SB0028eng 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0028 Engrossed LRB101 02854 AXK 47862 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3.66b, 10-19, 10-20.56, 13B-45, 13B-50.5, 29-6.3, and 34-18 and by adding Section 10-19.05 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b)

Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program.

(a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The goal of the IHOPE Program is to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma.

(b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants, subject to appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to 5% for administrative costs, including the performance of a program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and administer the program.

The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with school districts, public community colleges, and community groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school dropouts in their regions or districts.

Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high school dropouts, up to and including age 21 notwithstanding Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an educational program in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Programs may include without limitation comprehensive year-round programming, evening school, summer school, community college courses, adult education, vocational training, work experience, programs to enhance self-concept, and parenting courses. Any student in the IHOPE Program who wishes to earn a high school diploma must meet the prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma specified in Section 27-22 of this Code and any other graduation requirements of the student's district of residence. Any student who successfully completes the requirements for his or her graduation shall receive a diploma identifying the student as graduating from his or her district of residence.

(c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE Program, an interested regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE Program that shall set forth the requirements for the development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school districts, public community colleges, and key community programs that work with high school dropouts located in an educational service region or the City of Chicago before the Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be distributed to a regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the State Board has approved the Plan.

(d) A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract with other not-for-profit entities, including school districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit community-based organizations, to operate a program.

A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership among these entities.

(e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact, IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or school district, in the case of a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data provided by school districts to the State Board of Education.

A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid under Section 18-8.05 or 18-8.15 of this Code for students enrolled in a program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these students are receiving services that are meeting the requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code or evidence-based funding under Section 18-8.15 of this Code, including provisions related to the minimum number of days of pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the minimum number of daily hours of school work required under Section 10-19.05 and any exceptions thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules.

(f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the following:

(1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive, year-round programs.

(2) Part-time programs combining work and study scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs of students.

(3) Online programs and courses in which students take courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high school diploma.

(4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high school classes in combination with community college classes or students attend community college classes while simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a high school diploma.

(g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts, programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of the following components:

(1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be larger with specific need and justification, keeping in mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be effective.

(2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits, graduation, and the transition to college, training, and employment.

(3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff who are provided with ongoing professional development.

(4) Voluntary enrollment.

(5) High standards for student learning, integrating work experience, and education, including during the school year and after school, and summer school programs that link internships, work, and learning.

(6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support services.

(7) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid mentors who work to retain and help those students graduate.

(8) A comprehensive technology learning center with Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on academic and career subject areas.

(9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action into study.

(h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report data to the State Board of Education as requested. This information shall include, but is not limited to, student enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion data, graduation information, and post-graduation information, as available.

(i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices of education and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to develop the IHOPE Program.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-19)

Sec. 10-19. Length of school term - experimental programs. Each school board shall annually prepare a calendar for the school term, specifying the opening and closing dates and providing a minimum term of at least 185 days to insure 176 days of actual pupil attendance, computable under Section 10-19.05 18-8.05 or 18-8.15, except that for the 1980-1981 school year only 175 days of actual pupil attendance shall be required because of the closing of schools pursuant to Section 24-2 on January 29, 1981 upon the appointment by the President of that day as a day of thanksgiving for the freedom of the Americans who had been held hostage in Iran. Any days allowed by law for teachers' institutes but not used as such or used as parental institutes as provided in Section 10-22.18d shall increase the minimum term by the school days not so used. Except as provided in Section 10-19.1, the board may not extend the school term beyond such closing date unless that extension of term is necessary to provide the minimum number of computable days. In case of such necessary extension school employees shall be paid for such additional time on the basis of their regular contracts. A school board may specify a closing date earlier than that set on the annual calendar when the schools of the district have provided the minimum number of computable days under this Section. Nothing in this Section prevents the board from employing superintendents of schools, principals and other nonteaching personnel for a period of 12 months, or in the case of superintendents for a period in accordance with Section 10-23.8, or prevents the board from employing other personnel before or after the regular school term with payment of salary proportionate to that received for comparable work during the school term.

A school board may make such changes in its calendar for the school term as may be required by any changes in the legal school holidays prescribed in Section 24-2. A school board may make changes in its calendar for the school term as may be necessary to reflect the utilization of teachers' institute days as parental institute days as provided in Section 10-22.18d.

