§ 2-3.206

Illinois § 2-3.206

• Jurisdiction: Illinois
• Topic: EDUCATION
• Ch. 105: SCHOOLS
• Act 105 ILCS 5/: School Code.
• Art.: Article 2 - State Board of Education - Powers and Duties

Text

(Text of Section from P.A. 104-115) Sec. 2-3.206. Scheduling guidance for major school events. (a) As used in this Section, "major school event" means a school sanctioned or sponsored event that is part of a school or school district's locally created school calendar for the year, including, but not limited to, events or activities that would be difficult for a student to make up. (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with stakeholders, shall identify dates during the year of cultural or religious significance to the student population and in which students may have out-of-school commitments or otherwise be unable to participate in a major school event. By July 1 of each year, the State Board of Education shall prominently post on its website and distribute to each school district a nonexhaustive list of the identified days and dates of cultural, religious, or other observances for, at a minimum, the school year that begins in the next calendar year as a resource for making scheduling decisions for major school events. The list shall include a statement encouraging schools to be mindful of the days and dates of cultural, religious, or other observances that impact student participation as schools plan major school events. (c) The list of cultural, religious, or other observances under subsection (b) shall additionally include a statement indicating that the list is only for scheduling guidance purposes and does not affect a student's right to be excused from attendance because of the observance of a religious holiday pursuant to Section 26-2b of this Code, regardless of whether the religious holiday appears on the list. Upon the posting and distribution of the list, the State Board of Education shall also inform school districts that the list is nonexhaustive and that a school district may include additional days and dates on its locally created school calendars based on community feedback or demographics. The State Board of Education shall additionally distribute the list each year to relevant associations or entities as determined by the State Board of Education. (Source: P.A. 104-115, eff. 8-1-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-239) Sec. 2-3.206. Assessment reporting transparency. (a) On or before July 1, 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter, the State Board of Education shall report, for each assessment contract the State Board of Education enters into, all of the following: (1) the effective date of the contract and the date the contract concludes; (2) whether the contract includes any renewal options and, if so, the length and number of renewals; (3) the total contract costs on a yearly basis; and (4) the notice of communications with the vendor to exercise renewal options. (b) The State Board of Education shall compile the information required under subsection (a) and make that information available to the public on its Internet website. (c) To further enhance the transparency around assessments, the State Board of Education shall engage with stakeholder groups, such as the committee appointed under Section 2-3.64a-5 and the Balanced Accountability Measure Committee created in Section 2-3.25a, other State Board of Education established groups, such as the Technical Advisory Committee, and any other relevant entities established after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. (d) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this Section. (Source: P.A. 104-239, eff. 8-15-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-249) Sec. 2-3.206. Career and technical education opportunity list. By July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall provide a form, posted publicly on its website, for organizations to submit opportunities for high school students to participate in externships, internships, or volunteer work related to career and technical education career pathways. The opportunities submitted shall be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall post a list of approved opportunities on its website and share the list with all school districts annually. By July 1, 2027 and by July 1 each year thereafter, the State Board of Education shall compile and publish a report on its website listing the total number of organizations that submitted opportunities for high school students the previous year as provided in this Section. The report shall be disaggregated by the career areas under which each opportunity fell. (Source: P.A. 104-249, eff. 1-1-26.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-257) Sec. 2-3.206. School district reorganization feasibility studies; grant program. (a) The State Board of Education may award grants to school districts for the purpose of incentivizing those districts to conduct reorganization feasibility studies. (b) To be eligible for a grant under this Section, the board of the school district that is applying for the grant shall: (1) negotiate a proposed agreement to secure the services of a third party consultant who will conduct the reorganization feasibility study; (2) adopt a resolution that is signed by the board president of the district and calls for the initiation of a school district reorganization feasibility study in accordance with the terms of the proposed agreement and any rules adopted by the State Board of Education; and (3) submit the completed agreement form, the signed board resolution, and such other information as the State Board of Education may, by administrative rule, require, to the regional office of education or the executive director of the intermediate service center for the district for approval. (c) Upon receipt of a complete application from a district, the regional office of education or the executive director of the intermediate service center shall either (i) approve the agreement and send the agreement to the State Board of Education or (ii) disapprove the agreement and return the agreement to the district with a letter of explanation. (d) From funds appropriated to it for that purpose, the State Board of Education may award grants under this Section to districts for which it receives an approved agreement under subsection (c) for costs incurred