Education

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Requires the adopted school board policy for a remote educational program to allow a student to apply to participate in the remote educational program if the student (i) provides an employee pay stub, (ii) has a medical need, including pregnancy, or (iii) needs to care for a family member, including the student's own child.

Amends the School Code. Requires, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, school boards to report specified data to the State Board of Education regarding computer science courses in schools maintaining any of grades kindergarten through 8. Requires the State Board to make the data publicly available. In provisions concerning required high school courses, provides that a computer science course (rather than an Advanced Placement computer science course) qualifies under the mathematics requirement. Requires each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2027-2028 school year to successfully complete one year of high school computer science as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, which may be taken in any of grades 7 through 12 and shall count toward the fulfillment of certain other high school graduation requirements. Requires the State Board to create guidelines for school districts. Provides that the computer science course requirement does not apply to a pupil transferring to a high school in this State from another state after the pupil's 11th grade year. Allows a school to enter into a cooperative resource sharing agreement to ensure that its students can enroll in a computer science course. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that in fixing the salaries of employees, the governing board of each public institution of higher education shall pay employees an hourly rate of not less than: (1) $22 for the 2025-2026 academic year; (2) $23 for the 2026-2027 academic year; and (3) $24 for the 2027-2028 academic year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each academic year thereafter shall equal the minimum hourly rate for the previous academic year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous academic year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Requires a school board to offer courses in Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, and Malayalam as a part of its school foreign language curricula.

HB 84 appropriates $2 from the state's General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education. This funding is designated for the Board's ordinary and contingent expenses for fiscal year 2026, becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

SB 2628 appropriates $5,000,000 to the LEARN 9 Campus in Waukegan for facility renovation, effective July 1, 2025. The bill directly funds physical upgrades to the campus infrastructure. It has no policy changes beyond authorizing this specific funding allocation. The bill was filed by Sen. Adriane Johnson on March 4, 2025, and referred to the Assignments committee.

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the dismissal of teachers, includes releasing student record information to unauthorized parties, engaging in aggressive physical contact with a student or a member of staff if the physical contact does not serve to promote greater safety, and disparaging a student or a member of staff based on protected characteristics as sufficient causes to dismiss a teacher. Effective immediately.

HB 2951 amends the School Code to prohibit public high schools from starting classes before 8:45 a.m. This bill directly affects all public high schools in the state, requiring them to adjust morning schedules to begin at 8:45 a.m. or later. The key provision establishes a fixed minimum start time with no exceptions for early classes. Private high schools and other educational programs are not subject to this requirement.

Affirms commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as an essential foundation for achieving the American Dream and fostering environments where all individuals have the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe and the opportunity to realize their full potential. Encourages local, state, and federal policymakers, educational institutions, workplaces, and other organizations to adopt and uphold DEI principles that promote inclusivity, protect freedom of expression, remove barriers, and provide equitable opportunities for all individuals to pursue their dreams.

Amends the Alternative Learning Opportunities Law of the School Code. Provides that Regional Office of Education No. 4 shall establish a 3-year pilot program focused on serving students in grades kindergarten through 3. Provides that students in grades kindergarten through 3 who meet enrollment criteria established by a school district and who are at risk of academic failure are eligible to participate in the pilot program. Requires the pilot program to adhere to all other rules established for alternative learning opportunities programs. Requires Regional Office of Education No. 4 to provide a report to the General Assembly outlining the pilot program's methodology and student outcomes and setting forth a comprehensive impact report and a framework for future program models. Effective immediately.