101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1478

 

Introduced 2/13/2019, by Sen. Paul Schimpf

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/3-15.12  from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12
105 ILCS 5/26-1  from Ch. 122, par. 26-1
105 ILCS 5/26-2  from Ch. 122, par. 26-2
105 ILCS 5/26-14  from Ch. 122, par. 26-14

    Amends the School Code. Increases the compulsory school age from 17 to 18 years of age; makes related changes.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
53-15.12, 26-1, 26-2, and 26-14 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/3-15.12)  (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12)
7    Sec. 3-15.12. High school equivalency. The regional
8superintendent of schools and the Illinois Community College
9Board shall make available for qualified individuals residing
10within the region a High School Equivalency Testing Program and
11alternative methods of credentialing, as identified under this
12Section. For that purpose the regional superintendent alone or
13with other regional superintendents may establish and
14supervise a testing center or centers to administer the secure
15forms for high school equivalency testing to qualified persons.
16Such centers shall be under the supervision of the regional
17superintendent in whose region such centers are located,
18subject to the approval of the Executive Director of the
19Illinois Community College Board. The Illinois Community
20College Board shall also establish criteria and make available
21alternative methods of credentialing throughout the State.
22    An individual is eligible to apply to the regional
23superintendent of schools for the region in which he or she

 

 

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1resides if he or she is: (a) a person who is 18 17 years of age
2or older, has maintained residence in the State of Illinois,
3and is not a high school graduate; (b) a person who is
4successfully completing an alternative education program under
5Section 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article 13B; or (c) a person
6who is enrolled in a youth education program sponsored by the
7Illinois National Guard. For purposes of this Section,
8residence is that abode which the applicant considers his or
9her home. Applicants may provide as sufficient proof of such
10residence and as an acceptable form of identification a
11driver's license, valid passport, military ID, or other form of
12government-issued national or foreign identification that
13shows the applicant's name, address, date of birth, signature,
14and photograph or other acceptable identification as may be
15allowed by law or as regulated by the Illinois Community
16College Board. Such regional superintendent shall determine if
17the applicant meets statutory and regulatory state standards.
18    If qualified the applicant shall at the time of such
19application pay a fee established by the Illinois Community
20College Board, which fee shall be paid into a special fund
21under the control and supervision of the regional
22superintendent. Such moneys received by the regional
23superintendent shall be used, first, for the expenses incurred
24in administering and scoring the examination, and next for
25other educational programs that are developed and designed by
26the regional superintendent of schools to assist those who

 

 

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1successfully complete high school equivalency testing or meet
2the criteria for alternative methods of credentialing in
3furthering their academic development or their ability to
4secure and retain gainful employment, including programs for
5the competitive award based on test scores of college or adult
6education scholarship grants or similar educational
7incentives. Any excess moneys shall be paid into the institute
8fund.
9    Any applicant who has achieved the minimum passing
10standards as established by the Illinois Community College
11Board shall be notified in writing by the regional
12superintendent and shall be issued a high school equivalency
13certificate on the forms provided by the Illinois Community
14College Board. The regional superintendent shall then certify
15to the Illinois Community College Board the score of the
16applicant and such other and additional information that may be
17required by the Illinois Community College Board. The moneys
18received therefrom shall be used in the same manner as provided
19for in this Section.
20    The Illinois Community College Board shall establish
21alternative methods of credentialing for the issuance of high
22school equivalency certification. In addition to high school
23equivalency testing, the following alternative methods of
24receiving a high school equivalency credential shall be made
25available to qualified individuals on or after January 1, 2018:
26        (A) High School Equivalency based on High School

 

 

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1    Credit. A qualified candidate may petition to have his or
2    her high school transcripts evaluated to determine what the
3    candidate needs to meet criteria as established by the
4    Illinois Community College Board.
5        (B) High School Equivalency based on Post-Secondary
6    Credit. A qualified candidate may petition to have his or
7    her post-secondary transcripts evaluated to determine what
8    the candidate needs to meet criteria established by the
9    Illinois Community College Board.
10        (C) High School Equivalency based on a Foreign Diploma.
11    A qualified candidate may petition to have his or her
12    foreign high school or post-secondary transcripts
13    evaluated to determine what the candidate needs to meet
14    criteria established by the Illinois Community College
15    Board.
16        (D) High School Equivalency based on Completion of a
17    Competency-Based Program as approved by the Illinois
18    Community College Board. The Illinois Community College
19    Board shall establish guidelines for competency-based high
20    school equivalency programs.
21    Any applicant who has attained the age of 18 17 years and
22maintained residence in the State of Illinois and is not a high
23school graduate, any person who has enrolled in a youth
24education program sponsored by the Illinois National Guard, or
25any person who has successfully completed an alternative
26education program under Section 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article

