(105 ILCS 5/34-18.64)

Sec. 34-18.64. Sexual abuse investigations at schools. Every 2 years, the school district must review all existing policies and procedures concerning sexual abuse investigations at schools to ensure consistency with Section 22-85.

(Source: P.A. 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.65)

Sec. 34-18.65. Door security locking means.

(a) In this Section, "door security locking means" means a door locking means intended for use by a trained school district employee in a school building for the purpose of preventing ingress through a door of the building.

(b) The school district may install a door security locking means on a door of a school building to prevent unwanted entry through the door if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The door security locking means can be engaged without opening the door.

(2) The unlocking and unlatching of the door security locking means from the occupied side of the door can be accomplished without the use of a key or tool.

(3) The door security locking means complies with all applicable State and federal accessibility requirements.

(4) Locks, if remotely engaged, can be unlocked from the occupied side.

(5) The door security locking means is capable of being disengaged from the outside by school district employees, and school district employees may use a key or other credentials to unlock the door from the outside.

(6) The door security locking means does not modify the door-closing hardware, panic hardware, or fire exit hardware.

(7) Any bolts, stops, brackets, or pins employed by the door security locking means do not affect the fire rating of a fire door assembly.

(8) School district employees are trained in the engagement and release of the door security locking means, from within and outside the room, as part of the emergency response plan.

(9) For doors installed before July 1, 2019 only, the unlocking and unlatching of a door security locking means requires no more than 2 releasing operations. For doors installed on or after July 1, 2019, the unlocking and unlatching of a door security locking means requires no more than one releasing operation. If doors installed before July 1, 2019 are replaced on or after July 1, 2019, the unlocking and unlatching of a door security locking means on the replacement door requires no more than one releasing operation.

(10) The door security locking means is no more than 48 inches above the finished floor.

(11) The door security locking means otherwise complies with the school building code prepared by the State Board of Education under Section 2-3.12.

The school district may install a door security locking means that does not comply with paragraph (3) or (10) of this subsection if (i) the school district meets all other requirements under this subsection and (ii) prior to its installation, local law enforcement officials, the local fire department, and the board agree, in writing, to the installation and use of the door security locking means. The school district must keep the agreement on file and must, upon request, provide the agreement to the State Board of Education. The agreement must be included in the school district's filed school safety plan under the School Safety Drill Act.

(c) The school district must include the location of any door security locking means and must address the use of the locking and unlocking means from within and outside the room in its filed school safety plan under the School Safety Drill Act. Local law enforcement officials and the local fire department must be notified of the location of any door security locking means and how to disengage it. Any specific tool needed to disengage the door security locking means from the outside of the room must, upon request, be made available to local law enforcement officials and the local fire department.

(d) A door security locking means may be used only (i) by a school district employee trained under subsection (e), (ii) during an emergency that threatens the health and safety of students and employees or during an active shooter drill, and (iii) when local law enforcement officials and the local fire department have been notified of its installation prior to its use. The door security locking means must be engaged for a finite period of time in accordance with the school district's school safety plan adopted under the School Safety Drill Act.

(e) If the school district installs a door security locking means, it must conduct an in-service training program for school district employees on the proper use of the door security locking means. The school district shall keep a file verifying the employees who have completed the program and must, upon request, provide the file to the local fire department and local law enforcement agency.

(f) A door security locking means that requires 2 releasing operations must be discontinued from use when the door is replaced or is a part of new construction. Replacement and new construction door hardware must include mortise locks, compliant with the applicable building code, and must be lockable from the occupied side without opening the door. However, mortise locks are not required if panic hardware or fire exit hardware is required.

(Source: P.A. 101-548, eff. 8-23-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.66)

Sec. 34-18.66. Remote and blended remote learning. This Section applies if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

(1) If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the State Superintendent of Education may declare a requirement to use remote learning days or blended remote learning days for the school district, multiple school districts, a region, or the entire State. During remote learning days, schools shall conduct instruction remotely. During blended remote learning days, schools may utilize hybrid models of in-person and remote instruction. Once declared, remote learning days or blended remote learning days shall be implemented in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 as days of attendance and shall be deemed pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under Section 10-19.

(2) For purposes of this Section, a remote learning day or blended remote learning day may be met through the district's implementation of an e-learning program under Section 10-20.56.

(3) If the district does not implement an e-learning program under Section 10-20.56, the district shall adopt a remote and blended remote learning day plan approved by the general superintendent of schools. The district may utilize remote and blended remote learning planning days, consecutively or in separate increments, to develop, review, or amend its remote and blended remote learning day plan or provide professional development to staff regarding remote education. Up to 5 remote and blended remote learning planning days may be deemed pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under Section 10-19.

