, all school districts shall report information on early literacy screeners to ISBE. The district shall report any early literacy screeners used in grades K-3, including the skill areas each screener is designed to assess, the grade levels of students who are administered the screeners, and the frequency of administration by grade level each year. IASB worked with other stakeholders to remove the mandate that all K-3 students be screened at least twice a year.

Other Bills of Interest That Passed Both Chambers

IASB also tracked numerous other bills that may be of interest to local school board members due to their potential impact on district operations or governance. 

HB79 (N. Anderson/Haas) SRO Return to Service – Allows a retired sheriff department employee to return to work for up to 999 hours as a school security guard without affecting their pension benefits. 

HB1368 (Lightford/Faver Dias) PD Literacy Plan – Ensures professional development activities align with evidence-based strategies as outlined in the state’s comprehensive literacy plan. 

HB2418 (Guzmán/Mason) Youth Sports Commission – Establishes the Commission on Youth Sports, tasked with assessing statewide and community-level needs and providing formal recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Department of Human Services. The Commission's core mandate is to advance equitable, safe, and sustainable access to youth sports, promote the integration of evidence-based positive youth development practices, and support the cultivation of youth sporting events.  

HB2537 (A. Johnson/La Ha) Special Education Graduates – Requires an IEP team to inform a parent or guardian and student with an IEP that the student's IEP services will be terminated after they graduate. 

HB2801 (S. Turner/Deering) STEAM Opportunity List – Provides that, by July 1, 2026, ISBE shall provide a form on its website for organizations to submit opportunities for high school students to participate in externships, internships, or volunteer work related to career and technical education career pathways. 

HB2802 (D. Turner/McCombie) Student Work-Based Learning Absence – Allows for student participation in a supervised career development experience, including approved supervised agricultural experiences, to be an excused absence. Requires the student and student’s parent to be responsible for obtaining coursework that is missed.  

HB2962 (Fine/Crawford) MFSAB License – Provides that the Secretary of State shall issue a school bus driver permit with a restriction which will be valid for the operation of a school bus or a multifunction school active bus.  

HB2966 (Morrison/Katz Muhl) School District Reorganization Feasibility Studies – Allows ISBE to give school districts grants for the purpose of incentivizing those districts to conduct reorganization feasibility studies. 

HB2986 (D. Turner/Blair-Sherlock) ISBE Clean Up – This is the Illinois State Board of Education bill where the Department requests clean-up changes. Some of the clean-up changes include changes to the submittal of the school district’s audit, moving the date of filing the one-page report that lists administrative expenditures to October 15 (currently November 15), and a new requirement that the district post its statement of affairs on the district’s website. It removes the requirement that ISBE post all districts’ annual statements of affairs on its website (currently, the statement of affairs must be available in the main administrative office of the district and ISBE is required to post all annual statements of affairs). It also makes changes to what is required to be reported in the district’s annual statement of affairs.  

HB3000 (D. Turner/Hammond) ID Cards – Requires grade 6-12 schools to provide suicide prevention information on school employee ID cards.  

HB3026 (Guzmán/Rashid) Dual Language – Requires the State Board of Education to adopt comprehensive guidance for school districts by December 15, 2026 regarding the establishment of new dual language education programs and the expansion of existing programs. The bill also requires ISBE, by July 1, 2027, to establish recognition pathways for biliteracy at various levels before high school in which districts may, but are not required, to participate. 

HB3039 (Ellman/Yang Rohr) High School Credits – Makes changes to how a school board may grant course credit for a high school diploma to students in grades 7 and 8 who enroll in high school courses.  

HB3096 (Cervantes/Ortíz) FAFSA Contact – Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, schools must designate a staff member to serve as a contact point for students' Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) inquiries and provide this individual’s contact details to state educational agencies. Schools are also required to inform students about this resource and ensure the designated staff member undergoes appropriate training, promoting continuous professional development. 

