HB5434 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 37482 RJT 67605 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5434

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Jed Davis

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.13a	from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.13a
105 ILCS 5/26-2a	from Ch. 122, par. 26-2a
105 ILCS 5/10-17a

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that a student shall remain on the attendance rolls of a school district until a cause for disenrollment is given and confirmed with specified documentation. Amends the School Board Article of the Code. Requires the school district report card to contain data concerning the number of students who remained on the school district's attendance rolls, and the length of time in which each student remained on the school district's attendance rolls but was not attending school. Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the Code to make a corresponding change regarding a chronic or habitual truant.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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 2-3.13a, 10-17a, and 26-2a as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.13a) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.13a)

Sec. 2-3.13a. School records; transferring students.

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish and implement rules requiring all of the public schools and all private or nonpublic elementary and secondary schools located in this State, whenever any such school has a student who is transferring to any other public elementary or secondary school located in this or in any other state, to forward within 10 days of notice of the student's transfer an unofficial record of that student's grades to the school to which such student is transferring. Each public school at the same time also shall forward to the school to which the student is transferring the remainder of the student's school student records as required by the Illinois School Student Records Act. In addition, if a student is transferring from a public school, whether located in this or any other state, from which the student has been suspended or expelled for knowingly possessing in a school building or on school grounds a weapon as defined in the Gun Free Schools Act (20 U.S.C. 8921 et seq.), for knowingly possessing, selling, or delivering in a school building or on school grounds a controlled substance or cannabis, or for battering a staff member of the school, and if the period of suspension or expulsion has not expired at the time the student attempts to transfer into another public school in the same or any other school district: (i) any school student records required to be transferred shall include the date and duration of the period of suspension or expulsion; and (ii) with the exception of transfers into the Department of Juvenile Justice school district, the student shall not be permitted to attend class in the public school into which he or she is transferring until the student has served the entire period of the suspension or expulsion imposed by the school from which the student is transferring, provided that the school board may approve the placement of the student in an alternative school program established under Article 13A of this Code. A school district may adopt a policy providing that if a student is suspended or expelled for any reason from any public or private school in this or any other state, the student must complete the entire term of the suspension or expulsion before being admitted into the school district. This policy may allow placement of the student in an alternative school program established under Article 13A of this Code, if available, for the remainder of the suspension or expulsion. Each public school and each private or nonpublic elementary or secondary school in this State shall within 10 days after the student has paid all of his or her outstanding fines and fees and at its own expense forward an official transcript of the scholastic records of each student transferring from that school in strict accordance with the provisions of this Section and the rules established by the State Board of Education as herein provided.

(b) The State Board of Education shall develop a one-page standard form that Illinois school districts are required to provide to any student who is moving out of the school district and that contains the information about whether or not the student is "in good standing" and whether or not his or her medical records are up-to-date and complete. As used in this Section, "in good standing" means that the student is not being disciplined by a suspension or expulsion, but is entitled to attend classes. No school district is required to admit a new student who is transferring from another Illinois school district unless he or she can produce the standard form from the student's previous school district enrollment. No school district is required to admit a new student who is transferring from an out-of-state public school unless the parent or guardian of the student certifies in writing that the student is not currently serving a suspension or expulsion imposed by the school from which the student is transferring.

(c) The State Board of Education shall, by rule, establish a system to provide for the accurate tracking of transfer students. This system shall, at a minimum, require that a student be counted as a dropout in the calculation of a school's or school district's annual student dropout rate unless the school or school district to which the student transferred (known hereafter in this subsection (c) as the transferee school or school district) sends notification to the school or school district from which the student transferred (known hereafter in this subsection (c) as the transferor school or school district) documenting that the student has enrolled in the transferee school or school district. This notification must occur on or before July 31 following the school year during which the student withdraws from the transferor school or school district or the student shall be counted in the calculation of the transferor school's or school district's annual student dropout rate. A request by the transferee school or school district to the transferor school or school district seeking the student's academic transcripts or medical records shall be considered without limitation adequate documentation of enrollment. Each transferor school or school district shall keep documentation of such transfer students for the minimum period provided in the Illinois School Student Records Act. All records indicating the school or school district to which a student transferred are subject to the Illinois School Student Records Act.

(d) A student shall remain on the attendance rolls of a school district until a cause for disenrollment is given and confirmed with any of the following:

(1) A death certificate.

