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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois School Code provides that each school
3board is required to annually prepare a calendar for each
4school term that specifies both the opening and closing dates
5of the term; and
 
6    WHEREAS, A school district's calendar must provide for a
7minimum of at least 185 days that generally includes five
8emergency days and four teacher institute days in order to
9ensure 176 days of actual pupil attendance; and
 
10    WHEREAS, While the School Code does not govern when a
11school term should begin or end, schools are increasingly
12starting their school year in mid-August; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Traditionally, especially prior to the mid-1990s,
14schools would begin their school term after Labor Day,
15according to a 2015 CNN article, "Back to school: Why August is
16the new September"; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Some states, including Michigan and Maryland,
18have implemented prohibitions on school terms beginning before
19Labor Day in an effort to boost their tourism industries; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan recently signed an

 

 

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1executive order prohibiting schools from commencing their
2school term prior to Labor Day unless the school district has
3received a waiver; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Research shows that the date upon which a school
5term begins does not necessarily impact a student's academic
6success; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
8HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9we urge the Illinois State Board of Education to study the
10impact of beginning a school term during various points
11throughout August as compared to after Labor Day; and be it
12further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education submit a report
14to the General Assembly by December 31, 2019 including the
15following information and recommendations:
 
16        (1) A summary of current school term start dates in
17    school districts throughout Illinois;
 
18        (2) Laws in other states that govern when a school term
19    may commence; and
 
20        (3) The effects that beginning a school term at various

 

 

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1    points in August, as compared to after Labor Day, would
2    have on school district budgets, administrators, teachers,
3    and students; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5delivered to the State Superintendent of Education.