The calendar for the school term and any changes must be submitted to and approved by the regional superintendent of schools before the calendar or changes may take effect.

With the prior approval of the State Board of Education and subject to review by the State Board of Education every 3 years, any school board may, by resolution of its board and in agreement with affected exclusive collective bargaining agents, establish experimental educational programs, including but not limited to programs for e-learning days as authorized under Section 10-20.56 of this Code, self-directed learning, or outside of formal class periods, which programs when so approved shall be considered to comply with the requirements of this Section as respects numbers of days of actual pupil attendance and with the other requirements of this Act as respects courses of instruction.

(Source: P.A. 99-194, eff. 7-30-15; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-19.05 new)

Sec. 10-19.05. Daily pupil attendance calculation.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for a pupil of legal school age and in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12, a day of attendance shall be counted only for sessions of not less than 5 clock hours of school work per day under direct supervision of (i) teachers or (ii) non-teaching personnel or volunteer personnel when engaging in non-teaching duties and supervising in those instances specified in subsection (a) of Section 10-22.34 and paragraph 10 of Section 34-18. Days of attendance by pupils through verified participation in an e-learning program adopted by a school board and verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district under Section 10-20.56 of this Code shall be considered as full days of attendance under this Section.

(b) A pupil regularly enrolled in a public school for only a part of the school day may be counted on the basis of one-sixth of a school day for every class hour of instruction of 40 minutes or more attended pursuant to such enrollment, unless a pupil is enrolled in a block-schedule format of 80 minutes or more of instruction, in which case the pupil may be counted on the basis of the proportion of minutes of school work completed each day to the minimum number of minutes that school work is required to be held that day.

(c) A session of 4 or more clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance upon certification by the regional superintendent of schools and approval by the State Superintendent of Education to the extent that the district has been forced to use daily multiple sessions.

(d) A session of 3 or more clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance (1) when the remainder of the school day or at least 2 hours in the evening of that day is utilized for an in-service training program for teachers, up to a maximum of 10 days per school year, provided that a district conducts an in-service training program for teachers in accordance with Section 10-22.39 of this Code, or, in lieu of 4 such days, 2 full days may be used, in which event each such day may be counted as a day required for a legal school calendar pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code; (2) when, of the 5 days allowed under item (1), a maximum of 4 days are used for parent-teacher conferences, or, in lieu of 4 such days, 2 full days are used, in which case each such day may be counted as a calendar day required under Section 10-19 of this Code, provided that the full-day, parent-teacher conference consists of (i) a minimum of 5 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences, (ii) both a minimum of 2 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences held in the evening following a full day of student attendance and a minimum of 3 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences held on the day immediately following evening parent-teacher conferences, or (iii) multiple parent-teacher conferences held in the evenings following full days of student attendance in which the time used for the parent-teacher conferences is equivalent to a minimum of 5 clock hours; and (3) when days in addition to those provided in items (1) and (2) are scheduled by a school pursuant to its school improvement plan adopted under Article 34 or its revised or amended school improvement plan adopted under Article 2, provided that (i) such sessions of 3 or more clock hours are scheduled to occur at regular intervals, (ii) the remainder of the school days in which such sessions occur are utilized for in-service training programs or other staff development activities for teachers, and (iii) a sufficient number of minutes of school work under the direct supervision of teachers are added to the school days between such regularly scheduled sessions to accumulate not less than the number of minutes by which such sessions of 3 or more clock hours fall short of 5 clock hours. Days scheduled for in-service training programs, staff development activities, or parent-teacher conferences may be scheduled separately for different grade levels and different attendance centers of the district.

(e) A session of not less than one clock hour of teaching hospitalized or homebound pupils on-site or by telephone to the classroom may be counted as a half day of attendance; however, these pupils must receive 4 or more clock hours of instruction to be counted for a full day of attendance.

(f) A session of at least 4 clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance for first grade pupils and pupils in full-day kindergartens, and a session of 2 or more hours may be counted as a half day of attendance by pupils in kindergartens that provide only half days of attendance.

