Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez

Filed: 3/14/2011

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 592

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 592 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
510-22.6, 13A-3, 13A-4, 13A-11, and 34-19 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6)
7    Sec. 10-22.6. Suspension or expulsion of pupils; school
8searches.
9    (a) To expel pupils guilty of gross disobedience or
10misconduct, and no action shall lie against them for such
11expulsion. Expulsion shall take place only after the parents
12have been requested to appear at a meeting of the board, or
13with a hearing officer appointed by it, to discuss their
14child's behavior. Such request shall be made by registered or
15certified mail and shall state the time, place and purpose of
16the meeting. The board, or a hearing officer appointed by it,

 

 

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1at such meeting shall state the reasons for dismissal and the
2date on which the expulsion is to become effective. If a
3hearing officer is appointed by the board he shall report to
4the board a written summary of the evidence heard at the
5meeting and the board may take such action thereon as it finds
6appropriate. An expelled pupil must be immediately transferred
7to an alternative program in the manner provided in Article 13A
8of this Code, except those pupils expelled under the provisions
9of the federal Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994.
10    (b) To suspend or by policy to authorize the superintendent
11of the district or the principal, assistant principal, or dean
12of students of any school to suspend pupils guilty of gross
13disobedience or misconduct, or to suspend pupils guilty of
14gross disobedience or misconduct on the school bus from riding
15the school bus, and no action shall lie against them for such
16suspension. The board may by policy authorize the
17superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
18principal, or dean of students of any school to suspend pupils
19guilty of such acts for a period not to exceed 10 school days.
20If a pupil is suspended due to gross disobedience or misconduct
21on a school bus, the board may suspend the pupil in excess of
2210 school days for safety reasons. Any suspension shall be
23reported immediately to the parents or guardian of such pupil
24along with a full statement of the reasons for such suspension
25and a notice of their right to a review. The school board must
26be given a summary of the notice, including the reason for the

 

 

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1suspension and the suspension length. Upon request of the
2parents or guardian the school board or a hearing officer
3appointed by it shall review such action of the superintendent
4or principal, assistant principal, or dean of students. At such
5review the parents or guardian of the pupil may appear and
6discuss the suspension with the board or its hearing officer.
7If a hearing officer is appointed by the board he shall report
8to the board a written summary of the evidence heard at the
9meeting. After its hearing or upon receipt of the written
10report of its hearing officer, the board may take such action
11as it finds appropriate. A pupil who is suspended in excess of
1220 school days must be immediately transferred to an
13alternative program in the manner provided in Article 13A of
14this Code.
15    (c) The Department of Human Services shall be invited to
16send a representative to consult with the board at such meeting
17whenever there is evidence that mental illness may be the cause
18for expulsion or suspension.
19    (d) The board may expel a student for a definite period of
20time not to exceed 2 calendar years, as determined on a case by
21case basis. A student who is determined to have brought one of
22the following objects to school, any school-sponsored activity
23or event, or any activity or event that bears a reasonable
24relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not
25less than one year:
26        (1) A firearm. For the purposes of this Section,

 

 

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1    "firearm" means any gun, rifle, shotgun, weapon as defined
2    by Section 921 of Title 18 of the United States Code,
3    firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners
4    Identification Card Act, or firearm as defined in Section
5    24-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961. The expulsion period
6    under this subdivision (1) may be modified by the
7    superintendent, and the superintendent's determination may
8    be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
9        (2) A knife, brass knuckles or other knuckle weapon
10    regardless of its composition, a billy club, or any other
11    object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily
12    harm, including "look alikes" of any firearm as defined in
13    subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). The expulsion
14    requirement under this subdivision (2) may be modified by
15    the superintendent, and the superintendent's determination
16    may be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis.
17Expulsion or suspension shall be construed in a manner
18consistent with the Federal Individuals with Disabilities
19Education Act. A student who is subject to suspension or
20expulsion as provided in this Section may be eligible for a
21transfer to an alternative school program in accordance with
22Article 13A of the School Code. The provisions of this
23subsection (d) apply in all school districts, including special
24charter districts and districts organized under Article 34.
25    (e) To maintain order and security in the schools, school
26authorities may inspect and search places and areas such as