(2) A physician's note regarding extended illness.

(3) Written proof of medical non-compliance.

(4) Written proof of expulsion.

(5) Written documentation of the student no longer being of school age.

(6) Graduation documentation.

(7) Program completion documentation.

(8) Enrollment documentation from another school district.

(9) Signed documentation from a parent or guardian that the parent or guardian will be educating the student at home.

If a school district does not know the whereabouts of a student for any extended period and has not received any documentation as to the location of the pupil, the school district shall alert the truant officer or, in a school district that does not have a truant officer, the regional superintendent or regional superintendent's designee.

(Source: P.A. 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-17a)

Sec. 10-17a. State, school district, and school report cards; Expanded High School Snapshot Report.

(1) By October 31, 2013 and October 31 of each subsequent school year, the State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a State report card, school district report cards, and school report cards, and shall by the most economical means provide to each school district in this State, including special charter districts and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, the report cards for the school district and each of its schools. Because of the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency during school year 2020-2021, the State Board of Education shall have until December 31, 2021 to prepare and provide the report cards that would otherwise be due by October 31, 2021. During a school year in which the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the report cards for the school districts and each of its schools shall be prepared by December 31.

(2) In addition to any information required by federal law, the State Superintendent shall determine the indicators and presentation of the school report card, which must include, at a minimum, the most current data collected and maintained by the State Board of Education related to the following:

(A) school characteristics and student demographics, including average class size, average teaching experience, student racial/ethnic breakdown, and the percentage of students classified as low-income; the percentage of students classified as English learners, the number of students who graduate from a bilingual or English learner program, and the number of students who graduate from, transfer from, or otherwise leave bilingual programs; the percentage of students who have individualized education plans or 504 plans that provide for special education services; the number and the percentage of all students in grades kindergarten through 8, disaggregated by the student students demographics described in this paragraph (A), in each of the following categories: (i) those who have been assessed for placement in a gifted education program or accelerated placement, (ii) those who have enrolled in a gifted education program or in accelerated placement, and (iii) for each of categories (i) and (ii), those who received direct instruction from a teacher who holds a gifted education endorsement; the number and the percentage of all students in grades 9 through 12, disaggregated by the student demographics described in this paragraph (A), who have been enrolled in an advanced academic program; the percentage of students scoring at the "exceeds expectations" level on the assessments required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code; the percentage of students who annually transferred in or out of the school district; average daily attendance; the per-pupil operating expenditure of the school district; and the per-pupil State average operating expenditure for the district type (elementary, high school, or unit);

(B) curriculum information, including, where applicable, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or equivalent courses, dual credit courses, foreign language classes, computer science courses, school personnel resources (including Career Technical Education teachers), before and after school programs, extracurricular activities, subjects in which elective classes are offered, health and wellness initiatives (including the average number of days of Physical Education per week per student), approved programs of study, awards received, community partnerships, and special programs such as programming for the gifted and talented, students with disabilities, and work-study students;

(C) student outcomes, including, where applicable, the percentage of students deemed proficient on assessments of State standards, the percentage of students in the eighth grade who pass Algebra, the percentage of students who participated in workplace learning experiences, the percentage of students enrolled in post-secondary institutions (including colleges, universities, community colleges, trade/vocational schools, and training programs leading to career certification within 2 semesters of high school graduation), the percentage of students graduating from high school who are college and career ready, the percentage of graduates enrolled in community colleges, colleges, and universities who are in one or more courses that the community college, college, or university identifies as a developmental course, and the percentage of students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Article 14 of this Code who have fulfilled the minimum State graduation requirements set forth in Section 27-22 of this Code and have been issued a regular high school diploma;

(D) student progress, including, where applicable, the percentage of students in the ninth grade who have earned 5 credits or more without failing more than one core class, a measure of students entering kindergarten ready to learn, a measure of growth, and the percentage of students who enter high school on track for college and career readiness;

