105 ILCS 5/ School Code.

(105 ILCS 5/prec. Sec. 34-83 heading)

TEACHERS--EMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT

(105 ILCS 5/34-83)

Sec. 34-83. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99. Repealed by P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 102-1071, eff. 6-10-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-83.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-83.1)

Sec. 34-83.1. Residence Requirements. Residency within any school district governed by this Article, if not required at the time of employment as a qualification of employment, shall not be considered in determining the compensation of a teacher or whether to retain, promote, assign or transfer that teacher.

(Source: P.A. 82-381.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-84) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-84)

Sec. 34-84. Appointments and promotions of teachers. Appointments and promotions of teachers shall be made for merit only, and after satisfactory service for a probationary period of 3 years with respect to probationary employees employed as full-time teachers in the public school system of the district before January 1, 1998 and 4 years with respect to probationary employees who are first employed as full-time teachers in the public school system of the district on or after January 1, 1998, during which period the board may dismiss or discharge any such probationary employee upon the recommendation, accompanied by the written reasons therefor, of the general superintendent of schools and after which period appointments of teachers shall become permanent, subject to removal for cause in the manner provided by Section 34-85.

For a probationary-appointed teacher in full-time service who is appointed on or after July 1, 2013 and who receives ratings of "excellent" during his or her first 3 school terms of full-time service, the probationary period shall be 3 school terms of full-time service. For a probationary-appointed teacher in full-time service who is appointed on or after July 1, 2013 and who had previously entered into contractual continued service in another school district in this State or a program of a special education joint agreement in this State, as defined in Section 24-11 of this Code, the probationary period shall be 2 school terms of full-time service, provided that (i) the teacher voluntarily resigned or was honorably dismissed from the prior district or program within the 3-month period preceding his or her appointment date, (ii) the teacher's last 2 ratings in the prior district or program were at least "proficient" and were issued after the prior district's or program's PERA implementation date, as defined in Section 24-11 of this Code, and (iii) the teacher receives ratings of "excellent" during his or her first 2 school terms of full-time service.

For a probationary-appointed teacher in full-time service who is appointed on or after July 1, 2013 and who has not entered into contractual continued service after 2 or 3 school terms of full-time service as provided in this Section, the probationary period shall be 4 school terms of full-time service, provided that the teacher receives a rating of at least "proficient" in the last school term and a rating of at least "proficient" in either the second or third school term.

As used in this Section, "school term" means the school term established by the board pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code, and "full-time service" means the teacher has actually worked at least 150 days during the school term. As used in this Article, "teachers" means and includes all members of the teaching force excluding the general superintendent and principals.

There shall be no reduction in teachers because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization after the 20th day following the first day of the school year, except that: (1) this provision shall not apply to desegregation positions, special education positions, or any other positions funded by State or federal categorical funds, and (2) at attendance centers maintaining any of grades 9 through 12, there may be a second reduction in teachers on the first day of the second semester of the regular school term because of a decrease in student membership or a change in subject requirements within the attendance center organization.

The school principal shall make the decision in selecting teachers to fill new and vacant positions consistent with Section 34-8.1.

(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-84a) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-84a)

Sec. 34-84a. Maintenance of discipline. Subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05, teachers, other certificated educational employees, and any other person, whether or not a certificated employee, providing a related service for or with respect to a student shall maintain discipline in the schools, including school grounds which are owned or leased by the board and used for school purposes and activities. In all matters relating to the discipline in and conduct of the schools and the school children, they stand in the relation of parents and guardians to the pupils. This relationship shall extend to all activities connected with the school program, including all athletic and extracurricular programs, and may be exercised at any time for the safety and supervision of the pupils in the absence of their parents or guardians.

Nothing in this Section affects the power of the board to establish rules with respect to discipline, except that the rules of the board must provide, subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05, that a teacher, other certificated employee, and any other person, whether or not a certificated employee, providing a related service for or with respect to a student may use reasonable force as needed to maintain safety for the other students, shall provide that a teacher may remove a student from the classroom for disruptive behavior, and must include provisions which provide due process to students.