 

 

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113B is eligible to apply for a high school equivalency
2certificate (if he or she meets the requirements prescribed by
3the Illinois Community College Board) upon showing evidence
4that he or she has completed, successfully, high school
5equivalency testing, administered by the United States Armed
6Forces Institute, official high school equivalency testing
7centers established in other states, Veterans' Administration
8Hospitals, or the office of the State Superintendent of
9Education for the Illinois State Penitentiary System and the
10Department of Corrections. Such applicant shall apply to the
11regional superintendent of the region wherein he or she has
12maintained residence, and, upon payment of a fee established by
13the Illinois Community College Board, the regional
14superintendent shall issue a high school equivalency
15certificate and immediately thereafter certify to the Illinois
16Community College Board the score of the applicant and such
17other and additional information as may be required by the
18Illinois Community College Board.
19    Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, any
20applicant who has been out of school for at least one year may
21request the regional superintendent of schools to administer
22restricted high school equivalency testing upon written
23request of: the director of a program who certifies to the
24Chief Examiner of an official high school equivalency testing
25center that the applicant has completed a program of
26instruction provided by such agencies as the Job Corps, the

 

 

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1Postal Service Academy, or an apprenticeship training program;
2an employer or program director for purposes of entry into
3apprenticeship programs; another state's department of
4education in order to meet regulations established by that
5department of education; or a post high school educational
6institution for purposes of admission, the Department of
7Financial and Professional Regulation for licensing purposes,
8or the Armed Forces for induction purposes. The regional
9superintendent shall administer such testing, and the
10applicant shall be notified in writing that he or she is
11eligible to receive a high school equivalency certificate upon
12reaching age 18 17, provided he or she meets the standards
13established by the Illinois Community College Board.
14    Any test administered under this Section to an applicant
15who does not speak and understand English may at the discretion
16of the administering agency be given and answered in any
17language in which the test is printed. The regional
18superintendent of schools may waive any fees required by this
19Section in case of hardship. The regional superintendent of
20schools and the Illinois Community College Board shall waive
21any fees required by this Section for an applicant who meets
22all of the following criteria:
23        (1) The applicant qualifies as a homeless person,
24    child, or youth as defined in the Education for Homeless
25    Children Act.
26        (2) The applicant has not attained 25 years of age as

 

 

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1    of the date of the scheduled test.
2        (3) The applicant can verify his or her status as a
3    homeless person, child, or youth. A homeless services
4    provider that is qualified to verify an individual's
5    housing status, as determined by the Illinois Community
6    College Board, and that has knowledge of the applicant's
7    housing status may verify the applicant's status for
8    purposes of this subdivision (3).
9        (4) The applicant has completed a high school
10    equivalency preparation course through an Illinois
11    Community College Board-approved provider.
12        (5) The applicant is taking the test at a testing
13    center operated by a regional superintendent of schools or
14    the Cook County High School Equivalency Office.
15    In counties of over 3,000,000 population, a high school
16equivalency certificate shall contain the signatures of the
17Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board and
18the superintendent, president, or other chief executive
19officer of the institution where high school equivalency
20testing instruction occurred and any other signatures
21authorized by the Illinois Community College Board.
22    The regional superintendent of schools shall furnish the
23Illinois Community College Board with any information that the
24Illinois Community College Board requests with regard to
25testing and certificates under this Section.
26(Source: P.A. 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-742, eff. 1-1-17;

 

 

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1100-130, eff. 1-1-18.)
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/26-1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-1)
3    Sec. 26-1. Compulsory school age; exemptions. Whoever has
4custody or control of any child (i) between the ages of 7 and
517 years (unless the child has already graduated from high
6school) for school years before the 2014-2015 school year or
7(ii) between the ages of 6 (on or before September 1) and 18 17
8years (unless the child has already graduated from high school)
9beginning with the 2014-2015 school year shall cause such child
10to attend some public school in the district wherein the child
11resides the entire time it is in session during the regular
12school term, except as provided in Section 10-19.1, and during
13a required summer school program established under Section
1410-22.33B; provided, that the following children shall not be
15required to attend the public schools:
16        1. Any child attending a private or a parochial school
17    where children are taught the branches of education taught
18    to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
19    schools, and where the instruction of the child in the
20    branches of education is in the English language;
21        2. Any child who is physically or mentally unable to
22    attend school, such disability being certified to the
23    county or district truant officer by a competent physician
24    licensed in Illinois to practice medicine and surgery in
25    all its branches, a chiropractic physician licensed under