(g) For children with disabilities who are below the age of 6 years and who cannot attend 2 or more clock hours because of their disability or immaturity, a session of not less than one clock hour may be counted as a half day of attendance; however, for such children whose educational needs require a session of 4 or more clock hours, a session of at least 4 clock hours may be counted as a full day of attendance.

(h) A recognized kindergarten that provides for only a half day of attendance by each pupil shall not have more than one half day of attendance counted in any one day. However, kindergartens may count 2 and a half days of attendance in any 5 consecutive school days. When a pupil attends such a kindergarten for 2 half days on any one school day, the pupil shall have the following day as a day absent from school, unless the school district obtains permission in writing from the State Superintendent of Education. Attendance at kindergartens that provide for a full day of attendance by each pupil shall be counted the same as attendance by first grade pupils. Only the first year of attendance in one kindergarten shall be counted, except in the case of children who entered the kindergarten in their fifth year whose educational development requires a second year of kindergarten as determined under rules of the State Board of Education.

(i) On the days when the State's final accountability assessment is administered under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code, the day of attendance for a pupil whose school day must be shortened to accommodate required testing procedures may be less than 5 clock hours and shall be counted toward the 176 days of actual pupil attendance required under Section 10-19 of this Code, provided that a sufficient number of minutes of school work in excess of 5 clock hours are first completed on other school days to compensate for the loss of school work on the examination days.

(j) Pupils enrolled in a remote educational program established under Section 10-29 of this Code may be counted on the basis of a one-fifth day of attendance for every clock hour of instruction attended in the remote educational program, provided that, in any month, the school district may not claim for a student enrolled in a remote educational program more days of attendance than the maximum number of days of attendance the district can claim (i) for students enrolled in a building holding year-round classes if the student is classified as participating in the remote educational program on a year-round schedule or (ii) for students enrolled in a building not holding year-round classes if the student is not classified as participating in the remote educational program on a year-round schedule.

(k) Pupil participation in any of the following activities shall be counted toward the calculation of clock hours of school work per day:

(1) Instruction in a college course in which a student is dually enrolled for both high school credit and college credit.

(2) Participation in a Supervised Career Development Experience, as defined in Section 10 of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, in which student participation and learning outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(3) Participation in a youth apprenticeship, as jointly defined in rules of the State Board of Education and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in which student participation and outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(4) Participation in a blended learning program approved by the school district in which course content, student evaluation, and instructional methods are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)

Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish and maintain, for implementation in selected school districts, a program for use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described in this Section. The State Superintendent of Education shall select up to 3 school districts for this program, at least one of which may be an elementary or unit school district. On or before June 1, 2019, the State Board shall report its recommendation for expansion, revision, or discontinuation of the program to the Governor and General Assembly.

(b) The school board of a school district selected by the State Superintendent of Education under subsection (a) of this Section may, by resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit student instruction to be received electronically while students are not physically present in lieu of the district's scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this Code. The research-based program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district submitted to the State Superintendent for approval on or before September 1st annually to ensure access for all students. The regional office of education or intermediate service center State Superintendent shall approve programs that ensure that the specific needs of all students are met, including special education students and English learners, and that all mandates are still met using the proposed research-based program. The e-learning program may utilize the Internet, telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar means of electronic communication for instruction and interaction between teachers and students that meet the needs of all learners. The e-learning program shall address the school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access to any and all hardware and software that may be required for the program. If a proposed program does not address this responsibility, the school district must propose an alternate program.

(c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school board must hold a public hearing on a school district's initial proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of such a program must be approved by the State Board of Education and shall follow a public hearing, at a regular or special meeting of the school board, in which the terms of the proposal must be substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public comments must be provided. Notice of such public hearing must be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by:

(1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district;

(2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the school district; and

(3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school district employees and all those employees not in a collective bargaining unit.

