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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
527-24.2 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27-24.2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-24.2)
7    Sec. 27-24.2. Safety education; driver education course.
8Instruction shall be given in safety education in each of
9grades one though 8, equivalent to one class period each week,
10and any school district which maintains grades 9 through 12
11shall offer a driver education course in any such school which
12it operates. Its curriculum shall include content dealing with
13Chapters 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 of the Illinois Vehicle Code,
14the rules adopted pursuant to those Chapters insofar as they
15pertain to the operation of motor vehicles, and the portions of
16the Litter Control Act relating to the operation of motor
17vehicles. The course of instruction given in grades 10 through
1812 shall include an emphasis on the development of knowledge,
19attitudes, habits, and skills necessary for the safe operation
20of motor vehicles, including motorcycles insofar as they can be
21taught in the classroom, and instruction on distracted driving
22as a major traffic safety issue. In addition, the course shall
23include instruction on special hazards existing at and required

 

 

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1safety and driving precautions that must be observed at
2emergency situations, highway construction and maintenance
3zones, and railroad crossings and the approaches thereto. The
4course of instruction required of each eligible student at the
5high school level shall consist of a minimum of 30 clock hours
6of classroom instruction and a minimum of 6 clock hours of
7individual behind-the-wheel instruction in a dual control car
8on public roadways taught by a driver education instructor
9endorsed by the State Board of Education. Both the classroom
10instruction part and the practice driving part of such driver
11education course shall be open to a resident or non-resident
12student attending a non-public school in the district wherein
13the course is offered. Each student attending any public or
14non-public high school in the district must receive a passing
15grade in at least 8 courses during the previous 2 semesters
16prior to enrolling in a driver education course, or the student
17shall not be permitted to enroll in the course; provided that
18the local superintendent of schools (with respect to a student
19attending a public high school in the district) or chief school
20administrator (with respect to a student attending a non-public
21high school in the district) may waive the requirement if the
22superintendent or chief school administrator, as the case may
23be, deems it to be in the best interest of the student. A
24student may be allowed to commence the classroom instruction
25part of such driver education course prior to reaching age 15
26if such student then will be eligible to complete the entire

 

 

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1course within 12 months after being allowed to commence such
2classroom instruction.
3    Such a course may be commenced immediately after the
4completion of a prior course. Teachers of such courses shall
5meet the certification requirements of this Act and regulations
6of the State Board as to qualifications.
7    Subject to rules of the State Board of Education, the
8school district may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed $250
9$50, to students who participate in the course, unless a
10student is unable to pay for such a course, in which event the
11fee for such a student must be waived. Before a school district
12may increase this fee, the school board must list the fee
13increase as an item for discussion at a regularly scheduled
14school board meeting. The total amount from driver education
15fees and reimbursement from the State for driver education must
16not exceed the total cost of the driver education program in
17any year and must be deposited into the school district's
18driver education fund as a separate line item budget entry. All
19moneys deposited into the school district's driver education
20fund must be used solely for the funding of a high school
21driver education program approved by the State Board of
22Education that uses driver education instructors endorsed by
23the State Board of Education.
24(Source: P.A. 95-339, eff. 8-21-07; 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
262012.