(E) the school environment, including, where applicable, high school dropout rate by grade level, the percentage of students with less than 10 absences in a school year, the percentage of teachers with less than 10 absences in a school year for reasons other than professional development, leaves taken pursuant to the federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, long-term disability, or parental leaves, the 3-year average of the percentage of teachers returning to the school from the previous year, the number of different principals at the school in the last 6 years, the number of teachers who hold a gifted education endorsement, the process and criteria used by the district to determine whether a student is eligible for participation in a gifted education program or advanced academic program and the manner in which parents and guardians are made aware of the process and criteria, the number of teachers who are National Board Certified Teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 2 or more indicators from any school climate survey selected or approved by the State and administered pursuant to Section 2-3.153 of this Code, with the same or similar indicators included on school report cards for all surveys selected or approved by the State pursuant to Section 2-3.153 of this Code, the combined percentage of teachers rated as proficient or excellent in their most recent evaluation, and, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, data on the number of incidents of violence that occurred on school grounds or during school-related activities and that resulted in an out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or removal to an alternative setting, as reported pursuant to Section 2-3.162;

(F) a school district's and its individual schools' balanced accountability measure, in accordance with Section 2-3.25a of this Code;

(G) the total and per pupil normal cost amount the State contributed to the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois in the prior fiscal year for the school's employees, which shall be reported to the State Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois;

(H) for a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code only, State contributions to the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago and State contributions for health care for employees of that school district;

(I) a school district's Final Percent of Adequacy, as defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code;

(J) a school district's Local Capacity Target, as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;

(K) a school district's Real Receipts, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, divided by a school district's Adequacy Target, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;

(L) a school district's administrative costs;

(M) whether or not the school has participated in the Illinois Youth Survey. In this paragraph (M), "Illinois Youth Survey" means a self-report survey, administered in school settings every 2 years, designed to gather information about health and social indicators, including substance abuse patterns and the attitudes of students in grades 8, 10, and 12;

(N) whether the school offered its students career and technical education opportunities; and

(O) beginning Beginning with the October 2024 report card, the total number of school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, and school psychologists by school, district, and State, the average number of students per school counselor in the school, district, and State, the average number of students per school social worker in the school, district, and State, the average number of students per school nurse in the school, district, and State, and the average number of students per school psychologist in the school, district, and State; and .

(P) the number of students who remained on the school district's attendance rolls under Section 2-3.13a, and the length of time in which each student remained on the school district's attendance rolls but was not attending school.

The school report card shall also provide information that allows for comparing the current outcome, progress, and environment data to the State average, to the school data from the past 5 years, and to the outcomes, progress, and environment of similar schools based on the type of school and enrollment of low-income students, special education students, and English learners.

As used in this subsection (2):

"Accelerated placement" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 14A-17 of this Code.

"Administrative costs" means costs associated with executive, administrative, or managerial functions within the school district that involve planning, organizing, managing, or directing the school district.

"Advanced academic program" means a course of study, including, but not limited to, accelerated placement, advanced placement coursework, International Baccalaureate coursework, dual credit, or any course designated as enriched or honors, that a student is enrolled in based on advanced cognitive ability or advanced academic achievement compared to local age peers and in which the curriculum is substantially differentiated from the general curriculum to provide appropriate challenge and pace.

"Computer science" means the study of computers and algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society. "Computer science" does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding or accessing the Internet.

"Gifted education" means educational services, including differentiated curricula and instructional methods, designed to meet the needs of gifted children as defined in Article 14A of this Code.

For the purposes of paragraph (A) of this subsection (2), "average daily attendance" means the average of the actual number of attendance days during the previous school year for any enrolled student who is subject to compulsory attendance by Section 26-1 of this Code at each school and charter school.

(2.5) For any school report card prepared after July 1, 2025, for all high school graduation completion rates that are reported on the school report card as required under this Section or by any other State or federal law, the State Superintendent of Education shall also report the percentage of students who did not meet the requirements of high school graduation completion for any reason and, of those students, the percentage that are classified as students who fulfill the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code.

The State Superintendent shall ensure that for the 2023-2024 school year there is a specific code for districts to report students who fulfill the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code to ensure accurate reporting under this Section.

All reporting requirements under this subsection (2.5) shall be included on the school report card where high school graduation completion rates are reported, along with a brief explanation of how fulfilling the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code is different from receiving a regular high school diploma.

(3) At the discretion of the State Superintendent, the school district report card shall include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) of subsection (2) of this Section, as well as information relating to the operating expense per pupil and other finances of the school district, and the State report card shall include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) and paragraph (N) of subsection (2) of this Section. The school district report card shall include the average daily attendance, as that term is defined in subsection (2) of this Section, of students who have individualized education programs and students who have 504 plans that provide for special education services within the school district.