HB3097 (Cervantes/Ortíz) FAFSA Completion – Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, schools must provide resources to educate students about financial aid and assist them in completing their applications, including the opportunity to receive help during the school day. They can request assistance from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to facilitate this process. 

HB3377 (Curran/La Ha) Homeless Youth Funding – Requires districts to compile and submit annual reports to the State Board of Education related to federal funding received, the amount of funds specifically allocated to aid homeless students, and the respective number of homeless students in the district.  

HB3851 (Loughran Cappel/Yang Rohr) Cyber-Bullying Definition – Specifies that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, any act of cyber-bullying includes “unauthorized digital replica” and “posting or distributing sexually explicit images.”  

SB28 (Lightford/Faver Dias) Teacher Evaluation - Student Growth – Beginning July 1, 2025, school districts may (but are no longer required) include data and indicators of student growth as a factor in teacher performance evaluations, provided there must be good faith collaboration with teachers or their exclusive bargaining representatives. The evaluation plan must still meet the standards set forth in Section 24A-7 of the School Code. The bill also removes the requirement that student growth comprise 50% of the model evaluation plan. The use of student growth in principal evaluation plans is becomes permissive (no longer mandated) beginning July 1, 2025. 

SB405 (Johnson/Rashid) School Counseling Services – Provides that school counseling services shall address the needs of all students, regardless of citizenship status.  

SB1583 (Halpin/Chung) ISBE Learning Partners – Allows the State Superintendent of Education to designate a regional office of education or intermediate service center as a learning partner. The designation of a learning partner may be revoked at the sole discretion of the State Superintendent.  

SB1584 (Fiegenholtz/Faver Dias) Short-Term Approval Credential – The State Board of Education may establish rules to create a credential called a Short-Term Approval, which allows an individual to serve as an educator in a specific education area or grade range for a temporary period. The short-term approval is limited and shall have an expiration date without the ability to renew unless the educator can demonstrate that a serious health condition inhibited the educator’s ability to timely apply for and receive the full license or endorsement.

SB1616 (Villivalam/Katz Muhl) Cultural and Religious Holidays – Requires the State Board of Education to identify dates throughout the year that hold cultural or religious significance for students and during which they may have commitments or be unable to participate in major school events. By July 1 each year, the State Board must post a non-exhaustive list of these dates on its website and send it to all school districts as a planning resource for scheduling major events in the following school year.

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Bills That Did Not Pass Both Chambers

These are bills that failed to move forward this session. It is not uncommon for these ideas and initiatives to be reintroduced in future years, so awareness of these issues is important. 

HB1358 (Chung) Educational Waiver – Limits physical education waivers to three years with no option for renewal, caps all other waivers at five years with a maximum of two renewals, and clarifies the process for rescinding an approved waiver by allowing districts to withdraw through written notice to the State Board. Originally introduced as a proposal to create a task force to review the waiver process, the bill evolved into a restriction on long-term PE waivers, raising concerns about reduced local control and limiting school districts' flexibility to offer courses such as driver’s education, art, music, and career and technical education. 

SB1937 (Martwick/Kifowit) Tier 2 Pensions – Amends the state’s Tier 2 pension system, aiming to bring it into compliance with the federal Social Security Safe Harbor requirements and improve retirement benefits for future retirees. A key provision inserts the Social Security wage base as the earnings cap for pensions beginning in 2027. The bill also amends the provisions for the final average salary calculations for Tier 2 employees, lowers the normal retirement age from 67 to 65, and introduces a 3% annual simple interest increase in retirement benefits, replacing the previous formula that offered smaller cost-of-living adjustments. 

SB2427 (Castro/Mussman) Wireless Communication Device Ban – This bill would require that beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, each school board must adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy. This policy must prohibit student use of wireless communication devices during instructional time. The policy must also include guidance for the secure and accessible storage of wireless devices during instructional time. The bill specifies situations in which school districts shall not prohibit student use wireless devices, including when approved by a licensed physician for health needs, as required by a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan, or to support English learners in accessing instructional materials.  

