HB4577 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 38876 RJT 69013 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4577

Introduced 1/31/2024, by Rep. Joyce Mason

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-20.9a

from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.9a

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that no public high school of a school district may punish or penalize a student because of an unpaid balance on the student's school account. Removes a provision making the prohibition on withholding a student's grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance inoperative beginning 3 years from May 5, 2022. Effective immediately.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 10-20.9a as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.9a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.9a)

Sec. 10-20.9a. Final grade; promotion; student account balance.

(a) Teachers shall administer the approved marking system or other approved means of evaluating pupil progress. The teacher shall maintain the responsibility and right to determine grades and other evaluations of students within the grading policies of the district based upon his or her professional judgment of available criteria pertinent to any given subject area or activity for which he or she is responsible. District policy shall provide the procedure and reasons by and for which a grade may be changed; provided that no grade or evaluation shall be changed without notification to the teacher concerning the nature and reasons for such change. If such a change is made, the person making the change shall assume such responsibility for determining the grade or evaluation, and shall initial such change.

(b) School districts shall not promote students to the next higher grade level based upon age or any other social reasons not related to the academic performance of the students. On or before September 1, 1998, school boards shall adopt and enforce a policy on promotion as they deem necessary to ensure that students meet local goals and objectives and can perform at the expected grade level prior to promotion. Decisions to promote or retain students in any classes shall be based on successful completion of the curriculum, attendance, performance based on the assessments required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or other testing or any other criteria established by the school board. Students determined by the local district to not qualify for promotion to the next higher grade shall be provided remedial assistance, which may include, but shall not be limited to, a summer bridge program of no less than 90 hours, tutorial sessions, increased or concentrated instructional time, modifications to instructional materials, and retention in grade.

(c) No public high school of a school district shall withhold a student's grades, transcripts, or diploma or otherwise punish or penalize the student because of an unpaid balance on the student's school account.

At the end of each school year, the school district shall catalogue and report to the State Board of Education the total amount that remains unpaid by students due to the prohibition under this subsection (c).

(d) (Blank). On and after 3 years from the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, subsection (c) is inoperative.

(Source: P.A. 102-727, eff. 5-6-22.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.