(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, in consultation with key education stakeholders, the State Superintendent shall at any time have the discretion to amend or update any and all metrics on the school, district, or State report card.

(5) Annually, no more than 30 calendar days after receipt of the school district and school report cards from the State Superintendent of Education, each school district, including special charter districts and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, shall present such report cards at a regular school board meeting subject to applicable notice requirements, post the report cards on the school district's Internet web site, if the district maintains an Internet web site, make the report cards available to a newspaper of general circulation serving the district, and, upon request, send the report cards home to a parent (unless the district does not maintain an Internet web site, in which case the report card shall be sent home to parents without request). If the district posts the report card on its Internet web site, the district shall send a written notice home to parents stating (i) that the report card is available on the web site, (ii) the address of the web site, (iii) that a printed copy of the report card will be sent to parents upon request, and (iv) the telephone number that parents may call to request a printed copy of the report card.

(6) Nothing contained in Public Act 98-648 repeals, supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in lawsuits pending on July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-648) in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of Public Act 97-8.

(7) As used in this subsection (7):

"Advanced-track coursework or programs" means any high school courses, sequence of courses, or class or grouping of students organized to provide more rigorous, enriched, advanced, accelerated, gifted, or above grade-level instruction. This may include, but is not limited to, Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, honors, weighted, advanced, or enriched courses, or gifted or accelerated programs, classrooms, or courses.

"Course" means any high school class or course offered by a school that is assigned a school course code by the State Board of Education.

"English learner coursework or English learner program" means a high school English learner course or program designated to serve English learners, who may be designated as English language learners or limited English proficiency learners.

"Standard coursework or programs" means any high school courses or classes other than advanced-track coursework or programs, English learner coursework or programs, or special education coursework or programs.

By October 31, 2027 and by October 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a stand-alone report covering high schools, to be referred to as the Expanded High School Snapshot Report. The State Board shall post the Report on the State Board's Internet website. Each school district with a high school shall include on the school district's Internet website, if the district maintains an Internet website, a hyperlink to the Report on the State Board's Internet website titled "Expanded High School Snapshot Report". Hyperlinks under this subsection (7) shall be displayed in a manner that is easily accessible to the public.

The Expanded High School Snapshot Report shall include:

(A) a listing of all standard coursework or programs offered by a high school;

(B) a listing of all advanced-track coursework or programs offered by a high school;

(C) a listing of all English learner coursework or programs offered by a high school;

(D) a listing of all special education coursework or programs offered by a high school;

(E) data tables and graphs comparing advanced-track coursework or programs with standard coursework or programs according to the following parameters:

(i) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(ii) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach special education coursework or programs compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(iii) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach English learner coursework or programs compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(iv) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach advanced-track courses or programs compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(v) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach special education coursework or programs compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(vi) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach English learner coursework or programs compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(vii) the average student enrollment and class size of advanced-track coursework or programs offered in a high school compared with the average student enrollment and class size of standard coursework or programs;

(viii) the percentages of students delineated by gender who are enrolled in advanced-track coursework or programs in a high school compared with the gender of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(ix) the percentages of students delineated by gender who are enrolled in special education coursework or programs in a high school compared with the percentages of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(x) the percentages of students delineated by gender who are enrolled in English learner coursework or programs in a high school compared with the gender of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xi) the percentages of high school students in each individual race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the percentages of students in each individual race and ethnicity category enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xii) the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in special education coursework or programs compared with the percentages of students in each of the race and ethnicity categories who are enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xiii) the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in English learner coursework or programs in a high school compared with the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories who are enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xiv) the percentage of high school students who reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the percentage of students who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in standard coursework or programs;

(xv) the percentage of high school students who reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in special education coursework or programs compared with the percentage of high school students who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in standard coursework or programs; and

(xvi) the percentage of high school students who reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in English learner coursework or programs compared with the percentage of high school students who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in standard coursework or programs; and

(F) data tables and graphs for each race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, describing:

(i) the total number of Advanced Placement courses taken by race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census;

(ii) the total number of International Baccalaureate courses taken by race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census;

(iii) for each race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the percentage of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses;

(iv) for each race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the percentage of high school students enrolled in International Baccalaureate courses; and

(v) for each race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the total number and percentage of high school students who earn a score of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement exam associated with an Advanced Placement course.