(Source: P.A. 89-184, eff. 7-19-95.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-84a.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-84a.1)

Sec. 34-84a.1. Principals shall report incidents of intimidation. The principal of each attendance center shall promptly notify and report to the local law enforcement authorities for inclusion in the Department of State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program each incident of intimidation of which he or she has knowledge and each alleged incident of intimidation which is reported to him or her, either orally or in writing, by any pupil or by any teacher or other certificated or non-certificated personnel employed at the attendance center. "Intimidation" shall have the meaning ascribed to it by Section 12-6 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-84b) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-84b)

Sec. 34-84b. Conviction of sex or narcotics offense, first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, or Class X felony as grounds for revocation of certificate.

(a) Whenever the holder of any certificate issued by the board of education has been convicted of any sex offense or narcotics offense as defined in this Section, the board of education shall forthwith suspend the certificate. If the conviction is reversed and the holder is acquitted of the offense in a new trial or the charges against him are dismissed, the board shall forthwith terminate the suspension of the certificate. When the conviction becomes final, the board shall forthwith revoke the certificate. "Sex offense" as used in this Section means any one or more of the following offenses: (1) any offense defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, and 11-30, Sections 11-14 through 11-21, inclusive, and Sections 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15 and 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (2) any attempt to commit any of the foregoing offenses, and (3) any offense committed or attempted in any other state which, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. "Narcotics offense" as used in this Section means any one or more of the following offenses: (1) any offense defined in the Cannabis Control Act except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b) and 5(a) of that Act and any offense for which the holder of any certificate is placed on probation under the provisions of Section 10 of that Act and fulfills the terms and conditions of probation as may be required by the court; (2) any offense defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act except any offense for which the holder of any certificate is placed on probation under the provisions of Section 410 of that Act and fulfills the terms and conditions of probation as may be required by the court; (3) any offense defined in the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act except any offense for which the holder of any certificate is placed on probation under the provision of Section 70 of that Act and fulfills the terms and conditions of probation as may be required by the court; (4) any attempt to commit any of the foregoing offenses; and (5) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States which, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses.

(b) Whenever the holder of any certificate issued by the board of education or pursuant to Article 21 or any other provisions of the School Code has been convicted of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, or a Class X felony, the board of education or the State Superintendent of Education shall forthwith suspend the certificate. If the conviction is reversed and the holder is acquitted of that offense in a new trial or the charges that he or she committed that offense are dismissed, the suspending authority shall forthwith terminate the suspension of the certificate. When the conviction becomes final, the State Superintendent of Education shall forthwith revoke the certificate. The stated offenses of "first degree murder", "attempted first degree murder", and "Class X felony" referred to in this Section include any offense committed in another state that, if committed in this State, would have been punishable as any one of the stated offenses.

(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-84.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-84.1)

Sec. 34-84.1. Teachers employed in Department of Defense overseas dependents' schools. By mutual agreement of a teacher and the board of education, the board may, but is not required to, grant the teacher a leave of absence to accept employment in a Department of Defense overseas dependents' school. If such a leave of absence is granted, the teacher may elect, for a period not exceeding the lesser of the period for which he is so employed or 5 years, (a) to preserve his permanent status under this Act, and (b) to continue receipt, on the same basis as if he were teaching in the school system subject to the board of education, of service credit earned for requirements of promotion, incremental increases in salary, leaves of absence and other privileges based on an established period of service or employment.

A person employed to replace a teacher making the election provided for in this Section does not acquire permanent status as a teacher under this Article.

(Source: Laws 1967, p. 1999.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-85) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-85)

Sec. 34-85. Removal for cause; notice and hearing; suspension.

(a) No teacher employed by the board of education shall (after serving the probationary period specified in Section 34-84) be removed except for cause. Teachers (who have completed the probationary period specified in Section 34-84 of this Code) shall be removed for cause in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section or, at the board's option, the procedures set forth in Section 24-16.5 of this Code or such other procedures established in an agreement entered into between the board and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers under Section 34-85c of this Code for teachers (who have completed the probationary period specified in Section 34-84 of this Code) assigned to schools identified in that agreement. No principal employed by the board of education shall be removed during the term of his or her performance contract except for cause, which may include but is not limited to the principal's repeated failure to implement the school improvement plan or to comply with the provisions of the Uniform Performance Contract, including additional criteria established by the Council for inclusion in the performance contract pursuant to Section 34-2.3.