 

 

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1    the Medical Practice Act of 1987, a licensed advanced
2    practice registered nurse, a licensed physician assistant,
3    or a Christian Science practitioner residing in this State
4    and listed in the Christian Science Journal; or who is
5    excused for temporary absence for cause by the principal or
6    teacher of the school which the child attends; the
7    exemptions in this paragraph (2) do not apply to any female
8    who is pregnant or the mother of one or more children,
9    except where a female is unable to attend school due to a
10    complication arising from her pregnancy and the existence
11    of such complication is certified to the county or district
12    truant officer by a competent physician;
13        3. Any child necessarily and lawfully employed
14    according to the provisions of the law regulating child
15    labor may be excused from attendance at school by the
16    county superintendent of schools or the superintendent of
17    the public school which the child should be attending, on
18    certification of the facts by and the recommendation of the
19    school board of the public school district in which the
20    child resides. In districts having part-time continuation
21    schools, children so excused shall attend such schools at
22    least 8 hours each week;
23        4. Any child over 12 and under 14 years of age while in
24    attendance at confirmation classes;
25        5. Any child absent from a public school on a
26    particular day or days or at a particular time of day for

 

 

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1    the reason that he is unable to attend classes or to
2    participate in any examination, study or work requirements
3    on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day,
4    because the tenets of his religion forbid secular activity
5    on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day.
6    Each school board shall prescribe rules and regulations
7    relative to absences for religious holidays including, but
8    not limited to, a list of religious holidays on which it
9    shall be mandatory to excuse a child; but nothing in this
10    paragraph 5 shall be construed to limit the right of any
11    school board, at its discretion, to excuse an absence on
12    any other day by reason of the observance of a religious
13    holiday. A school board may require the parent or guardian
14    of a child who is to be excused from attending school due
15    to the observance of a religious holiday to give notice,
16    not exceeding 5 days, of the child's absence to the school
17    principal or other school personnel. Any child excused from
18    attending school under this paragraph 5 shall not be
19    required to submit a written excuse for such absence after
20    returning to school;
21        6. Any child 16 years of age or older who (i) submits
22    to a school district evidence of necessary and lawful
23    employment pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Section and (ii)
24    is enrolled in a graduation incentives program pursuant to
25    Section 26-16 of this Code or an alternative learning
26    opportunities program established pursuant to Article 13B

 

 

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1    of this Code;
2        7. A child in any of grades 6 through 12 absent from a
3    public school on a particular day or days or at a
4    particular time of day for the purpose of sounding "Taps"
5    at a military honors funeral held in this State for a
6    deceased veteran. In order to be excused under this
7    paragraph 7, the student shall notify the school's
8    administration at least 2 days prior to the date of the
9    absence and shall provide the school's administration with
10    the date, time, and location of the military honors
11    funeral. The school's administration may waive this 2-day
12    notification requirement if the student did not receive at
13    least 2 days advance notice, but the student shall notify
14    the school's administration as soon as possible of the
15    absence. A student whose absence is excused under this
16    paragraph 7 shall be counted as if the student attended
17    school for purposes of calculating the average daily
18    attendance of students in the school district. A student
19    whose absence is excused under this paragraph 7 must be
20    allowed a reasonable time to make up school work missed
21    during the absence. If the student satisfactorily
22    completes the school work, the day of absence shall be
23    counted as a day of compulsory attendance and he or she may
24    not be penalized for that absence; and
25        8. Any child absent from a public school on a
26    particular day or days or at a particular time of day for

 

 

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1    the reason that his or her parent or legal guardian is an
2    active duty member of the uniformed services and has been
3    called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately
4    returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat-support
5    postings. Such a student shall be granted 5 days of excused
6    absences in any school year and, at the discretion of the
7    school board, additional excused absences to visit the
8    student's parent or legal guardian relative to such leave
9    or deployment of the parent or legal guardian. In the case
10    of excused absences pursuant to this paragraph 8, the
11    student and parent or legal guardian shall be responsible
12    for obtaining assignments from the student's teacher prior
13    to any period of excused absence and for ensuring that such
14    assignments are completed by the student prior to his or
15    her return to school from such period of excused absence.
16(Source: P.A. 99-173, eff. 7-29-15; 99-804, eff. 1-1-17;
17100-185, eff. 8-18-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18; 100-863, eff.
188-14-18.)
 