(d) The regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district must timely verify that a A proposal for an e-learning program has met must be timely approved by the State Board of Education if the requirements specified in this Section and that have been met and if, in the view of the State Board of Education, the proposal contains provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish the following:

(1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of instruction or school work, as required under Section 10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning day;

(2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate remote facility for all students participating, including computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic communication that must be utilized in the proposed program;

(2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made available to students participating in the program who do not have access to the required technology or to participating teachers or students who are prevented from accessing the required technology;

(3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for students with special needs;

(4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic participation;

(5) to address the extent to which student participation is within the student's control as to the time, pace, and means of learning;

(6) to provide effective notice to students and their parents or guardians of the use of particular days for e-learning;

(7) to provide staff and students with adequate training for e-learning days' participation;

(8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school district's employees that would be legally required, including all classifications of school district employees who are represented by collective bargaining agreements and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning day; and

(9) to review and revise the program as implemented to address difficulties confronted; and .

(10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general expectations and responsibilities of the program is communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30 days prior to utilizing an e-learning day.

The school board's State Board of Education's approval of a school district's initial e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall be for a term of 3 years.

(e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules governing its supervision and review of e-learning programs consistent with the provision of this Section. However, in the absence of such rules, school districts may submit proposals for State Board of Education consideration under the authority of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 99-194, eff. 7-30-15; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-760, eff. 8-10-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-45)

Sec. 13B-45. Days and hours of attendance. An alternative learning opportunities program shall provide students with at least the minimum number of days of pupil attendance required under Section 10-19 of this Code and the minimum number of daily hours of school work required under Section 10-19.05 18-8.05 or 18-8.15 of this Code, provided that the State Board may approve exceptions to these requirements if the program meets all of the following conditions:

(1) The district plan submitted under Section 13B-25.15 of this Code establishes that a program providing the required minimum number of days of attendance or daily hours of school work would not serve the needs of the program's students.

(2) Each day of attendance shall provide no fewer than 3 clock hours of school work, as defined under paragraph (1) of subsection (F) of Section 10-19.05 18-8.05 of this Code.

(3) Each day of attendance that provides fewer than 5 clock hours of school work shall also provide supplementary services, including without limitation work-based learning, student assistance programs, counseling, case management, health and fitness programs, or life-skills or conflict resolution training, in order to provide a total daily program to the student of 5 clock hours. A program may claim general State aid or evidence-based funding for up to 2 hours of the time each day that a student is receiving supplementary services.

(4) Each program shall provide no fewer than 174 days of actual pupil attendance during the school term; however, approved evening programs that meet the requirements of Section 13B-45 of this Code may offer less than 174 days of actual pupil attendance during the school term.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-50.5)

Sec. 13B-50.5. Conditions of funding. If an alternative learning opportunities program provides less than the daily 5 clock hours of school work required under Section 10-19.05 daily, the program must meet guidelines established by the State Board and must provide supplementary services, including without limitation work-based learning, student assistance programs, counseling, case management, health and fitness programs, life skills, conflict resolution, or service learning, that are equal to the required attendance.

(Source: P.A. 92-42, eff. 1-1-02.)

(105 ILCS 5/29-6.3)

Sec. 29-6.3. Transportation to and from specified interscholastic or school-sponsored activities.

(a) Any school district transporting students in grade 12 or below for an interscholastic, interscholastic athletic, or school-sponsored, noncurriculum-related activity that (i) does not require student participation as part of the educational services of the district and (ii) is not associated with the students' regular class-for-credit schedule or required 5 clock hours of instruction under Section 10-19.05 shall transport the students only in a school bus, a vehicle manufactured to transport not more than 10 persons, including the driver, or a multifunction school-activity bus manufactured to transport not more than 15 persons, including the driver.

(a-5) A student in any of grades 9 through 12 may be transported in a multi-function school activity bus (MFSAB) as defined in Section 1-148.3a-5 of the Illinois Vehicle Code for any curriculum-related activity except for transportation on regular bus routes from home to school or from school to home, subject to the following conditions:

(i) A MFSAB may not be used to transport students under this Section unless the driver holds a valid school bus driver permit.

(ii) The use of a MFSAB under this Section is subject to the requirements of Sections 6-106.11, 6-106.12, 12-707.01, 13-101, and 13-109 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(b) Any school district furnishing transportation for students under the authority of this Section shall insure against any loss or liability of the district resulting from the maintenance, operation, or use of the vehicle.

