Education (School Choice)

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that a charter school's failure to adequately address racial, socioeconomic, or educational disparities between a school district and the charter school or failure to align the charter mission and vision to a school board's mission and vision are both reasons for the school board or State Board of Education, as the chartering entity, to revoke or not renew a charter. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to issue a short-term approval for a paraprofessional educator to an individual who does not meet the requirements necessary for issuance of an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement. Provides that the short-term approval authorizes an individual to serve as a paraprofessional educator in a school district, including a charter school, or a State-operated program, with the short-term approval expiring on June 30 immediately following the third full fiscal year after the approval was issued without renewal. Provides that upon expiration of the short-term approval, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement to the individual if the individual meets specified requirements.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows the State Superintendent of Education to issue a short-term approval for a paraprofessional educator to an individual who does not meet the requirements necessary for issuance of an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement. Provides that the short-term approval authorizes an individual to serve as a paraprofessional educator in a school district, including a charter school, or a State-operated program, with the short-term approval expiring on June 30 immediately following the third full fiscal year after the approval was issued without renewal. Provides that upon expiration of the short-term approval, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement to the individual if the individual meets specified requirements.

Amends the School Code. Allows a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school to authorize a school nurse or trained personnel to: (1) provide undesignated ready-to-use glucagon to authorized personnel to administer ready-to-use glucagon to a student that meets the student's prescription on file; (2) administer undesignated ready-to-use glucagon that meets the prescription on file to any student who has a plan that authorizes the use of ready-to-use glucagon; and (3) administer undesignated ready-to-use glucagon to any person that the school nurse or trained personnel believes in good faith is having a severe hypoglycemia emergency. Makes conforming changes regarding liability, where and when the undesignated ready-to-use glucagon may be administered, supply maintenance, notification of administration to the student's parent or guardian or emergency contact, training, and reports of administration to the State Board of Education, General Assembly, and Department of Public Health.

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. Prohibits a charter from being granted to an organization that operates a private, parochial, or non-public school or child care facility. Provides that a charter school shall spend no less than 90% of its budget on direct-service costs for students. Removes provisions regarding the closure of charter schools, the use of unspent public funds, and the procedures for disposition of property and assets. Requires the governing body of a charter school that is the subject of a school action to work collaboratively with local school educators and families of students attending the charter school to ensure successful integration of affected students into new learning environments. Requires, for a charter school closure, the governing body of the charter school to ensure that all students of the charter school at the time of the closure will be guaranteed a seat at a receiving school and that all teachers of the charter school at the time of the closure will be guaranteed a job at a receiving school. Sets forth requirements for school transition plans. Requires the governing body of the charter school to designate at least 3 opportunities for public comment at a hearing or meeting on the proposed school action.

Amends the Charter Schools Article of the School Code. Provides that that for charter schools authorized by a local school district, administrative fees withheld from a charter school for the purpose of conducting administrative duties related to the administration of charter school contracts, oversight, and authorizing services shall be capped at 3% or less of the total annual public dollars allocated to the charter school. Provides that the 3% total administrative fee collected from a charter school shall include a 2% or less administrative fee collected by a local school district for the purpose of conducting administrative duties related to the administration of charter school contracts, oversight, and authorizing services and 1% to a statewide charter school membership association for the purpose of administering state mandated board governance training. Allows the State Board of Education to withhold up to a 3% administrative fee as the sole statewide charter school authorizer for the purpose of conducting administrative duties related to the administration of charter school contracts, oversight, and authorizing services. Requires that principal metric a district shall consider for a charter school renewal to be academic achievement. Provides that a local school district authorizer shall grant renewal terms of no fewer than 5 years upon renewal of a charter agreement if the charter's average annual summative designation over the term of the contract is in the top 3 summative designations on the State Report Card.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of sexual misconduct with a student. Provides that a person commits sexual misconduct with a student when he or she is or was an employee of a school and commits sexual misconduct with a student who, at the time the employee was employed by the school, attended the school. Provides that the consent of the student is not a defense to a prosecution under this provision. Provides that a student is deemed incapable of consent, for purposes of this provision, when he or she is a student who attended the school while the employee was employed at the school. Provides that it is not a defense to a violation of this provision that the student was of the age to give consent to sexual penetration or sexual conduct in circumstances not involving a violation of this provision. Provides that a person convicted of violating this provision shall immediately forfeit his or her employment with a school and may not subsequently be employed at a school. Provides that a violation is a Class 3 felony. Provides exemptions. Defines "school" as a public or private elementary or secondary school or a school that operates grades kindergarten through 12. Defines "sexual misconduct" as any act, including, but not limited to, any verbal, nonverbal, written, or electronic communication or physical activity, by an employee or agent of the school district, charter school, or nonpublic school with direct contact with a student that is directed toward or with a student to establish a romantic or sexual relationship with the student. Defines other terms.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits a district from charging tuition to non-resident pupils. Removes all other language regarding the tuition of non-resident pupils. Removes language regarding the application of provisions based on district population, hearings, and penalties related to non-resident pupil tuition. Removes language prohibiting certain transfers of students. Requires each school board to establish and implement a policy governing the transfer of non-resident students from outside of the school district to schools within the district. Makes other changes.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits a charter from being granted to an organization that operates a private, parochial, or non-public school or child care facility. Provides that a charter school shall spend no less than 90% of its budget on direct-service costs for students. Removes provisions regarding the closure of charter schools, the use of unspent public funds, and the procedures for disposition of property and assets. Requires the governing body of a charter school that is the subject of a school action to work collaboratively with local school educators and families of students attending the charter school to ensure successful integration of affected students into new learning environments. Requires, for a charter school closure, the governing body of the charter school to ensure that all students of the charter school at the time of the closure will be guaranteed a seat at a receiving school and that all teachers of the charter school at the time of the closure will be guaranteed a job at a receiving school. Sets forth requirements for school transition plans. Requires the governing body of the charter school to designate at least 3 opportunities for public comment at a hearing or meeting on the proposed school action.