19    (105 ILCS 5/26-2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2)
20    Sec. 26-2. Enrolled pupils not of compulsory school age.
21    (a) Any For school years before the 2014-2015 school year,
22any person having custody or control of a child who is below
23the age of 7 years or is 17 years of age or above and who is
24enrolled in any of grades kindergarten through 12 in the public
25school shall cause him to attend the public school in the

 

 

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1district wherein he resides when it is in session during the
2regular school term, unless he is excused under paragraph 2, 3,
34, 5, or 6 of Section 26-1. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school
4year, any person having custody or control of a child who is
5below the age of 6 years or is 18 17 years of age or above and
6who is enrolled in any of grades kindergarten through 12 in the
7public school shall cause the child to attend the public school
8in the district wherein he or she resides when it is in session
9during the regular school term, unless the child is excused
10under paragraph 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of Section 26-1 of this Code.
11    (b) A school district shall deny reenrollment in its
12secondary schools to any child 19 years of age or above who has
13dropped out of school and who could not, because of age and
14lack of credits, attend classes during the normal school year
15and graduate before his or her twenty-first birthday. A
16district may, however, enroll the child in a graduation
17incentives program under Section 26-16 of this Code or an
18alternative learning opportunities program established under
19Article 13B. No child shall be denied reenrollment for the
20above reasons unless the school district first offers the child
21due process as required in cases of expulsion under Section
2210-22.6. If a child is denied reenrollment after being provided
23with due process, the school district must provide counseling
24to that child and must direct that child to alternative
25educational programs, including adult education programs, that
26lead to graduation or receipt of a high school equivalency

 

 

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1certificate.
2    (c) A school or school district may deny enrollment to a
3student 18 17 years of age or older for one semester for
4failure to meet minimum attendance standards if all of the
5following conditions are met:
6        (1) The student was absent without valid cause for 20%
7    or more of the attendance days in the semester immediately
8    prior to the current semester.
9        (2) The student and the student's parent or guardian
10    are given written notice warning that the student is
11    subject to denial from enrollment for one semester unless
12    the student is absent without valid cause less than 20% of
13    the attendance days in the current semester.
14        (3) The student's parent or guardian is provided with
15    the right to appeal the notice, as determined by the State
16    Board of Education in accordance with due process.
17        (4) The student is provided with attendance
18    remediation services, including without limitation
19    assessment, counseling, and support services.
20        (5) The student is absent without valid cause for 20%
21    or more of the attendance days in the current semester.
22    A school or school district may not deny enrollment to a
23student (or reenrollment to a dropout) who is at least 18 17
24years of age or older but below 19 years for more than one
25consecutive semester for failure to meet attendance standards.
26    (d) No child may be denied reenrollment under this Section

 

 

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1in violation of the federal Individuals with Disabilities
2Education Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act.
3    (e) In this subsection (e), "reenrolled student" means a
4dropout who has reenrolled full-time in a public school. Each
5school district shall identify, track, and report on the
6educational progress and outcomes of reenrolled students as a
7subset of the district's required reporting on all enrollments.
8A reenrolled student who again drops out must not be counted
9again against a district's dropout rate performance measure.
10The State Board of Education shall set performance standards
11for programs serving reenrolled students.
12    (f) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
13necessary to implement the changes to this Section made by
14Public Act 93-803.
15(Source: P.A. 100-825, eff. 8-13-18.)
 
16    (105 ILCS 5/26-14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-14)
17    Sec. 26-14. Truancy programs for dropouts. Any dropout, as
18defined in Section 26-2a, who is 18 17 years of age may apply
19to a school district for status as a truant, and the school
20district shall permit such person to participate in the
21district's various programs and resources for truants. At the
22time of the person's application, the district may request
23documentation of his dropout status for the previous 6 months.
24(Source: P.A. 93-858, eff. 1-1-05.)