093_HB0205ham001

 










                                     LRB093 04208 NHT 11097 a

 1                     AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 205

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill  205  by  replacing
 3    the title with the following:
 4        "AN  ACT  concerning schools, which may be referred to as
 5    the Safe Options for Suspension Act."; and

 6    by replacing everything after the enacting  clause  with  the
 7    following:

 8        "Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended by changing
 9    Sections 10-22.6 and 34-19 as follows:

10        (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6)
11        Sec. 10-22.6. Suspension or expulsion of  pupils;  school
12    searches.
13        (a)  To  expel  pupils  guilty  of  gross disobedience or
14    misconduct, and no action shall lie  against  them  for  such
15    expulsion.  Expulsion shall take place only after the parents
16    have been requested to appear at a meeting of the  board,  or
17    with  a  hearing  officer  appointed  by it, to discuss their
18    child's behavior. Such request shall be made by registered or
19    certified mail and shall state the time, place and purpose of
20    the meeting. The board, or a hearing officer appointed by it,
21    at such meeting shall state the reasons for dismissal and the
 
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 1    date on which the expulsion is  to  become  effective.  If  a
 2    hearing  officer is appointed by the board he shall report to
 3    the board a written summary of  the  evidence  heard  at  the
 4    meeting  and  the  board  may  take such action thereon as it
 5    finds appropriate.
 6        (b)  To  suspend  or  by  regulation  to  authorize   the
 7    superintendent  of  the  district or the principal, assistant
 8    principal, or dean of  students  of  any  school  to  suspend
 9    pupils  guilty  of  gross  disobedience  or misconduct, or to
10    suspend pupils guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct  on
11    the  school  bus  from  riding  the school bus, and no action
12    shall lie against them for such suspension. The board may  by
13    regulation  authorize  the  superintendent of the district or
14    the principal, assistant principal, or dean  of  students  of
15    any school to suspend pupils guilty of such acts for a period
16    not  to exceed 10 school days. If a pupil is suspended due to
17    gross disobedience or misconduct on a school bus,  the  board
18    may  suspend the pupil in excess of 10 school days for safety
19    reasons.  Any suspension shall be reported immediately to the
20    parents or guardian of such pupil along with a full statement
21    of the reasons for such suspension  and  a  notice  of  their
22    right  to  a  review,  a  copy of which shall be given to the
23    school board. Upon request of the  parents  or  guardian  the
24    school  board  or  a  hearing  officer  appointed by it shall
25    review  such  action  of  the  superintendent  or  principal,
26    assistant principal, or dean of students.  At such review the
27    parents or guardian of the pupil may appear and  discuss  the
28    suspension  with  the  board  or  its  hearing  officer. If a
29    hearing officer is appointed by the board he shall report  to
30    the  board  a  written  summary  of the evidence heard at the
31    meeting. After its hearing or upon  receipt  of  the  written
32    report of its hearing officer, the board may take such action
33    as it finds appropriate.
34        Each   school   board  shall  compile  a  list  of  local
 
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 1    facilities and organizations that have an  education  program
 2    that a suspended student can attend during the period of time
 3    of  his  or her suspension. A copy of the list shall be filed
 4    with the State Board of Education.  The  suspension  may  not
 5    take  effect  until the school board provides the student and
 6    the student's parents or guardian with a copy of the list and
 7    an official notice of suspension that may  be  shown  to  the
 8    education program that the student is to attend to prove that
 9    the student is not a truant.
10        (c)  The Department of Human Services shall be invited to
11    send  a  representative  to  consult  with  the board at such
12    meeting whenever there is evidence that mental illness may be
13    the cause for expulsion or suspension.
14        (d)  The board may expel a student for a definite  period
15    of  time  not  to exceed 2 calendar years, as determined on a
16    case by case basis. A  student  who  is  determined  to  have
17    brought  a weapon to school, any school-sponsored activity or
18    event, or any activity or  event  which  bears  a  reasonable
19    relationship  to school shall be expelled for a period of not
20    less than one year, except that the expulsion period  may  be
21    modified  by  the  superintendent,  and  the superintendent's
22    determination may be modified by the board on a case by  case
23    basis.  For  the  purpose  of this Section, the term "weapon"
24    means (1) possession, use, control, or transfer of  any  gun,
25    rifle, shotgun, weapon as defined by Section 921 of Title 18,
26    United  States Code, firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the
27    Firearm Owners Identification Act, or  use  of  a  weapon  as
28    defined  in  Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code, (2) any other
29    object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily  harm,
30    including  but  not  limited  to,  knives, brass knuckles, or
31    billy clubs, or (3) "look alikes" of any weapon as defined in
32    this Section. Expulsion or suspension shall be construed in a
33    manner  consistent  with   the   Federal   Individuals   with
34    Disabilities  Education  Act.  A  student  who  is subject to
 
