Education

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois to make changes concerning in-state tuition to remove a condition concerning attending high school or a community college while residing in this State and not having established residency outside of this State before enrolling in the public university. Amends the Public Community College Act to change specified conditions under which the board of trustees of a community college district is required to deem an individual an Illinois resident. Effective immediately.

Amends the College Campus Press Act. Defines "public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning". Provides that all public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the employees producing the media at the institution of higher learning. Provides that public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is not subject to prior review by public officials of the State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Allows an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of the Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that expression made by an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is neither expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made in public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Makes other changes.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, through June 30, 2029 (instead of June 30, 2026), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year, but not more than 100 paid days in the same classroom. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that upon approval of a charter renewal by an authorizer, the charter operator shall execute the renewal agreement no later than 90 days after the date of the authorizer's final renewal approval. Provides that a charter school that is deemed nonrenewed is ineligible to receive any payments from a school district. Provides that a charter operator that fails to execute a renewal agreement within a specified period may not continue to operate the charter school beyond the expiration of the existing charter term and is subject to closure procedures. Requires every charter operator to maintain closure security. Provides that failure to maintain closure security is a basis for the authorizer to withhold a portion of per-pupil payments until compliance is achieved and for consideration in denying a charter renewal or revoking the charter or ineligibility to operate additional charter campuses. Provides that if the closure security is insufficient to cover the costs of a closure event, the authorizer or the State Board of Education may bring a civil action against the charter operator to recover the unpaid amounts and seek to impose a lien on any property owned by the charter operator to secure recovery. Provides that if an authorizer determines that a charter school is in financial distress, the authorizer may require the charter operator to submit a financial remediation plan within 30 days. Provides that if the authorizer determines that the charter school has failed to implement an approved remediation plan or the financial distress presents an immediate risk to students, employees, or public funds, the authorizer may initiate financial intervention by appointing an independent fiscal manager approved by the authorizer and the State Board. Allows the fiscal manager to exercise authority limited to financial matters. Provides that financial intervention is temporary and may not exceed 180 days, except that the authorizer may extend the intervention once for good cause. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Encourages school districts in the State to explore the introduction of Arabic as a foreign language option in their curriculum, particularly through transparent and collaborative processes that make full use of available state and federal resources.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows an institution of higher education approved to offer educator preparation programs to pursue accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Provides that an institution of higher education that receives and retains CAEP accreditation may forgo the State reauthorization process. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for the reauthorization of a CAEP-accredited institution of higher education.

Amends the School Code. In the Courses of Study Article, provides that each school district and its schools shall create, maintain, and implement a policy for providing academic, social-emotional, and behavioral intervention within a framework of a multi-tiered system of support. Provides that the multi-tiered system of support process should use a collaborative team approach and include the engagement of and regular communication with the child's parent or guardian. Requires the parent or guardian of a child identified for additional support to be provided with written notice of the school district's use of scientific, research-based intervention within a multi-tiered system of support and the purpose of the intervention. Allows the parent or guardian to be part of the collaborative team approach at the discretion of the school district. Provides that the parent or guardian shall be provided all data collected and reviewed by the school district with regard to the child in the scientific, research-based intervention or multi-tiered system of support process. Allows the State Board of Education to provide guidance to school districts and identify available resources related to facilitating parent or guardian engagement in a multi-tiered system of support process. In the Children with Disabilities Article, repeals a Section concerning the response to scientific, research-based intervention or a multi-tiered system of support process.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding endorsements on Professional Educator Licenses, provides for a special education endorsement in the area of deaf-hard of hearing with sign proficiency.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the administration of asthma medication, epinephrine injectors, opioid antagonists, and oxygen tanks, provides that "trained personnel" includes athletic coaches and trainers. Allows a pupil with asthma to self-administer and self-carry the pupil's asthma medication at a school-sponsored athletic practice or game. Allows a school nurse or trained personnel to administer undesignated asthma medication to a person at a school-sponsored athletic practice or game. Makes a change to provide that a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school may maintain a supply of asthma medication in the nurse's office. Requires a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school to maintain a supply of asthma medication in a secure location that is accessible before, during, and after school where a person is most at risk on account of physical activity. Requires at least one member of an athletic coach's staff at a school and any athletic trainers at that school to complete the training curriculum relating to the administration of undesignated asthma medication.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning radon testing, provides that every school building of a school district that is occupied or will be occupied shall be tested by January 1, 2029 and shall be retested every 5 years thereafter for radon (instead of recommending that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon). Provides that all new schools of a school district shall be built using radon resistant new construction techniques in accordance with the American National Standards Institute/American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists CC-1000, Soil Gas Control Systems in New Construction of Multifamily, School, Commercial and Mixed-Use Buildings standard or a successor standard (instead of recommending that new schools of a school district be built using radon resistant new construction techniques, as shown in the United States Environmental Protection Agency document, Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and Other Large Buildings). Removes a provision allowing a person to perform radon screening tests without a license. Makes changes concerning the exemption. Provides that if radon is found to exceed specified levels, then the school district shall (instead of may) hire a licensed radon professional to perform confirmatory measurements (instead of to perform measurements before any mitigation decisions are made). Sets forth provisions concerning mitigation. Provides that a school district may use life safety funds, if available, for radon testing and mitigation. Preempts home rule powers.