(4) Each remote and blended remote learning day plan shall address the following:

(i) accessibility of the remote instruction to all students enrolled in the district;

(ii) if applicable, a requirement that the remote learning day and blended remote learning day activities reflect State learning standards;

(iii) a means for students to confer with an educator, as necessary;

(iv) the unique needs of students in special populations, including, but not limited to, students eligible for special education under Article 14, students who are English learners as defined in Section 14C-2, and students experiencing homelessness under the Education for Homeless Children Act, or vulnerable student populations;

(v) how the district will take attendance and monitor and verify each student's remote participation; and

(vi) transitions from remote learning to on-site learning upon the State Superintendent's declaration that remote learning days or blended remote learning days are no longer deemed necessary.

(5) The general superintendent of schools shall periodically review and amend the district's remote and blended remote learning day plan, as needed, to ensure the plan meets the needs of all students.

(6) Each remote and blended remote learning day plan shall be posted on the district's Internet website where other policies, rules, and standards of conduct are posted and shall be provided to students and faculty.

(7) This Section does not create any additional employee bargaining rights and does not remove any employee bargaining rights.

(8) Statutory and regulatory curricular mandates and offerings may be administered via the district's remote and blended remote learning day plan, except that the district may not offer individual behind-the-wheel instruction required by Section 27-24.2 via the district's remote and blended remote learning day plan. This Section does not relieve schools and the district from completing all statutory and regulatory curricular mandates and offerings.

(Source: P.A. 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.67)

Sec. 34-18.67. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 102-813, eff. 5-13-22. Repealed by P.A. 103-143, eff. 7-1-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.68)

Sec. 34-18.68. Chicago Board of Education Non-Citizen Advisory Board.

(a) The Chicago Board of Education Diversity Advisory Board is created to provide non-citizen students with maximum opportunity for success during their elementary and secondary education experience.

(b) The Chicago Board of Education Non-Citizen Advisory Board is composed of individuals appointed by the Mayor to advise the Chicago Board of Education on but not limited to the following issues:

(1) Appropriate ways to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment for non-citizen students;

(2) Strengthening student, parent, and guardian privacy and confidentiality in school-related issues;

(3) Establishing appropriate communication methods between the district and non-citizen students to maximize interactions between the student's school, parents, and guardians;

(4) Ensuring principals and other district leaders learn and disseminate information on resources available to non-citizen students and their families;

(5) Developing appropriate methods by which non-citizen students are encouraged and supported to continue their education at an institution of higher education; and

(6) Providing the perspective of non-citizen families and students who are affected by Board actions, governance, policies, and procedures.

(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 6-1-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.69)

Sec. 34-18.69. Moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phase-outs. The Board shall not approve any school closings, consolidations, or phase-outs until the Board of Education is seated on January 15, 2025.

(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 12-17-21 (See Section 15 of P.A. 102-691 for the effective date of P.A. 102-177).)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.70)

Sec. 34-18.70. Independent financial review. The Chicago Board of Education shall commission an independent review and report of the district's finances and entanglements with the City of Chicago. No later than October 31, 2022, the report shall be provided to the Governor, the State Board of Education, the General Assembly, the Mayor of the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Board of Education. No later than July 1, 2023, the State Board of Education shall review the independent review and report and make recommendations to the legislature on the Chicago Board of Education's ability to operate with the financial resources available to it as an independent unit of local government.

(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 6-1-22; 102-691, eff. 12-17-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.71)

Sec. 34-18.71. Parent-teacher conference and other meetings; caseworker. For any student who is in the legal custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, the liaison appointed under Section 34-18.52 must inform the Department's Office of Education and Transition Services of a parent-teacher conference or any other meeting concerning the student that would otherwise involve a parent and must, at the option of the caseworker, allow the student's caseworker to attend the conference or meeting.

(Source: P.A. 102-199, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.72)

Sec. 34-18.72. Website accessibility guidelines.

(a) As used in this Section, "Internet website or web service" means any third party online curriculum that is made available to enrolled students or the public by the school district through the Internet.

(b) To ensure that the content available on an Internet website or web service of the school district is readily accessible to persons with disabilities, the school district must require that the Internet website or web service comply with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 or any revised version of those guidelines.

(Source: P.A. 102-238, eff. 8-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.73)

Sec. 34-18.73. Parental notification of student discipline.

(a) In this Section, "misconduct" means an incident that involves offensive touching, a physical altercation, or the use of violence.

(b) If a student commits an act or acts of misconduct involving offensive touching, a physical altercation, or the use of violence, the student's school shall provide written notification of that misconduct to the parent or guardian of the student.

(c) If a student makes a written statement to a school employee relating to an act or acts of misconduct, whether the student is engaging in the act or acts or is targeted by the act or acts, the school shall provide the written statement to the student's parent or guardian, upon request and in accordance with federal and State laws and rules governing school student records.

(d) If the parent or guardian of a student involved in an act or acts of misconduct, whether the student is engaging in the act or acts or is targeted by the act or acts, requests a synopsis of any statement made by the parent's or guardian's child, the school shall provide any existing records responsive to that request, in accordance with federal and State laws and rules governing school student records.