 

 

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1lockers, desks, parking lots, and other school property and
2equipment owned or controlled by the school, as well as
3personal effects left in those places and areas by students,
4without notice to or the consent of the student, and without a
5search warrant. As a matter of public policy, the General
6Assembly finds that students have no reasonable expectation of
7privacy in these places and areas or in their personal effects
8left in these places and areas. School authorities may request
9the assistance of law enforcement officials for the purpose of
10conducting inspections and searches of lockers, desks, parking
11lots, and other school property and equipment owned or
12controlled by the school for illegal drugs, weapons, or other
13illegal or dangerous substances or materials, including
14searches conducted through the use of specially trained dogs.
15If a search conducted in accordance with this Section produces
16evidence that the student has violated or is violating either
17the law, local ordinance, or the school's policies or rules,
18such evidence may be seized by school authorities, and
19disciplinary action may be taken. School authorities may also
20turn over such evidence to law enforcement authorities. The
21provisions of this subsection (e) apply in all school
22districts, including special charter districts and districts
23organized under Article 34.
24    (f) Suspension or expulsion may include suspension or
25expulsion from school and all school activities and a
26prohibition from being present on school grounds.

 

 

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1    (g) A school district may adopt a policy providing that if
2a student is suspended or expelled for any reason from any
3public or private school in this or any other state, the
4student must complete the entire term of the suspension or
5expulsion in the alternative school program before being
6admitted into the school district. This policy may allow
7placement of the student in an alternative school program
8established under Article 13A of this Code, if available, for
9the remainder of the suspension or expulsion. This subsection
10(g) applies to all school districts, including special charter
11districts and districts organized under Article 34 of this
12Code.
13(Source: P.A. 96-633, eff. 8-24-09; 96-998, eff. 7-2-10.)
 
14    (105 ILCS 5/13A-3)
15    Sec. 13A-3. Alternative schools.
16    (a) Except with respect to the Chicago public school system
17as provided in Section 13A-11, beginning with the 1996-97
18school year, there is hereby created in this State a system of
19alternative school education programs. At least one
20alternative school program must may be located within each
21educational service region or established jointly by more than
22one regional office of education to serve more than one
23educational service region.
24    (b) Each regional superintendent shall hold a public
25hearing, by December 1 of the school year following the

 

 

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1effective date of this amendatory Act of 1995, to determine the
2need for an alternative school. The hearing shall be held
3before the regional board. The regional superintendent, after
4consulting with the district superintendent of each school
5district located within the regional superintendent's
6educational service region and the regional board, shall
7determine the location and the need of the alternative school
8within that region. In making this determination, the regional
9superintendent shall consider the following:
10        (1) the possible utilization of existing buildings,
11    including but not limited to governmental buildings, that
12    are, or could reasonably be made, usable as an alternative
13    school;
14        (2) which available option would be least costly; and
15        (3) distances that administratively transferred
16    students would need to travel and the costs of that travel.
17    (c) Upon determination of the need for establishment of an
18alternative school program, each school district located
19within the region shall provide the regional superintendent
20with a copy of the district's discipline policy and procedure
21for effecting the suspension or expulsion of the students of
22that district. Thereafter, the regional superintendent in
23cooperation with a representative from each school district in
24the region shall establish and each school district in the
25region shall adopt policies and procedures that shall guide
26each district in the identification and placement of students

 

 

