HB4239 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 16868 LNS 30278 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4239

Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-615

was 105 ILCS 5/27-22.10

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that the school board of a school district that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 is authorized to adopt a policy under which a student enrolled in grade 7 or 8 who is enrolled in the unit school district or would be enrolled in the high school district upon completion of elementary school may enroll in a required high school course, provided that the course is offered by the high school that the student would attend and the student participates in the course where the student attends school as long as the course is taught by a teacher who holds a professional educator license and endorsed for the grade level and content area of the course (instead of just as long as the course is taught by a teacher who holds a professional educator license and endorsed for the grade level and content area of the course).

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 27-615 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-615) (was 105 ILCS 5/27-22.10)

Sec. 27-615. Course credit for high school diploma.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the school board of a school district that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 is authorized to adopt a policy under which a student enrolled in grade 7 or 8 who is enrolled in the unit school district or would be enrolled in the high school district upon completion of elementary school, whichever is applicable, may enroll in a course required under Section 27-605 of this Code, provided that the course is offered by the high school that the student would attend and (i) the student participates in the course at the location of the high school and the elementary student's enrollment in the course would not prevent a high school student from being able to enroll, or (ii) the student participates in the course where the student attends school as long as the student passes the course and the end-of-course examination given at the high school granting the credit for the same course, demonstrating proficiency at the high school level, or (iii) the student participates in the course where the student attends school as long as the course is taught by a teacher who holds a professional educator license issued under Article 21B of this Code and endorsed for the grade level and content area of the course.

(b) A school board that adopts a policy pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section must grant academic credit to an elementary school student who successfully completes the high school course, and that credit shall satisfy the requirements of Section 27-605 of this Code for that course.

(c) A school board must award high school course credit to a student transferring to its school district for any course that the student successfully completed pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, unless evidence about the course's rigor and content shows that it does not address the relevant Illinois Learning Standard at the level appropriate for the high school grade during which the course is usually taken, and that credit shall satisfy the requirements of Section 27-605 of this Code for that course.

(d) A student's grade in any course successfully completed under this Section must be included in his or her grade point average in accordance with the school board's policy for making that calculation.

(Source: P.A. 104-267, eff. 1-1-26; 104-391, eff. 8-15-25; revised 9-24-25.)