HB5041 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 19906 NHT 45649 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB5041

Introduced 2/5/2004, by Calvin L. Giles - Marlow H. Colvin - Karen A. Yarbrough - Monique D. Davis - Charles E. Jefferson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-22	from Ch. 122, par. 27-22
105 ILCS 5/27-22.3	from Ch. 122, par. 27-22.3
105 ILCS 5/27-22.05
30 ILCS 805/8.28 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each student entering the 9th grade in the 2005-2006 school year or a subsequent school year must perform 40 hours of community service, unless the student is exempted by the school board. Provides that each school board shall determine what constitutes 40 hours of community service and the criteria for exempting a student from the community service requirement. Provides that a student granted an exemption must complete an alternative assignment. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

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 Sections 27-22, 27-22.05, and 27-22.3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-22) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22)

Sec. 27-22. Prerequisites for high school diploma Required high school courses.

(a) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade in 1984-1985 and subsequent years must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully complete the following courses:

1. three years of language arts;

2. two years of mathematics, one of which may be related to computer technology;

3. one year of science;

4. two years of social studies, of which at least one year must be history of the United States or a combination of history of the United States and American government; and

5. One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C) foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American Sign Language or (D) vocational education.

This amendatory Act of 1983 does not apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior school years or to students with disabilities whose course of study is determined by an individualized education program.

The provisions of this subsection (a) Section are subject to the provisions of Section 27-22.05.

(b) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each student entering the 9th grade in the 2005-2006 school year or a subsequent school years must perform 40 hours of community service, unless the student is exempted by the school board. In accordance with guidelines established by the State Board of Education or its successor, each school board shall determine what constitutes 40 hours of community service, which may be incorporated into classroom instruction, and the criteria for exempting a student from the community service requirement. Criteria for exempting students shall include without limitation consideration for students who have to work, students with disabilities, students who experience family illness, and students with child-rearing responsibilities that prohibit them from fulfilling the community service requirement. A student granted an exemption must complete an alternative assignment, as defined by the school board.

(Source: P.A. 88-269; 89-397, eff. 8-20-95.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-22.3) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22.3)

Sec. 27-22.3. Volunteer service credit program.

(a) A school district may establish a volunteer service credit program that enables secondary school students to earn credit towards graduation through performance of community service. This community service may include participation in the organization of a high school or community blood drive or other blood donor recruitment campaign. Any program so established shall begin with students entering grade 9 in the 1993-1994 school year or later. The amount of credit given for program participation shall not exceed that given for completion of one semester of language arts, math, science or social studies.

(b) Any community service performed as part of a course for which credit is given towards graduation shall not qualify under a volunteer service credit program. Any service for which a student is paid shall not qualify under a volunteer service credit program. Any community work assigned as a disciplinary measure shall not qualify under a volunteer service credit program. Community service performed as part of the prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma under subsection (b) of Section 27-22 of this Code qualifies under a volunteer service credit program if the community service otherwise qualifies under this subsection (b).

(c) School districts that establish volunteer service credit programs shall establish any necessary rules, regulations and procedures.

(Source: P.A. 93-547, eff. 8-19-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-22.05)

Sec. 27-22.05. Required course substitute. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article or this Code except subsection (b) of Section 27-22, a school board that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 is authorized to adopt a policy under which a student who is enrolled in any of those grades may satisfy one or more high school course or graduation requirements, including but not limited to any requirements under Section Sections 27-6 and subsection (a) of Section 27-22, by substituting for and successfully completing in place of the high school course or graduation requirement a related vocational or technical education course. A vocational or technical education course shall not qualify as a related vocational or technical education course within the meaning of this Section unless it contains at least 50% of the content of the required course or graduation requirement for which it is substituted, as determined by the State Board of Education in accordance with standards that it shall adopt and uniformly apply for purposes of this Section. No vocational or technical education course may be substituted for a required course or graduation requirement under any policy adopted by a school board as authorized in this Section unless the pupil's parent or guardian first requests the substitution and approves it in writing on forms that the school district makes available for purposes of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 88-269.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.28 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.28 new)

Sec. 8.28. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.