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1in the alternative school program.
2    (d) The regional superintendent shall locate the
3alternative school program so that it is as far away from any
4other school buildings or school grounds in that educational
5service region as circumstances permit.
6    (e) With the approval of the State board, additional
7alternative school programs may be established in an
8educational service region. If the regional superintendent
9determines that an additional alternative school is required in
10the regional superintendent's educational service region, he
11or she may petition the State board to authorize one or more
12additional alternative school programs in that region.
13    (f) In determining whether an additional alternative
14school program is necessary and appropriate for an educational
15service region requesting it, the State board shall consider,
16among other factors, the following:
17        (1) the geographic size of the educational service
18    region and distances that students within that region must
19    travel in order to attend the existing alternative school
20    program;
21        (2) the student population of schools comprising the
22    educational service region and the likely student
23    population of all alternative school programs within that
24    region if the petition is granted;
25        (3) any other logistical considerations; and
26        (4) the costs necessitated by establishing an

 

 

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1    additional alternative school in that educational service
2    region.
3    (g) In the event the State board grants a petition for an
4additional alternative school program, then the State board,
5after consulting the regional superintendent, shall decide
6where the additional alternative school program shall be
7located within that region.
8(Source: P.A. 89-383, eff. 8-18-95; 89-629, eff. 8-9-96.)
 
9    (105 ILCS 5/13A-4)
10    Sec. 13A-4. Administrative transfers. A student who is
11determined to be subject to suspension or expulsion or who is
12suspended or expelled, in the manner provided by Section
1310-22.6 (or, in the case of a student enrolled in the public
14schools of a school district organized under Article 34, in
15accordance with the uniform system of discipline established
16under Section 34-19), must may be immediately transferred to
17the alternative program. At the earliest time following that
18transfer appropriate personnel from the sending school
19district and appropriate personnel of the alternative program
20shall meet to develop an alternative education plan for the
21student. The student's parent or guardian shall be requested to
22appear at invited to this meeting. This request must be made by
23certified mail or delivered in person and shall state the date,
24time, place, and purpose of the meeting. The student may be
25invited. The alternative educational plan shall include, but

 

 

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1not be limited to all of the following:
2        (1) The duration of the plan, including a date after
3    which the student may be returned to the regular
4    educational program in the public schools of the
5    transferring district. If the parent or guardian of a
6    student who is scheduled to be returned to the regular
7    education program in the public schools of the district
8    files a written objection to the return with the principal
9    of the alternative school, the matter shall be referred by
10    the principal to the regional superintendent of the
11    educational service region in which the alternative school
12    program is located for a hearing. Notice of the hearing
13    shall be given by the regional superintendent to the
14    student's parent or guardian. After the hearing, the
15    regional superintendent may take such action as he or she
16    finds appropriate and in the best interests of the student.
17    The determination of the regional superintendent shall be
18    final.
19        (2) The specific academic and behavioral components of
20    the plan.
21        (3) A method and time frame for reviewing the student's
22    progress.
23Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, if a
24student for whom an individualized educational program has been
25developed under Article 14 is transferred to an alternative
26school program under this Article 13A, that individualized

 

 

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1educational program shall continue to apply to that student
2following the transfer unless modified in accordance with the
3provisions of Article 14.
4(Source: P.A. 89-383, eff. 8-18-95; 89-629, eff. 8-9-96.)
 