Before service of notice of charges on account of causes that may be deemed to be remediable, the teacher or principal must be given reasonable warning in writing, stating specifically the causes that, if not removed, may result in charges; however, no such written warning is required if the causes have been the subject of a remediation plan pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or if the board and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers have entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 34-85c of this Code, pursuant to an alternative system of remediation. No written warning shall be required for conduct on the part of a teacher or principal that is cruel, immoral, negligent, or criminal or that in any way causes psychological or physical harm or injury to a student, as that conduct is deemed to be irremediable. No written warning shall be required for a material breach of the uniform principal performance contract, as that conduct is deemed to be irremediable; provided that not less than 30 days before the vote of the local school council to seek the dismissal of a principal for a material breach of a uniform principal performance contract, the local school council shall specify the nature of the alleged breach in writing and provide a copy of it to the principal.

(1) To initiate dismissal proceedings against a teacher or principal, the general superintendent must first approve written charges and specifications against the teacher or principal. A local school council may direct the general superintendent to approve written charges against its principal on behalf of the Council upon the vote of 7 members of the Council. The general superintendent must approve those charges within 45 calendar days or provide a written reason for not approving those charges. A written notice of those charges, including specifications, shall be served upon the teacher or principal within 10 business days of the approval of the charges. Any written notice sent on or after July 1, 2012 shall also inform the teacher or principal of the right to request a hearing before a mutually selected hearing officer, with the cost of the hearing officer split equally between the teacher or principal and the board, or a hearing before a qualified hearing officer chosen by the general superintendent, with the cost of the hearing officer paid by the board. If the teacher or principal cannot be found upon diligent inquiry, such charges may be served upon him by mailing a copy thereof in a sealed envelope by prepaid certified mail, return receipt requested, to the teacher's or principal's last known address. A return receipt showing delivery to such address within 20 calendar days after the date of the approval of the charges shall constitute proof of service.

(2) No hearing upon the charges is required unless the teacher or principal within 17 calendar days after receiving notice requests in writing of the general superintendent that a hearing be scheduled. Pending the hearing of the charges, the general superintendent or his or her designee may suspend the teacher or principal charged without pay in accordance with rules prescribed by the board, provided that if the teacher or principal charged is not dismissed based on the charges, he or she must be made whole for lost earnings, less setoffs for mitigation.

(3) The board shall maintain a list of at least 9 qualified hearing officers who will conduct hearings on charges and specifications. The list must be developed in good faith consultation with the exclusive representative of the board's teachers and professional associations that represent the board's principals. The list may be revised on July 1st of each year or earlier as needed. To be a qualified hearing officer, the person must (i) be accredited by a national arbitration organization and have had a minimum of 5 years of experience as an arbitrator in cases involving labor and employment relations matters between employers and employees or their exclusive bargaining representatives and (ii) beginning September 1, 2012, have participated in training provided or approved by the State Board of Education for teacher dismissal hearing officers so that he or she is familiar with issues generally involved in evaluative and non-evaluative dismissals.

Within 5 business days after receiving the notice of request for a hearing, the general superintendent and the teacher or principal or their legal representatives shall alternately strike one name from the list until only one name remains. Unless waived by the teacher, the teacher or principal shall have the right to proceed first with the striking. If the teacher or principal fails to participate in the striking process, the general superintendent shall either select the hearing officer from the list developed pursuant to this paragraph (3) or select another qualified hearing officer from the master list maintained by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 24-12 of this Code.