by those districts to conduct a reorganization feasibility study. (e) To ensure that eligible districts are aware of the grant-funding opportunities provided under this Section, the State Board of Education shall annually notify the board and superintendent of each school district in the State of the availability of grant funds for the purpose of conducting school district reorganization feasibility studies and shall provide with that notice all of the following information: (1) information concerning the procedures for applying for grant funding under this Section during the next award cycle; (2) a description of the total dollar value of grant funds that are available to be awarded during the next award cycle; and (3) a list of third-party consultants who have experience conducting feasibility studies in Illinois. (f) Every 2 years, each board that receives a notice under subsection (e) may include the question of whether to pursue grant funding under this Section as an action item on the agenda at one of its meetings. (g) When issuing grants under this Section, the State Board of Education may provide a school district up to the maximum reimbursement amount set by the State Board of Education, for the purpose of covering all or part of the costs borne by the school district to conduct a reorganization feasibility study. In awarding grants under this Section, the State Board of Education shall prioritize the awarding of grants to districts that are contiguous with one another, districts that have similar property tax rates, districts with similar per-pupil adequacy funding, and, beginning in State fiscal year 2030, other districts that have been identified as priority districts by the State Board of Education pursuant to rules adopted under subsection (i). (h) No school district may be awarded a grant under this Section in any 2 consecutive award cycles. (i) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules it deems necessary to implement and administer the program of grant funding established under this Section, including, but not limited to, rules establishing the criteria that must be met by the third-party consultants who will perform the feasibility studies described in this Section, rules describing minimum criteria to be included in agreements executed with the third-party consultants who will perform the feasibility studies described in this Section, and, beginning in State fiscal year 2030, rules identifying additional types of school districts to be prioritized for grant funding under this Section. In State fiscal year 2035, and every 5 years thereafter, the State Board of Education shall reevaluate and, if necessary, amend the rules identifying additional types of school districts to be prioritized for grant funding under this Section. (Source: P.A. 104-257, eff. 8-15-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-302) Sec. 2-3.206. Funding for homeless children and youth. (a) School districts shall report to the State Board of Education, on an annual basis: (1) the amount of funds received by each school district in the preceding school year under 20 U.S.C. 6313(c)(3)(A); (2) the amount of funds reserved by each school district in the preceding school year to serve homeless children and youth under 20 U.S.C. 6313(c)(3)(A); (3) the number of homeless children and youth identified and enrolled in each school district for that same school year; (4) the amount of such funds that were spent on homeless children and youth; and (5) the activities on which such funds were spent. (b) The State Board of Education shall post the information on the State Board's website. (c) For the purposes of this Section, "homeless children and youth" are defined as set forth in in 42 U.S.C. 11434a. (Source: P.A. 104-302, eff. 1-1-26.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-399) Sec. 2-3.206. American Sign Language implementation. No later than July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall encourage school districts to collect teaching resources to support American Sign Language programs. The teaching resources may include, but need not be limited to: (1) the importance and benefits of American Sign Language instruction for early ages and the prevalence of American Sign Language in the United States; (2) information on ways to implement American Sign Language instruction into the kindergarten through grade 8 curriculum; and (3) information on how to properly administer American Sign Language instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 8. (Source: P.A. 104-399, eff. 1-1-26.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-430) Sec. 2-3.206. Law enforcement referral report. (a) As used in this Section, "referral to law enforcement" means an action by which a student is reported to a law enforcement agency or official, including a school police unit, for an incident that occurred on school grounds, during school-related events or activities (whether in-person or virtual), or while taking school transportation, regardless of whether official action is taken. "Referral to law enforcement" includes citations, tickets, court referrals, and school-related arrests. (b) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the State Board of Education shall require that each school district annually report, in a manner and method determined by the State Board, the number of students in kindergarten through grade 12 who were referred to a law enforcement agency or official and the number of instances of referrals to law enforcement that students in grades kindergarten through 12 received. (c) The data reported under subsection (b) shall be disaggregated by race and ethnicity, sex, grade level, whether a student is an English learner, and disability. (d) On or before January 31, 2029 and on or before January 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a report on student referrals to law enforcement in all school districts in this State, including State-authorized charter schools. This report shall include data from all public schools within school districts, including district-authorized charter schools. This report must be posted on the Internet website of the State Board of Education. The report shall include data reported under subsection (b) and shall be disaggregated according to subsection (c).

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-430, eff. 8-20-25.)