(c) Vehicles used to transport students under this Section may claim a depreciation allowance of 20% over 5 years as provided in Section 29-5 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 96-410, eff. 7-1-10; 97-896, eff. 8-3-12.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18)

Sec. 34-18. Powers of the board. The board shall exercise general supervision and jurisdiction over the public education and the public school system of the city, and, except as otherwise provided by this Article, shall have power:

1. To make suitable provision for the establishment and maintenance throughout the year or for such portion thereof as it may direct, not less than 9 months and in compliance with Section 10-19.05, of schools of all grades and kinds, including normal schools, high schools, night schools, schools for defectives and delinquents, parental and truant schools, schools for the blind, the deaf and persons with physical disabilities, schools or classes in manual training, constructural and vocational teaching, domestic arts and physical culture, vocation and extension schools and lecture courses, and all other educational courses and facilities, including establishing, equipping, maintaining and operating playgrounds and recreational programs, when such programs are conducted in, adjacent to, or connected with any public school under the general supervision and jurisdiction of the board; provided that the calendar for the school term and any changes must be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education before the calendar or changes may take effect, and provided that in allocating funds from year to year for the operation of all attendance centers within the district, the board shall ensure that supplemental general State aid or supplemental grant funds are allocated and applied in accordance with Section 18-8, 18-8.05, or 18-8.15. To admit to such schools without charge foreign exchange students who are participants in an organized exchange student program which is authorized by the board. The board shall permit all students to enroll in apprenticeship programs in trade schools operated by the board, whether those programs are union-sponsored or not. No student shall be refused admission into or be excluded from any course of instruction offered in the common schools by reason of that student's sex. No student shall be denied equal access to physical education and interscholastic athletic programs supported from school district funds or denied participation in comparable physical education and athletic programs solely by reason of the student's sex. Equal access to programs supported from school district funds and comparable programs will be defined in rules promulgated by the State Board of Education in consultation with the Illinois High School Association. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, neither the board of education nor any local school council or other school official shall recommend that children with disabilities be placed into regular education classrooms unless those children with disabilities are provided with supplementary services to assist them so that they benefit from the regular classroom instruction and are included on the teacher's regular education class register;

2. To furnish lunches to pupils, to make a reasonable charge therefor, and to use school funds for the payment of such expenses as the board may determine are necessary in conducting the school lunch program;

3. To co-operate with the circuit court;

4. To make arrangements with the public or quasi-public libraries and museums for the use of their facilities by teachers and pupils of the public schools;

5. To employ dentists and prescribe their duties for the purpose of treating the pupils in the schools, but accepting such treatment shall be optional with parents or guardians;

6. To grant the use of assembly halls and classrooms when not otherwise needed, including light, heat, and attendants, for free public lectures, concerts, and other educational and social interests, free of charge, under such provisions and control as the principal of the affected attendance center may prescribe;

7. To apportion the pupils to the several schools; provided that no pupil shall be excluded from or segregated in any such school on account of his color, race, sex, or nationality. The board shall take into consideration the prevention of segregation and the elimination of separation of children in public schools because of color, race, sex, or nationality. Except that children may be committed to or attend parental and social adjustment schools established and maintained either for boys or girls only. All records pertaining to the creation, alteration or revision of attendance areas shall be open to the public. Nothing herein shall limit the board's authority to establish multi-area attendance centers or other student assignment systems for desegregation purposes or otherwise, and to apportion the pupils to the several schools. Furthermore, beginning in school year 1994-95, pursuant to a board plan adopted by October 1, 1993, the board shall offer, commencing on a phased-in basis, the opportunity for families within the school district to apply for enrollment of their children in any attendance center within the school district which does not have selective admission requirements approved by the board. The appropriate geographical area in which such open enrollment may be exercised shall be determined by the board of education. Such children may be admitted to any such attendance center on a space available basis after all children residing within such attendance center's area have been accommodated. If the number of applicants from outside the attendance area exceed the space available, then successful applicants shall be selected by lottery. The board of education's open enrollment plan must include provisions that allow low income students to have access to transportation needed to exercise school choice. Open enrollment shall be in compliance with the provisions of the Consent Decree and Desegregation Plan cited in Section 34-1.01;