(4) If the notice of dismissal was sent to the teacher or principal before July 1, 2012, the fees and costs for the hearing officer shall be paid by the State Board of Education. If the notice of dismissal was sent to the teacher or principal on or after July 1, 2012, the hearing officer's fees and costs must be paid as follows in this paragraph (4). The fees and permissible costs for the hearing officer shall be determined by the State Board of Education. If the hearing officer is mutually selected by the parties through alternate striking in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (a), then the board and the teacher or their legal representative shall each pay 50% of the fees and costs and any supplemental allowance to which they agree. If the hearing officer is selected by the general superintendent without the participation of the teacher or principal, then the board shall pay 100% of the hearing officer fees and costs. The hearing officer shall submit for payment a billing statement to the parties that itemizes the charges and expenses and divides them in accordance with this Section.

(5) The teacher or the principal charged is required to answer the charges and specifications and aver affirmative matters in his or her defense, and the time for doing so must be set by the hearing officer. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules so that each party has a fair opportunity to present its case and to ensure that the dismissal proceeding is concluded in an expeditious manner. The rules shall address, without limitation, the teacher or principal's answer and affirmative defenses to the charges and specifications; a requirement that each party make mandatory disclosures without request to the other party and then update the disclosure no later than 10 calendar days prior to the commencement of the hearing, including a list of the names and addresses of persons who may be called as witnesses at the hearing, a summary of the facts or opinions each witness will testify to, and all other documents and materials, including information maintained electronically, relevant to its own as well as the other party's case (the hearing officer may exclude witnesses and exhibits not identified and shared, except those offered in rebuttal for which the party could not reasonably have anticipated prior to the hearing); pre-hearing discovery and preparation, including provision for written interrogatories and requests for production of documents, provided that discovery depositions are prohibited; the conduct of the hearing; the right of each party to be represented by counsel, the offer of evidence and witnesses and the cross-examination of witnesses; the authority of the hearing officer to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum, provided that the hearing officer may limit the number of witnesses to be subpoenaed in behalf of each party to no more than 7; the length of post-hearing briefs; and the form, length, and content of hearing officers' reports and recommendations to the general superintendent.

The hearing officer shall commence the hearing within 75 calendar days and conclude the hearing within 120 calendar days after being selected by the parties as the hearing officer, provided that these timelines may be modified upon the showing of good cause or mutual agreement of the parties. Good cause for the purposes of this paragraph (5) shall mean the illness or otherwise unavoidable emergency of the teacher, district representative, their legal representatives, the hearing officer, or an essential witness as indicated in each party's pre-hearing submission. In a dismissal hearing in which a witness is a student or is under the age of 18, the hearing officer must make accommodations for the witness, as provided under paragraph (5.5) of this subsection. The hearing officer shall consider and give weight to all of the teacher's evaluations written pursuant to Article 24A that are relevant to the issues in the hearing. Except as otherwise provided under paragraph (5.5) of this subsection, the teacher or principal has the privilege of being present at the hearing with counsel and of cross-examining witnesses and may offer evidence and witnesses and present defenses to the charges. Each party shall have no more than 3 days to present its case, unless extended by the hearing officer to enable a party to present adequate evidence and testimony, including due to the other party's cross-examination of the party's witnesses, for good cause or by mutual agreement of the parties. The State Board of Education shall define in rules the meaning of "day" for such purposes. All testimony at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered by the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall cause a record of the proceedings to be kept and shall employ a competent reporter to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all the testimony. The costs of the reporter's attendance and services at the hearing shall be paid by the party or parties who are paying the fees and costs of the hearing officer. Either party desiring a transcript of the hearing shall pay for the cost thereof. At the close of the hearing, the hearing officer shall direct the parties to submit post-hearing briefs no later than 21 calendar days after receipt of the transcript. Either or both parties may waive submission of briefs.

(5.5) In the case of charges involving sexual abuse or severe physical abuse of a student or a person under the age of 18, the hearing officer shall make alternative hearing procedures to protect a witness who is a student or who is under the age of 18 from being intimidated or traumatized. Alternative hearing procedures may include, but are not limited to: (i) testimony made via a telecommunication device in a location other than the hearing room and outside the physical presence of the teacher or principal and other hearing participants, (ii) testimony outside the physical presence of the teacher or principal, or (iii) non-public testimony. During a testimony described under this subsection, each party must be permitted to ask a witness who is a student or who is under 18 years of age all relevant questions and follow-up questions. All questions must exclude evidence of the witness' sexual behavior or predisposition, unless the evidence is offered to prove that someone other than the teacher subject to the dismissal hearing engaged in the charge at issue.