5    (105 ILCS 5/13A-11)
6    Sec. 13A-11. Chicago public schools.
7    (a) The Chicago Board of Education shall may establish
8alternative schools within Chicago and may contract with third
9parties for services otherwise performed by employees,
10including those in a bargaining unit, in accordance with
11Sections 34-8.1, 34-18, and 34-49.
12    (b) Alternative schools operated by third parties within
13Chicago shall be exempt from all provisions of the School Code,
14except provisions concerning:
15        (1) Student civil rights;
16        (2) Staff civil rights;
17        (3) Health and safety;
18        (4) Performance and financial audits;
19        (5) The Illinois Goals Assessment Program;
20        (6) Chicago learning outcomes;
21        (7) Sections 2-3.25a through 2-3.25j of the School
22    Code;
23        (8) The Inspector General; and
24        (9) Section 34-2.4b of the School Code.
25(Source: P.A. 89-383, eff. 8-18-95; 89-636, eff. 8-9-96.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/34-19)  (from Ch. 122, par. 34-19)
2    Sec. 34-19. By-laws, rules and regulations; business
3transacted at regular meetings; voting; records. The board
4shall, subject to the limitations in this Article, establish
5by-laws, rules and regulations, which shall have the force of
6ordinances, for the proper maintenance of a uniform system of
7discipline for both employees and pupils, and for the entire
8management of the schools, and may fix the school age of
9pupils, the minimum of which in kindergartens shall not be
10under 4 years, except that, based upon an assessment of the
11child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public
12preschool and continued their education at that school through
13kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately
14certified teacher, and will attain the age of 6 years on or
15before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and
16each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon
17commencement of such term, and in grade schools shall not be
18under 6 years. It may expel, suspend or, subject to the
19limitations of all policies established or adopted under
20Section 14-8.05, otherwise discipline any pupil found guilty of
21gross disobedience, misconduct or other violation of the
22by-laws, rules and regulations. An expelled pupil must be
23immediately transferred to an alternative program in the manner
24provided in Article 13A of this Code, except those pupils
25expelled under the provisions of the federal Gun-Free Schools

 

 

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1Act of 1994. A pupil who is suspended in excess of 20 school
2days must be immediately transferred to an alternative program
3in the manner provided in Article 13A of this Code. The bylaws,
4rules and regulations of the board shall be enacted, money
5shall be appropriated or expended, salaries shall be fixed or
6changed, and textbooks, electronic textbooks, and courses of
7instruction shall be adopted or changed only at the regular
8meetings of the board and by a vote of a majority of the full
9membership of the board; provided that notwithstanding any
10other provision of this Article or the School Code, neither the
11board or any local school council may purchase any textbook for
12use in any public school of the district from any textbook
13publisher that fails to furnish any computer diskettes as
14required under Section 28-21. Funds appropriated for textbook
15purchases must be available for electronic textbook purchases
16and the technological equipment necessary to gain access to and
17use electronic textbooks at the local school council's
18discretion. The board shall be further encouraged to provide
19opportunities for public hearing and testimony before the
20adoption of bylaws, rules and regulations. Upon all
21propositions requiring for their adoption at least a majority
22of all the members of the board the yeas and nays shall be
23taken and reported. The by-laws, rules and regulations of the
24board shall not be repealed, amended or added to, except by a
25vote of 2/3 of the full membership of the board. The board
26shall keep a record of all its proceedings. Such records and

 

 

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1all by-laws, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, may be
2proved by a copy thereof certified to be such by the secretary
3of the board, but if they are printed in book or pamphlet form
4which are purported to be published by authority of the board
5they need not be otherwise published and the book or pamphlet
6shall be received as evidence, without further proof, of the
7records, by-laws, rules and regulations, or any part thereof,
8as of the dates thereof as shown in such book or pamphlet, in
9all courts and places where judicial proceedings are had.
10    Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article or in
11the School Code, the board may delegate to the general
12superintendent or to the attorney the authorities granted to
13the board in the School Code, provided such delegation and
14appropriate oversight procedures are made pursuant to board
15by-laws, rules and regulations, adopted as herein provided,
16except that the board may not delegate its authorities and
17responsibilities regarding (1) budget approval obligations;
18(2) rule-making functions; (3) desegregation obligations; (4)
19real estate acquisition, sale or lease in excess of 10 years as
20provided in Section 34-21; (5) the levy of taxes; or (6) any
21mandates imposed upon the board by "An Act in relation to
22school reform in cities over 500,000, amending Acts herein
23named", approved December 12, 1988 (P.A. 85-1418).
24(Source: P.A. 96-864, eff. 1-21-10; 96-1403, eff. 7-29-10.)".