96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB0631

 

Introduced 2/6/2009, by Sen. John J. Cullerton

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/26-1   from Ch. 122, par. 26-1

    Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the compulsory school age.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
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 Section
5 26-1 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/26-1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-1)
7     Sec. 26-1. Compulsory school age-Exemptions. Whoever has
8 custody or control of any child between the the ages of 7 and
9 17 years (unless the child has already graduated from high
10 school) shall cause such child to attend some public school in
11 the district wherein the child resides the entire time it is in
12 session during the regular school term, except as provided in
13 Section 10-19.1, and during a required summer school program
14 established under Section 10-22.33B; provided, that the
15 following children shall not be required to attend the public
16 schools:
17         1. Any child attending a private or a parochial school
18     where children are taught the branches of education taught
19     to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
20     schools, and where the instruction of the child in the
21     branches of education is in the English language;
22         2. Any child who is physically or mentally unable to
23     attend school, such disability being certified to the

 

 

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1     county or district truant officer by a competent physician
2     licensed in Illinois to practice medicine and surgery in
3     all its branches, an advanced practice nurse who has a
4     written collaborative agreement with a collaborating
5     physician that authorizes the advanced practice nurse to
6     perform health examinations, a physician assistant who has
7     been delegated the authority to perform health
8     examinations by his or her supervising physician, or a
9     Christian Science practitioner residing in this State and
10     listed in the Christian Science Journal; or who is excused
11     for temporary absence for cause by the principal or teacher
12     of the school which the child attends; the exemptions in
13     this paragraph (2) do not apply to any female who is
14     pregnant or the mother of one or more children, except
15     where a female is unable to attend school due to a
16     complication arising from her pregnancy and the existence
17     of such complication is certified to the county or district
18     truant officer by a competent physician;
19         3. Any child necessarily and lawfully employed
20     according to the provisions of the law regulating child
21     labor may be excused from attendance at school by the
22     county superintendent of schools or the superintendent of
23     the public school which the child should be attending, on
24     certification of the facts by and the recommendation of the
25     school board of the public school district in which the
26     child resides. In districts having part time continuation

 

 

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1     schools, children so excused shall attend such schools at
2     least 8 hours each week;
3         4. Any child over 12 and under 14 years of age while in
4     attendance at confirmation classes;
5         5. Any child absent from a public school on a
6     particular day or days or at a particular time of day for
7     the reason that he is unable to attend classes or to
8     participate in any examination, study or work requirements
9     on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day,
10     because the tenets of his religion forbid secular activity
11     on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day.
12     Each school board shall prescribe rules and regulations
13     relative to absences for religious holidays including, but
14     not limited to, a list of religious holidays on which it
15     shall be mandatory to excuse a child; but nothing in this
16     paragraph 5 shall be construed to limit the right of any
17     school board, at its discretion, to excuse an absence on
18     any other day by reason of the observance of a religious
19     holiday. A school board may require the parent or guardian
20     of a child who is to be excused from attending school due
21     to the observance of a religious holiday to give notice,
22     not exceeding 5 days, of the child's absence to the school
23     principal or other school personnel. Any child excused from
24     attending school under this paragraph 5 shall not be
25     required to submit a written excuse for such absence after
26     returning to school; and

 

 

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1         6. Any child 16 years of age or older who (i) submits
2     to a school district evidence of necessary and lawful
3     employment pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Section and (ii)
4     is enrolled in a graduation incentives program pursuant to
5     Section 26-16 of this Code or an alternative learning
6     opportunities program established pursuant to Article 13B
7     of this Code.
8 (Source: P.A. 93-858, eff. 1-1-05; 94-350, eff. 7-28-05.)