Delivered via email: April 30, 2021
Resolutions Proposals Sought
The Illinois General Assembly Spring legislative session is not the only important policy discussion happening in our state; school boards across Illinois are discussing proposed resolutions for the IASB resolutions process. One of the most important functions of the Illinois Association of School Boards is the resolutions process that sets the policy agenda for IASB and can determine the organizational structure of the Association. We encourage districts to submit a resolution before the June 23 deadline. To learn more about the resolutions process, view the recent “How to Write an Effective IASB Resolution” webinar. The IASB resolutions form can be downloaded to make your district’s participation in the resolutions process as simple as possible.
Additional Professional Development Leadership Training passes the Senate
New school board members sworn in after January 1, 2022 would be required to do additional training under a proposal passed out of the Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 2109 (Villa, D- West Chicago) would require school board members to have training on trauma-informed practices for students and staff. The one-time training would be a part of the already required Professional Development Leadership Training that currently covers the areas of education and labor law, financial oversight and accountability, and fiduciary responsibilities for school board members. The proposed legislation will have to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by the governor before becoming law.
Bills Passed the Senate
SB 814 (Lightford, D-Hillside) creates a new teacher induction and mentoring program that aligns with the Illinois Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Standards and requires school districts, with their bargaining representative, to make a choice between their current mentoring program and the one set forth in this bill. It also establishes a competitive grant program for principal mentoring and ties professional growth to the areas addressed in the Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders.
SB 1139 (Villivalam, D-Chicago), for Tax Increment Financing (TIF), adds costs of real and personal property improvements limited to equipment and construction costs to accommodate COVID, to the definitions for eligible redevelopment project costs.
SB 1767 (Belt, D-East St. Louis), for prevailing wage, requires the Department of Labor to make certain information available in a searchable database by the 16th day of each month.
SB 1822 (Koehler, D-Peoria) extends the City of Peoria TIF to 35 years.
SB 2043 (Pacione-Zayas, D-Chicago) is the Illinois State Board of Education omnibus initiative making numerous changes including a focus to increase equity in all Illinois schools.
SB 2109 (Villa) requires school board members and administrators to annually complete a course of instruction on the adoption of trauma-informed school standards.
Bills in Senate Committees Week of April 3
HB 24 (West, D-Rockford), provides that sex education course material and instruction for grades 6-12 must include sexting, the importance of internet safety, and identification of support personnel in the school district/community who can provide assistance and development of strategies for resisting peer pressure.
HB 40 (Hurley, D-Chicago) provides that a student whose 22nd birthday occurs during the school year is eligible for special education services through the end of the school year.
SB 633 (Murphy, L., D-Des Plaines) provides that, upon knowledge of an incident of sexual assault by a student against another student, a school district shall report the incident to the State Board of Education.
SB 817 (Simmons, D-Chicago) prohibits school uniform or dress code policies to apply to hairstyles and requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to withhold state funding to any school district that violates this prohibition and post the violating school districts on the ISBE website.
SB2088 (Belt) Allows school districts to adopt a policy providing that if a student is suspended or expelled for any reason, the student must complete the entire term of the suspension or expulsion before being allowed to attend the school district in person.
Bills in House Committees Week of April 3
SB 605 (Collins, D-Chicago) sets forth the elements to be included in school district policies on absenteeism and truancy and requires annual notification to students and parents.
SB 1572 (Martwick, D-Chicago) creates a homestead exemption in the amount of a reduction of $5,000 from the equalized assessed value of property of police officers and firefighters with duty-related disabilities.
SB1830 (Loughran Cappel, D-Plainfield) provides that a semester or part of semester of financial literacy may be a part of the fulfillment of the mathematics requirement that each pupil entering the ninth grade must successfully complete to receive a high school diploma.
SB 1975 (Fine, D-Glenview), for Cook County and any other county that a county board enacts it, the bill waives reapplication for those eligible for the persons with disabilities homestead exemption who have verified with the Disability Identification Card.
SB 2244 (Murphy, L.) increases the Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze income level to $75,000.