8. To approve programs and policies for providing transportation services to students. Nothing herein shall be construed to permit or empower the State Board of Education to order, mandate, or require busing or other transportation of pupils for the purpose of achieving racial balance in any school;

9. Subject to the limitations in this Article, to establish and approve system-wide curriculum objectives and standards, including graduation standards, which reflect the multi-cultural diversity in the city and are consistent with State law, provided that for all purposes of this Article courses or proficiency in American Sign Language shall be deemed to constitute courses or proficiency in a foreign language; and to employ principals and teachers, appointed as provided in this Article, and fix their compensation. The board shall prepare such reports related to minimal competency testing as may be requested by the State Board of Education, and in addition shall monitor and approve special education and bilingual education programs and policies within the district to assure that appropriate services are provided in accordance with applicable State and federal laws to children requiring services and education in those areas;

10. To employ non-teaching personnel or utilize volunteer personnel for: (i) non-teaching duties not requiring instructional judgment or evaluation of pupils, including library duties; and (ii) supervising study halls, long distance teaching reception areas used incident to instructional programs transmitted by electronic media such as computers, video, and audio, detention and discipline areas, and school-sponsored extracurricular activities. The board may further utilize volunteer non-certificated personnel or employ non-certificated personnel to assist in the instruction of pupils under the immediate supervision of a teacher holding a valid certificate, directly engaged in teaching subject matter or conducting activities; provided that the teacher shall be continuously aware of the non-certificated persons' activities and shall be able to control or modify them. The general superintendent shall determine qualifications of such personnel and shall prescribe rules for determining the duties and activities to be assigned to such personnel;

10.5. To utilize volunteer personnel from a regional School Crisis Assistance Team (S.C.A.T.), created as part of the Safe to Learn Program established pursuant to Section 25 of the Illinois Violence Prevention Act of 1995, to provide assistance to schools in times of violence or other traumatic incidents within a school community by providing crisis intervention services to lessen the effects of emotional trauma on individuals and the community; the School Crisis Assistance Team Steering Committee shall determine the qualifications for volunteers;

11. To provide television studio facilities in not to exceed one school building and to provide programs for educational purposes, provided, however, that the board shall not construct, acquire, operate, or maintain a television transmitter; to grant the use of its studio facilities to a licensed television station located in the school district; and to maintain and operate not to exceed one school radio transmitting station and provide programs for educational purposes;

12. To offer, if deemed appropriate, outdoor education courses, including field trips within the State of Illinois, or adjacent states, and to use school educational funds for the expense of the said outdoor educational programs, whether within the school district or not;

13. During that period of the calendar year not embraced within the regular school term, to provide and conduct courses in subject matters normally embraced in the program of the schools during the regular school term and to give regular school credit for satisfactory completion by the student of such courses as may be approved for credit by the State Board of Education;

14. To insure against any loss or liability of the board, the former School Board Nominating Commission, Local School Councils, the Chicago Schools Academic Accountability Council, or the former Subdistrict Councils or of any member, officer, agent or employee thereof, resulting from alleged violations of civil rights arising from incidents occurring on or after September 5, 1967 or from the wrongful or negligent act or omission of any such person whether occurring within or without the school premises, provided the officer, agent or employee was, at the time of the alleged violation of civil rights or wrongful act or omission, acting within the scope of his employment or under direction of the board, the former School Board Nominating Commission, the Chicago Schools Academic Accountability Council, Local School Councils, or the former Subdistrict Councils; and to provide for or participate in insurance plans for its officers and employees, including but not limited to retirement annuities, medical, surgical and hospitalization benefits in such types and amounts as may be determined by the board; provided, however, that the board shall contract for such insurance only with an insurance company authorized to do business in this State. Such insurance may include provision for employees who rely on treatment by prayer or spiritual means alone for healing, in accordance with the tenets and practice of a recognized religious denomination;

15. To contract with the corporate authorities of any municipality or the county board of any county, as the case may be, to provide for the regulation of traffic in parking areas of property used for school purposes, in such manner as is provided by Section 11-209 of The Illinois Vehicle Code, approved September 29, 1969, as amended;

16. (a) To provide, on an equal basis, access to a high school campus and student directory information to the official recruiting representatives of the armed forces of Illinois and the United States for the purposes of informing students of the educational and career opportunities available in the military if the board has provided such access to persons or groups whose purpose is to acquaint students with educational or occupational opportunities available to them. The board is not required to give greater notice regarding the right of access to recruiting representatives than is given to other persons and groups. In this paragraph 16, "directory information" means a high school student's name, address, and telephone number.

