Distributed via Email: April 1, 2016
GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETURNS NEXT WEEK
After an extended spring break, both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly will return to the Capitol next week to continue considering bills in committee. The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet Monday through Friday; the Senate is set for session Tuesday through Friday.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 5, 8:00 a.m., Room 114, State Capitol
HB 4227 (Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake) increases the required days of actual pupil attendance in K-12 public from 176 days to 181 days. The Alliance opposes the bill without guaranteed full funding.
HB 4234 (Ford, D-Chicago) requires that the report of a student suspension to the parents or guardian shall be by certified mail, return receipt requested, and the suspension shall take place only after receipt by the parents or guardian. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 4322 ( McDermed, R-Frankfort) requires school districts to appoint a committee and follow a designated process before closing a school and relocating students. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 4362 ( Unes, R- Pekin) removes a provision providing that of the three assessments the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) shall administer in language arts and mathematics, one assessment shall include a college and career ready determination exam. The Alliance supports the bill.
HB 4380 ( McSweeney, R-Cary) provides that the provision requiring ISBE to administer no more than three assessments per student of English language arts and mathematics applies until the expiration of any current contracts between ISBE and the company or companies that operate the PARCC tests. The Alliance supports the bill.
HB 4397 (Costello, D-Red Bud) provides that, notwithstanding the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act's two-year time limitation on grant fund expenditures, for school energy efficiency grants awarded in 2014, grant funds may be made available for expenditure by a grantee for a period of four years from the date the funds were distributed by the state. The Alliance supports the bill.
HB 4432 (Moffitt, R-Galesburg) allows a child in any of grades 6-12 to be absent from a public school on a particular day for the purpose of sounding "Taps" at a military honors.
HB 4592 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) prohibits school districts from requesting waivers from laws and rules pertaining to physical education beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HB 4606 (Davis, W., D-East Hazel Crest) makes significant changes regarding challenges to a school district’s decision to determine that a pupil is a non-resident of the school district. This includes contents of the notice to the custodian about the residency decision, the hearing to review the determination of the school board, the school board's decision after the conclusion of the hearing, petitioning the regional superintendent of schools to review the school board's decision, the regional superintendent of schools' review of the school board's decision, and the adjustment of state aid payments. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HB 4996 (Welch, D-Westchester) requires a school board to appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison to facilitate the enrollment and transfer of records of students in the legal custody of the Department of Children and Family Services when enrolling in or changing schools. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 5036 ( McDermed) requires school districts to appoint a district advisory committee before making any decisions on a school closure or school opening. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 5529 ( Crespo, D-Streamwood), an Alliance initiative, extends the expiration date of the law that allows for school districts to make interfund transfers of funds for three more years.
HB 5570 (Sims, D-Chicago) requires ISBE to establish guidelines for the creation of a high-skilled manufacturing curriculum to be used in vocational education programs.
HB 5617 (Welch) , among many other provisions, prohibits a student from being arrested or cited for certain criminal offenses on school property, in school vehicles, or at school activities. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HB 5822 (Drury, D-Highwood) requires school districts to conspicuously display the nutritional information of all food items offered for sale to students on school property. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HB 5901 ( Guzzardi, D-Chicago) requires the principal of each public school to report to ISBE certain information concerning the administration of assessments to students. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 5911 (Moeller, D-Elgin) requires school districts to report to ISBE additional information regarding children receiving the required dental examination. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
HB 6144 (Anthony, R-Morris) requires school districts to implement reforms requested by parents of students if at least 51% of the parents in the district signed a petition. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HB 6164 ( Sandack, R-Downers Grove), a Vision 20/20/Alliance initiative, provides flexibility for school districts to contract for non-instructional services and allows certain students to request a waiver from P.E. if they are receiving appropriate physical exercise through other means. The school board must have a public hearing to discuss any such waiver policy.
HB 6204 ( Wehrli, R-Naperville) implements a one-year waiting period for implementation of a new high school assessment that impacts a student application or admission to college, allowing school districts to administer the college and career readiness exam of their choice. The Alliance supports the bill.
HB 6299 (Andrade, D-Chicago) would grant recall rights to education support personnel. The Alliance opposes the bill.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION: LICENSING OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 5, 9:00 a.m., Room 115, State Capitol
HB 4301 ( Crespo) would allow school districts meeting certain geographic specifications to employ a Chief Executive Officer who does not have traditional superintendent credentials if on his/her staff there are properly licensed assistant superintendents or directors in the areas of instruction, finance, special education, assessments, and career and technology education. The Alliance supports the bill.
HB 5024 (Chapa LaVia) would allow a regional superintendent of schools to serve even though he/she does meet all of the current qualifications to serve in such position if he/she has teaching experience, has on staff a qualified assistant regional superintendent who meets all current qualifications, and who has in that particular regional office of education in an administrative capacity for at least five years.
HB 6128 (Chapa LaVia) allows persons to have completed a comparable preparation program in another state to earn a Professional Educator License.
HB 6143 (Wheeler) provides that the requirement that a student teacher undergo a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database check does not apply to a student teacher who is already employed as a non-licensed staff member and has already undergone such checks for that school district.
HB 6181 (Willis, D-Northlake) provides that ISBE shall allow educators to earn professional development hours during the final 3 months of the school year and enter those professional development hours into the Educator Licensure Information System.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY: CHARTER SCHOOL POLICY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 5, 1:00 p.m., Room C-1, Stratton Office Building
HB 5918 ( Thapedi, D-Chicago) provides that a charter shall be granted for a period of five school years (instead of may be granted for a period not less than 5 and not more than 10 school years) and may be renewed in incremental periods not to exceed ten (instead of five) school years.
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 5, 1:00 p.m., Room 212, State Capitol
SB 2137 (Morrison, D-Deerfield) , with the amendment filed, would require teacher training, at least once every two years, on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act during teacher institutes.
SB 2168 (Noland, D-Elgin) sets up an alternative track for superintendent certification for district U-46 in Elgin. The Alliance is working to amend the bill identical to HB 4301.
SB 2183 (Hastings, D-Matteson) requires a burdensome new process for districts to follow when contemplating a school closure. The Alliance opposes the bill.
SB 2393 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) would require school districts to provide breakfast to students if 70% or more are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, are classified as low-income, or can be claimed for free or reduced-price meals. The Alliance opposes the bill as an unfunded mandate.
SB 2970 ( Lightford, D-Westchester) with the amendments filed, would create a program mandating, universal screening for second and fifth graders to identify gifted and talented children, if certain conditions are met. The Alliance opposes the bill.
*The bills contained in ALR 99-38 that were scheduled for the Senate Education Committee will also be re-posted for next week.
HOUSE JUDICIARY – CIVIL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 5, 8:00 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Office Building
HB 5902 ( Guzzardi) provides that a student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media, regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the school district or by use of school facilities or produced in conjunction with a class in which the student is enrolled. The Alliance opposes the bill.
This legislative report was 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.
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