§ 11-5-9 — Truants

The corporate authorities of any municipality may adopt ordinances to regulate truants within its jurisdiction. These ordinances may include a graduated fine schedule for repeat violations, which may not exceed $100, or community service, or both, for violators 13 years of age or older and may provide for enforcement by citation or through administrative hearings as determined by ordinance. If the violator is under 13 years of age, the parent or custodian of the violator is subject to the fine or community service, or both. As used in this Section, "truants" means persons who are within the definition of "truant" in Section 26-2a of the School Code. Local officials or authorities that enforce, prosecute, or adjudicate municipal ordinances adopted under this Section or that work with school districts to address truancy problems are designated as (i) part of the juvenile justice system, established by the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, and (ii) "juvenile authorities" within the definition set forth in subsection (a)(6.5) of Section 10-6 of the Illinois School Student Record Act. Because truancy is a gateway to crime and one of the most powerful predictors of juvenile delinquent behavior, a school district may disclose education records relating to attendance to juvenile authorities if the school district determines that the disclosure will enhance the juvenile justice system's ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records are released. Enforcement of a municipal ordinance adopted under this Section is pre-adjudicatory because it helps minors avoid adjudicatory hearings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. A school district may make a disclosure authorized under this Section only if the juvenile authority certifies in writing to the school district that the information will not be disclosed, without prior written consent of the parent or custodian of the student, to any other individual or entity, except as otherwise provided under State law. A home rule unit may not regulate truants in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and functions exercised by the State.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 94-1011, eff. 7-7-06; 95-1016, eff. 6-1-09 .)