For data on teacher experience and education under this subsection (7), a teacher who teaches a combination of courses designated as advanced-track coursework or programs, English learner coursework or programs, or standard coursework or programs shall be included in all relevant categories and the teacher's level of experience shall be added to the categories.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-294, eff. 1-1-22; 102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-594, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-116, eff. 6-30-23; 103-263, eff. 6-30-23; 103-413, eff, 1-1-24; 103-503, eff. 1-1-24; revised 9-12-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/26-2a) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2a)

(Text of Section before amendment by 102-466)

Sec. 26-2a. A "truant" is defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days.

"Valid cause" for absence shall be illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student, observance of a religious holiday, death in the immediate family, attendance at a civic event, or family emergency and shall include such other situations beyond the control of the student, as determined by the board of education in each district, or such other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of the student.

"Chronic or habitual truant" shall be defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. "Chronic or habitual truant" does not include students kept on a school's attendance rolls while a school district is waiting on documentation regarding the whereabouts or enrollment status of a student under Section 2-3.13a.

"Civic event" means an event sponsored by a non-profit organization or governmental entity that is open to the public. "Civic event" includes, but is not limited to, an artistic or cultural performance or educational gathering that supports the mission of the sponsoring non-profit organization. The State Board of Education may adopt rules to further define "civic event".

"Truant minor" is defined as a chronic truant to whom supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic, intervention and remedial services, alternative programs and other school and community resources have been provided and have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy, or have been offered and refused.

A "dropout" is defined as any child enrolled in grades 9 through 12 whose name has been removed from the district enrollment roster for any reason other than the student's death, extended illness, removal for medical non-compliance, expulsion, aging out, graduation, or completion of a program of studies and who has not transferred to another public or private school and is not known to be home-schooled by his or her parents or guardians or continuing school in another country.

"Religion" for the purposes of this Article, includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-266, eff. 1-1-22; 102-321, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-981, eff. 1-1-23.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466)

Sec. 26-2a. A "truant" is defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days.

"Valid cause" for absence shall be illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student, attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment, appointment with a victim services provider, observance of a religious holiday, death in the immediate family, attendance at a civic event, or family emergency and shall include such other situations beyond the control of the student, as determined by the board of education in each district, or such other circumstances which cause reasonable concern to the parent for the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of the student. For purposes of a student who is an expectant parent, or parent, or victim of domestic or sexual violence, "valid cause" for absence includes (i) the fulfillment of a parenting responsibility, including, but not limited to, arranging and providing child care, caring for a sick child, attending prenatal or other medical appointments for the expectant student, and attending medical appointments for a child, and (ii) addressing circumstances resulting from domestic or sexual violence, including, but not limited to, experiencing domestic or sexual violence, recovering from physical or psychological injuries, seeking medical attention, seeking services from a domestic or sexual violence organization, as defined in Article 26A, seeking psychological or other counseling, participating in safety planning, temporarily or permanently relocating, seeking legal assistance or remedies, or taking any other action to increase the safety or health of the student or to protect the student from future domestic or sexual violence. A school district may require a student to verify his or her claim of domestic or sexual violence under Section 26A-45 prior to the district approving a valid cause for an absence of 3 or more consecutive days that is related to domestic or sexual violence.

"Chronic or habitual truant" shall be defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. "Chronic or habitual truant" does not include students kept on a school's attendance rolls while a school district is waiting on documentation regarding the whereabouts or enrollment status of a student under Section 2-3.13a.

"Civic event" means an event sponsored by a non-profit organization or governmental entity that is open to the public. "Civic event" includes, but is not limited to, an artistic or cultural performance or educational gathering that supports the mission of the sponsoring non-profit organization. The State Board of Education may adopt rules to further define "civic event".

"Truant minor" is defined as a chronic truant to whom supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic, intervention and remedial services, alternative programs and other school and community resources have been provided and have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy, or have been offered and refused.

A "dropout" is defined as any child enrolled in grades 9 through 12 whose name has been removed from the district enrollment roster for any reason other than the student's death, extended illness, removal for medical non-compliance, expulsion, aging out, graduation, or completion of a program of studies and who has not transferred to another public or private school and is not known to be home-schooled by his or her parents or guardians or continuing school in another country.

"Religion" for the purposes of this Article, includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-266, eff. 1-1-22; 102-321, eff. 1-1-22; 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-981, eff. 1-1-23.)

Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other Public Act.