093_SB1037

 
                                     LRB093 10032 NHT 10283 b

 1        AN ACT concerning schools.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Section 24-2 as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/24-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 24-2)
 7        Sec. 24-2.  Holidays.
 8        (a)  Teachers   shall   not   be  required  to  teach  on
 9    Saturdays; nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of  this
10    Section, shall teachers or other school employees, other than
11    noncertificated  school employees whose presence is necessary
12    because of an emergency or for the  continued  operation  and
13    maintenance  of school facilities or property, be required to
14    work on legal school  holidays,  which  are  January  1,  New
15    Year's  Day; the third Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr.
16    Martin  Luther  King,  Jr.;  February  12,  the  Birthday  of
17    President Abraham Lincoln; the first Monday in March  (to  be
18    known  as  Casimir  Pulaski's birthday); Good Friday; the day
19    designated  as  Memorial  Day  by  federal   law;   July   4,
20    Independence  Day;  the first Monday in September, Labor Day;
21    the second Monday in  October,  Columbus  Day;  November  11,
22    Veterans'  Veteran's  Day;  the Thursday in November commonly
23    called Thanksgiving Day;  and  December  25,  Christmas  Day.
24    School  boards  may  grant special holidays whenever in their
25    judgment such action is  advisable,  except  that  no  school
26    board  or  board  of  education may designate or observe as a
27    special holiday on which teachers or other  school  employees
28    are  not required to work the days on which general elections
29    for members of the  Illinois  House  of  Representatives  are
30    held.   No   deduction   shall  be  made  from  the  time  or
31    compensation of a school employee on account of any legal  or
 
                            -2-      LRB093 10032 NHT 10283 b
 1    special holiday.
 2        (b)  A  school  board is authorized to hold school on the
 3    following legal school holidays or to use  the  holidays  for
 4    teachers'   institutes,   parent-teacher  conferences,  staff
 5    development,  or  other  purposes,  provided  the  person  or
 6    persons  honored  by  the  holiday  are  recognized   through
 7    instructional  activities conducted on that day or at another
 8    time during the school year: the third Monday in January, the
 9    Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,  Jr.;  February  12,  the
10    Birthday  of  President  Abraham Lincoln; the first Monday in
11    March, Casimir  Pulaski's  birthday;  the  second  Monday  in
12    October, Columbus Day; and November 11, Veterans' Day.
13        (c)  Commemorative  holidays,  which  recognize specified
14    patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities,
15    or events, are regular school  days.  Commemorative  holidays
16    are:  January  28  (to  be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and
17    observed as a commemoration of space  exploration),  February
18    15 (the birthday of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War
19    Veterans'  Veterans Day), September 11 (September 11th Day of
20    Remembrance), the school day immediately preceding  Veterans'
21    Veteran's  Day (Korean War Veterans' Veterans Day), October 1
22    (Recycling Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans'  Veterans
23    Day)  and  any day so appointed by the President or Governor.
24    School boards may establish commemorative  holidays  whenever
25    in  their  judgment  such  action is advisable. School boards
26    shall include instruction relative to  commemorated  persons,
27    activities,  or events on the commemorative holiday or at any
28    other time during the school year and at  any  point  in  the
29    curriculum  when  such instruction may be deemed appropriate.
30    The State Board of Education shall prepare and make available
31    to  school  boards  instructional   materials   relative   to
32    commemorated persons, activities, or events which may be used
33    by school boards in conjunction with any instruction provided
34    pursuant to this subsection (c) paragraph.
 
                            -3-      LRB093 10032 NHT 10283 b
 1        (d)  City  of  Chicago  School District 299 shall observe
 2    March 4 of  each  year  as  a  commemorative  holiday.   This
 3    holiday shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to
 4    commemorate  and  be  reminded  of  the  past Chief Executive
 5    Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular  the  late
 6    Mayor  Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington.
 7    If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors'  Day  shall
 8    be observed on the following Monday.
 9    (Source: P.A. 92-704, eff. 7-19-02.)

10        Section  99.   Effective  date.  This Act takes effect on
11    July 1, 2003.