(6) The hearing officer shall within 30 calendar days from the conclusion of the hearing report to the general superintendent findings of fact and a recommendation as to whether or not the teacher or principal shall be dismissed and shall give a copy of the report to both the teacher or principal and the general superintendent. The State Board of Education shall provide by rule the form of the hearing officer's report and recommendation.

(7) The board, within 45 days of receipt of the hearing officer's findings of fact and recommendation, shall make a decision as to whether the teacher or principal shall be dismissed from its employ. The failure of the board to strictly adhere to the timeliness contained herein shall not render it without jurisdiction to dismiss the teacher or principal. In the event that the board declines to dismiss the teacher or principal after review of a hearing officer's recommendation, the board shall set the amount of back pay and benefits to award the teacher or principal, which shall include offsets for interim earnings and failure to mitigate losses. The board shall establish procedures for the teacher's or principal's submission of evidence to it regarding lost earnings, lost benefits, mitigation, and offsets. The decision of the board is final unless reviewed in accordance with paragraph (8) of this subsection (a).

(8) The teacher may seek judicial review of the board's decision in accordance with the Administrative Review Law, which is specifically incorporated in this Section, except that the review must be initiated in the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. In the event judicial review is instituted, any costs of preparing and filing the record of proceedings shall be paid by the party instituting the review. In the event the appellate court reverses a board decision to dismiss a teacher or principal and directs the board to pay the teacher or the principal back pay and benefits, the appellate court shall remand the matter to the board to issue an administrative decision as to the amount of back pay and benefits, which shall include a calculation of the lost earnings, lost benefits, mitigation, and offsets based on evidence submitted to the board in accordance with procedures established by the board.

(9) Any hearing convened during a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act may be convened remotely. Any hearing officer for a hearing convened during a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act may voluntarily withdraw from the hearing and another hearing officer shall be selected or appointed pursuant to this Section.

In this paragraph, "pre-hearing procedures" refers to the pre-hearing procedures under Section 51.55 of Title 23 of the Illinois Administrative Code and "hearing" refers to the hearing under Section 51.60 of Title 23 of the Illinois Administrative Code. Any teacher or principal who has been charged with engaging in acts of corporal punishment, physical abuse, grooming, or sexual misconduct and who previously paused pre-hearing procedures or a hearing pursuant to Public Act 101-643 must proceed with selection of a hearing officer or hearing date, or both, within the timeframes established by paragraphs (3) through (5) of this subsection (a), unless the timeframes are mutually waived in writing by both parties, and all timelines set forth in this Section in cases concerning corporal punishment, physical abuse, grooming, or sexual misconduct shall be reset to begin the day after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Any teacher or principal charged with engaging in acts of corporal punishment, physical abuse, grooming, or sexual misconduct on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly may not pause pre-hearing procedures or a hearing.

(b) Nothing in this Section affects the validity of removal for cause hearings commenced prior to June 13, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 97-8).

The changes made by Public Act 97-8 shall apply to dismissals instituted on or after September 1, 2011 or the effective date of Public Act 97-8, whichever is later. Any dismissal instituted prior to the effective date of these changes must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of this Section prior to amendment by Public Act 97-8.

(Source: P.A. 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-708, eff. 4-22-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-85b)

Sec. 34-85b. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 95-510, eff. 8-28-07. Repealed by P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-85c)

Sec. 34-85c. Alternative procedures for teacher evaluation, remediation, and removal for cause after remediation.