(b) If a student or his or her parent or guardian submits a signed, written request to the high school before the end of the student's sophomore year (or if the student is a transfer student, by another time set by the high school) that indicates that the student or his or her parent or guardian does not want the student's directory information to be provided to official recruiting representatives under subsection (a) of this Section, the high school may not provide access to the student's directory information to these recruiting representatives. The high school shall notify its students and their parents or guardians of the provisions of this subsection (b).

(c) A high school may require official recruiting representatives of the armed forces of Illinois and the United States to pay a fee for copying and mailing a student's directory information in an amount that is not more than the actual costs incurred by the high school.

(d) Information received by an official recruiting representative under this Section may be used only to provide information to students concerning educational and career opportunities available in the military and may not be released to a person who is not involved in recruiting students for the armed forces of Illinois or the United States;

17. (a) To sell or market any computer program developed by an employee of the school district, provided that such employee developed the computer program as a direct result of his or her duties with the school district or through the utilization of the school district resources or facilities. The employee who developed the computer program shall be entitled to share in the proceeds of such sale or marketing of the computer program. The distribution of such proceeds between the employee and the school district shall be as agreed upon by the employee and the school district, except that neither the employee nor the school district may receive more than 90% of such proceeds. The negotiation for an employee who is represented by an exclusive bargaining representative may be conducted by such bargaining representative at the employee's request.

(b) For the purpose of this paragraph 17:

(1) "Computer" means an internally programmed, general purpose digital device capable of automatically accepting data, processing data and supplying the results of the operation.

(2) "Computer program" means a series of coded instructions or statements in a form acceptable to a computer, which causes the computer to process data in order to achieve a certain result.

(3) "Proceeds" means profits derived from marketing or sale of a product after deducting the expenses of developing and marketing such product;

18. To delegate to the general superintendent of schools, by resolution, the authority to approve contracts and expenditures in amounts of $10,000 or less;

19. Upon the written request of an employee, to withhold from the compensation of that employee any dues, payments or contributions payable by such employee to any labor organization as defined in the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Under such arrangement, an amount shall be withheld from each regular payroll period which is equal to the pro rata share of the annual dues plus any payments or contributions, and the board shall transmit such withholdings to the specified labor organization within 10 working days from the time of the withholding;

19a. Upon receipt of notice from the comptroller of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or a housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more that a debt is due and owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority by an employee of the Chicago Board of Education, to withhold, from the compensation of that employee, the amount of the debt that is due and owing and pay the amount withheld to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority; provided, however, that the amount deducted from any one salary or wage payment shall not exceed 25% of the net amount of the payment. Before the Board deducts any amount from any salary or wage of an employee under this paragraph, the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority shall certify that (i) the employee has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to dispute the debt that is due and owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority and (ii) the employee has received notice of a wage deduction order and has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to object to the order. For purposes of this paragraph, "net amount" means that part of the salary or wage payment remaining after the deduction of any amounts required by law to be deducted and "debt due and owing" means (i) a specified sum of money owed to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority for services, work, or goods, after the period granted for payment has expired, or (ii) a specified sum of money owed to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority pursuant to a court order or order of an administrative hearing officer after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review;

20. The board is encouraged to employ a sufficient number of certified school counselors to maintain a student/counselor ratio of 250 to 1 by July 1, 1990. Each counselor shall spend at least 75% of his work time in direct contact with students and shall maintain a record of such time;

21. To make available to students vocational and career counseling and to establish 5 special career counseling days for students and parents. On these days representatives of local businesses and industries shall be invited to the school campus and shall inform students of career opportunities available to them in the various businesses and industries. Special consideration shall be given to counseling minority students as to career opportunities available to them in various fields. For the purposes of this paragraph, minority student means a person who is any of the following:

(a) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).

(b) Asian (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam).

(c) Black or African American (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa). Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American".

(d) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).

(e) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).