(e) A school shall make reasonable attempts to provide a copy of any disciplinary report resulting from an investigation into a student's act or acts of misconduct to the parent or guardian of the student receiving disciplinary action, including any and all restorative justice measures, within 2 school days after the completion of the report. The disciplinary report shall include all of the following:

(1) A description of the student's act or acts of misconduct that resulted in disciplinary action. The names and any identifying information of any other student or students involved must be redacted from or not included in the report, in accordance with federal and State student privacy laws and rules.

(2) A description of the disciplinary action, if any, imposed on the parent's or guardian's child, including the duration of the disciplinary action.

(3) The school's justification and rationale for the disciplinary action imposed on the parent's or guardian's child, including reference to the applicable student discipline policies, procedures, or guidelines.

(4) A description of the restorative justice measures, if any, used on the parent's or guardian's child.

(Source: P.A. 102-251, eff. 8-6-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.74)

Sec. 34-18.74. School support personnel reporting. No later than December 1, 2022 and each December 1st annually thereafter, the school district must report to the State Board of Education the information with regard to the school district as of October 1st of each year beginning in 2022 as described in subsection (b) of Section 2-3.182 of this Code and must make that information available on its website.

(Source: P.A. 102-302, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.75)

Sec. 34-18.75. Identification cards; suicide prevention information. If the school district issues an identification card to pupils in any of grades 6 through 12, the district shall provide contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988), the Crisis Text Line, and the Safe2Help Illinois helpline on the identification card. The contact information shall identify each helpline that may be contacted through text messaging. The contact information shall be included in the school's student handbook and also the student planner if a student planner is custom printed by the school for distribution to pupils in any of grades 6 through 12.

(Source: P.A. 102-416, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-143, eff. 7-1-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.76)

Sec. 34-18.76. Student absence; pregnancy. The board shall adopt written policies related to absences and missed homework or classwork assignments as a result of or related to a student's pregnancy.

(Source: P.A. 102-471, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.78)

Sec. 34-18.78. COVID-19 paid administrative leave.

(a) In this Section:

"Employee" means a person employed by the school district on or after April 5, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-697).

"Fully vaccinated against COVID-19" means:

(1) 2 weeks after receiving the second dose in a 2-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration; or

(2) 2 weeks after receiving a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

"Fully vaccinated against COVID-19" also includes any recommended booster doses for which the individual is eligible upon the adoption by the Department of Public Health of any changes made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" to include any such booster doses. For purposes of this Section, individuals who are eligible for a booster dose but have not received a booster dose by 5 weeks after the Department of Public Health adopts a revised definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" are not considered fully vaccinated for determining eligibility for future paid administrative leave pursuant to this Section.

"School district" includes charter schools established under Article 27A of this Code.

(b) During any time when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act and the school district, the State or any of its agencies, or a local public health department has issued guidance, mandates, or rules related to COVID-19 that restrict an employee of the school district from being on school district property because the employee (i) has a confirmed positive COVID-19 diagnosis via a molecular amplification diagnostic test, such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19, (ii) has a probable COVID-19 diagnosis via an antigen diagnostic test, (iii) has been in close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and is required to be excluded from the school, or (iv) is required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms, the employee of the school district shall receive as many days of administrative leave as required to abide by the public health guidance, mandates, and requirements issued by the Department of Public Health, unless a longer period of paid administrative leave has been negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative. Such leave shall be provided to an employee for any days for which the employee was required to be excluded from school property prior to April 5, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-697), provided that the employee receives all doses required to meet the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" under this Section no later than 5 weeks after April 5, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-697).

(c) An employee of the school district shall receive paid administrative leave pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section, unless a longer period of paid administrative leave has been negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative, to care for a child of the employee if the child is unable to attend elementary or secondary school because the child has:

(1) a confirmed positive COVID-19 diagnosis via a molecular amplification diagnostic test, such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19;

(2) a probable COVID-19 diagnosis via an antigen diagnostic test;

(3) been in close contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 and is required to be excluded from school; or

(4) been required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms.

Such leave shall be provided to an employee for any days needed to care for a child of the employee prior to April 5, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-697), provided that the employee receives the doses required to meet the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" under this Section no later than 5 weeks after April 5, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-697).

(d) An employee of the school district who is on paid administrative leave pursuant to this Section must provide all documentation requested by the board.

(e) An employee of the school district who is on paid administrative leave pursuant to this Section shall receive the employee's regular rate of pay. The use of a paid administrative leave day or days by an employee pursuant to this Section may not diminish any other leave or benefits of the employee.

(f) An employee of the school district may not accrue paid administrative leave pursuant to this Section.

(g) For an employee of the school district to be eligible to receive paid administrative leave pursuant to this Section, the employee must:

(1) have received all required doses to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined in this Section; and

(2) participate in the COVID-19 testing program adopted by the school district to the extent such a testing program requires participation by individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

(h) Nothing in this Section is intended to affect any right or remedy under federal law.

(i) No paid administrative leave awarded to or used by a fully vaccinated employee prior to the Department of Public Health's adoption of a revised definition of the term "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" may be rescinded on the basis that the employee no longer meets the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" based on the revised definition.

(Source: P.A. 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)