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the board and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers are hereby authorized to enter into an agreement to establish alternative procedures for teacher evaluation, remediation, and removal for cause after remediation, including an alternative system for peer evaluation and recommendations; provided, however, that no later than September 1, 2012: (i) any alternative procedures must include provisions whereby student performance data is a significant factor in teacher evaluation and (ii) teachers are rated as "excellent", "proficient", "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory". Pursuant exclusively to that agreement, teachers assigned to schools identified in that agreement shall be subject to an alternative performance evaluation plan and remediation procedures in lieu of the plan and procedures set forth in Article 24A of this Code and alternative removal for cause standards and procedures in lieu of the removal standards and procedures set forth in Section 34-85 of this Code. To the extent that the agreement provides a teacher with an opportunity for a hearing on removal for cause before an independent hearing officer in accordance with Section 34-85 or otherwise, the hearing officer shall be governed by the alternative performance evaluation plan, remediation procedures, and removal standards and procedures set forth in the agreement in making findings of fact and a recommendation.

(a-5) If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act that suspends in-person instruction, the timelines connected to the commencement and completion of any remediation plan are paused. Except where the parties mutually agree otherwise and such agreement is in writing, any remediation plan that had been in place for 45 or more days prior to the suspension of in-person instruction shall resume when in-person instruction resumes; any remediation plan that had been in place for fewer than 45 days prior to the suspension of in-person instruction shall discontinue and a new remediation period will begin when in-person instruction resumes.

(a-10) No later than September 1, 2022, the school district must establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is evaluated at least once in the course of the 3 school years after receipt of the rating and establish an informal teacher observation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is informally observed at least once in the course of the 2 school years after receipt of the rating.

(a-15) For the 2022-2023 school year only, 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 school district may waive the evaluation requirement of any teacher in contractual continued service whose performance was rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" during the last school year in which the teacher was evaluated under this Section.

(b) The board and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers shall submit a certified copy of an agreement as provided under subsection (a) of this Section to the State Board of Education.

(Source: P.A. 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-252, eff. 1-1-22; 102-729, eff. 5-6-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-85d)

Sec. 34-85d. Teacher evaluation; copies. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the school district shall provide all copies of teacher evaluations to the exclusive bargaining representative of the school district's teachers within 7 days after issuing the evaluations.

(Source: P.A. 100-682, eff. 1-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-85e)

Sec. 34-85e. COVID-19 sick leave. For purposes of this Section, "employee" means a person employed by the school district on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

Any sick leave used by a teacher or employee during the 2021-2022 school year shall be returned to a teacher or employee who receives all doses required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined in Section 34-18.78 of this Code, if:

(1) the sick leave was taken because the teacher or employee was restricted from being on school district property because the teacher or employee:

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

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

(C) was in close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was required to be excluded from school; or

(D) was required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms; or

(2) the sick leave was taken to care for a child of the teacher or employee who was unable to attend elementary or secondary school because the child:

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

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

(C) was in close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was required to be excluded from school; or

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

Leave shall be returned to a teacher or employee pursuant to this Section provided that the teacher or employee has received all required doses to meet the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" under Section 34-18.78 of this Code no later than 5 weeks after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

No school may rescind any sick leave returned to a teacher or employee on the basis of a revision to the definition of "fully vaccinated against COVID-19" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Public Health, provided that the teacher or employee received all doses required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined in Section 34-18.78 of this Code, at the time the sick leave was returned to the teacher or employee.

(Source: P.A. 102-697, eff. 4-5-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-87)

Sec. 34-87. (Repealed).

(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31. Repealed by P.A. 94-1105, eff. 6-1-07.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-88) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-88)

Sec. 34-88. District and school report cards. The board shall, in accordance with Section 10-17a of the School Code, annually present and disseminate the school district and school report cards prepared by the State Superintendent of Education.

(Source: P.A. 97-671, eff. 1-24-12.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-128) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-128)

Sec. 34-128. The Board shall provide free bus transportation for every child who is a child with a mental disability who is trainable, as defined in Article 14, who resides at a distance of one mile or more from any school to which he is assigned for attendance and who the State Board of Education determines in advance requires special transportation service in order to take advantage of special educational facilities.

The board may levy, without regard to any other legally authorized tax and in addition to such taxes, an annual tax upon all the taxable property in the school district at a rate not to exceed .005% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, that will produce an amount not to exceed the annual cost of transportation provided in accordance with this Section. The board shall deduct from the cost of such transportation any amount reimbursed by the State under Article 14. Such levy is authorized in the year following the school year in which the transportation costs were incurred by the district.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)