SB2655 (Loughran Cappel) MCATS Supplemental – The bill appropriates $1.36 billion (more than $200 million more than what was actually appropriated in FY26) to the State Board of Education for disabled student transportation reimbursements, disabled student tuition and private tuition, and regular and vocational common school transportation reimbursements. While this additional revenue would not get the MCATs back to 100% funded, it would be a step toward fully funding these important services. This was an initiative of IASB and partner organizations.  

HB3772 (Lightford/W. Davis) K-2 Suspensions/Expulsions – An initiative of ISBE, this bill would put limits on the use of suspensions and expulsions for students in grades K-2. The bill provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, no student in grades K-2may be expelled unless required by the federal Gun-Free Schools Act. Additionally, a superintendent shall be required to provide verbal or written approval to suspend a student in K-2 for longer than three school days. If the superintendent approval is not received by the third day, the student shall return to school by the fourth day. The bill will also expand alternative learning opportunity (ALOP) programs to provide behavioral health services for 90 days to K-2 students. By July 31, 2026, and by July 31 each year thereafter, all school districts and state-authorized charter schools must report relevant discipline data to the State Board of Education in the format and manner prescribed by the Board. 

SB243 (Porfirio/Didech) Omnibus FOIA/OMA Bill – This legislation provides that electronic requests for public records must appear in their entirety within the body of the electronic submission and that no public body shall be required to open electronically attached files or hyperlinks to view or access the details of such a request. Additionally, the bill allows, within five business days after its receipt of the request, a public body that has a reasonable belief that a request was not submitted by a person, to require the requester to verify that the requester is a person. The bill also provides that a public body may not hold or schedule a regular or special meeting on the day of an election.  

HB2970 (Villanueva/Moeller) Notice to Remedy – Makes changes to the requirements for a notice to remedy. The bill allows a teacher to file a grievance under the applicable collective bargaining agreement to challenge the issuance of a remedial warning and determine whether the school board had just cause. The bill requires the notice of remedial warning clearly and specifically outlines the alleged misconduct that needs to be addressed. Additionally, the bill states that a notice of remedial warning cannot remain in effect for more than four years from the date it was issued, and the district must make reasonable efforts to remove the notice from the teacher’s personnel file.  

HB2827 (Costa Howard) Home Schooling – Establishes a regulatory framework for homeschooling. The bill proposed that parents or guardians submit an annual "homeschool notification form," detailing the student's name, birthdate, grade level, address, and the administrator's educational background. Parents would need to have a high school diploma or its equivalent to homeschool. The bill would allow local school officials to review student portfolios and to request in-person interviews with parents and students. Portfolios would be reviewed to determine whether the homeschool program meets standards.  

HB1237 (Glowiak Hilton/West) Prohibition of Native American Mascots – Prohibits public schools from using Native American names, logos, or mascots. The bill specifically bans team names referencing federally recognized tribes or a historical Native American person or tribal group, as well as using the name "Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, Chieftains, Tribe, Indians or synonymous term." It also addressed associated imagery, including feathered headdresses, tomahawks, and arrowheads. Schools using such mascots would have been required to phase them out by September 1, 2030. However, schools could continue using existing uniforms or materials bearing the prohibited imagery until that date, provided they developed a plan to change them by July 1, 2026. If a school has a marquee, sign, or permanent structure with a prohibited Native name, logo, or mascot, it must be removed the next time that structure is remodeled or replaced. A limited exemption is provided for schools whose team name is the name of a federally recognized tribe or historical Native American person that meet certain conditions, including obtaining written consent from that tribe, renewing it every five years, and establishing a formal educational partnership that promotes accurate, respectful representation.  

HB2521 (Edly-Allen/Keicher) Criminals History Background Check for Sports Officials – For the licensing process for sports officials in Illinois, applicants would be required every five years to undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to ensure that they do not have any serious criminal convictions that could disqualify them, as well as perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database.