Counseling days shall not be in lieu of regular school days;

22. To report to the State Board of Education the annual student dropout rate and number of students who graduate from, transfer from or otherwise leave bilingual programs;

23. Except as otherwise provided in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or other applicable State or federal law, to permit school officials to withhold, from any person, information on the whereabouts of any child removed from school premises when the child has been taken into protective custody as a victim of suspected child abuse. School officials shall direct such person to the Department of Children and Family Services, or to the local law enforcement agency if appropriate;

24. To develop a policy, based on the current state of existing school facilities, projected enrollment and efficient utilization of available resources, for capital improvement of schools and school buildings within the district, addressing in that policy both the relative priority for major repairs, renovations and additions to school facilities, and the advisability or necessity of building new school facilities or closing existing schools to meet current or projected demographic patterns within the district;

25. To make available to the students in every high school attendance center the ability to take all courses necessary to comply with the Board of Higher Education's college entrance criteria effective in 1993;

26. To encourage mid-career changes into the teaching profession, whereby qualified professionals become certified teachers, by allowing credit for professional employment in related fields when determining point of entry on teacher pay scale;

27. To provide or contract out training programs for administrative personnel and principals with revised or expanded duties pursuant to this Act in order to assure they have the knowledge and skills to perform their duties;

28. To establish a fund for the prioritized special needs programs, and to allocate such funds and other lump sum amounts to each attendance center in a manner consistent with the provisions of part 4 of Section 34-2.3. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require any additional appropriations of State funds for this purpose;

29. (Blank);

30. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other law to the contrary, to contract with third parties for services otherwise performed by employees, including those in a bargaining unit, and to layoff those employees upon 14 days written notice to the affected employees. Those contracts may be for a period not to exceed 5 years and may be awarded on a system-wide basis. The board may not operate more than 30 contract schools, provided that the board may operate an additional 5 contract turnaround schools pursuant to item (5.5) of subsection (d) of Section 34-8.3 of this Code;

31. To promulgate rules establishing procedures governing the layoff or reduction in force of employees and the recall of such employees, including, but not limited to, criteria for such layoffs, reductions in force or recall rights of such employees and the weight to be given to any particular criterion. Such criteria shall take into account factors including, but not be limited to, qualifications, certifications, experience, performance ratings or evaluations, and any other factors relating to an employee's job performance;

32. To develop a policy to prevent nepotism in the hiring of personnel or the selection of contractors;

33. (Blank); and

34. To establish a Labor Management Council to the board comprised of representatives of the board, the chief executive officer, and those labor organizations that are the exclusive representatives of employees of the board and to promulgate policies and procedures for the operation of the Council.

The specifications of the powers herein granted are not to be construed as exclusive but the board shall also exercise all other powers that they may be requisite or proper for the maintenance and the development of a public school system, not inconsistent with the other provisions of this Article or provisions of this Code which apply to all school districts.

In addition to the powers herein granted and authorized to be exercised by the board, it shall be the duty of the board to review or to direct independent reviews of special education expenditures and services. The board shall file a report of such review with the General Assembly on or before May 1, 1990.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-1046, eff. 8-23-18.)

Section 10. The Vocational Academies Act is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:

(105 ILCS 433/10)

Sec. 10. Establishment. A school district, in partnership with community colleges, local employers, and community-based organizations, may establish a vocational academy that is eligible for a grant under this Act if the vocational academy meets all of the following requirements:

(1) The vocational academy must have a minimum 5-clock-hour day, as required under Section 10-19.05 of the School Code, and be under the direct supervision of teachers.

(2) The vocational academy must be a 2-year school within a school program for grades 10 through 12 that is organized around a career theme and operated as a business-education partnership.

(3) The vocational academy must be a career-oriented program that uses the direct involvement of local employers to provide students with an education and the skills needed for employment.

(4) The vocational academy must be a standards-based educational program that prepares students both academically and technically for entrance into postsecondary education or careers in a selected field.

(5) The curriculum of the vocational academy must be based on the Illinois Learning Standards, and work-site training must provide students with learning experiences for entry-level employment in the local job market and lifelong learning skills for higher education.

(Source: P.A. 94-220, eff. 7-14-05.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2019.