                            -4-      LRB093 04208 NHT 11097 a
 1    suspension or expulsion as provided in this  Section  may  be
 2    eligible  for  a transfer to an alternative school program in
 3    accordance  with  Article  13A  of  the  School  Code.    The
 4    provisions  of  this  subsection  (d)  apply  in  all  school
 5    districts,  including special charter districts and districts
 6    organized under Article 34.
 7        (e)  To maintain  order  and  security  in  the  schools,
 8    school  authorities  may  inspect and search places and areas
 9    such as  lockers,  desks,  parking  lots,  and  other  school
10    property  and equipment owned or controlled by the school, as
11    well as personal effects left in those places  and  areas  by
12    students,  without  notice  to or the consent of the student,
13    and without a search warrant.  As a matter of public  policy,
14    the  General  Assembly finds that students have no reasonable
15    expectation of privacy in these places and areas or in  their
16    personal  effects  left  in  these  places and areas.  School
17    authorities may request the  assistance  of  law  enforcement
18    officials  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  inspections and
19    searches of lockers, desks, parking lots,  and  other  school
20    property  and equipment owned or controlled by the school for
21    illegal  drugs,  weapons,  or  other  illegal  or   dangerous
22    substances or materials, including searches conducted through
23    the  use of specially trained dogs.  If a search conducted in
24    accordance with  this  Section  produces  evidence  that  the
25    student  has  violated  or is violating either the law, local
26    ordinance, or the school's policies or rules,  such  evidence
27    may  be seized by school authorities, and disciplinary action
28    may be taken.  School authorities may  also  turn  over  such
29    evidence  to  law enforcement authorities.  The provisions of
30    this subsection (e) apply in all school districts,  including
31    special  charter  districts  and  districts  organized  under
32    Article 34.
33        (f)  Suspension  or  expulsion  may include suspension or
34    expulsion  from  school  and  all  school  activities  and  a
 
                            -5-      LRB093 04208 NHT 11097 a
 1    prohibition from being present on school grounds.
 2        (g)  A school district may adopt a policy providing  that
 3    if a student is suspended or expelled for any reason from any
 4    public  or  private  school  in  this or any other state, the
 5    student must complete the entire term of  the  suspension  or
 6    expulsion  before  being  admitted  into the school district.
 7    This  policy  may  allow  placement  of  the  student  in  an
 8    alternative school program established under Article  13A  of
 9    this  Code, if available, for the remainder of the suspension
10    or expulsion.  This subsection  (g)  applies  to  all  school
11    districts,  including special charter districts and districts
12    organized under Article 34 of this Code.
13    (Source: P.A. 92-64, eff. 7-12-01.)

14        (105 ILCS 5/34-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-19)
15        Sec. 34-19.  By-laws,  rules  and  regulations;  business
16    transacted  at  regular  meetings; voting; records. The board
17    shall, subject to the limitations in this Article,  establish
18    by-laws, rules and regulations, which shall have the force of
19    ordinances, for the proper maintenance of a uniform system of
20    discipline  for both employees and pupils, and for the entire
21    management of the schools, and may  fix  the  school  age  of
22    pupils,  the  minimum  of which in kindergartens shall not be
23    under 4 years and in grade  schools  shall  not  be  under  6
24    years.  It  may expel, suspend or, subject to the limitations
25    of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05,
26    otherwise  discipline  any  pupil  found  guilty   of   gross
27    disobedience,  misconduct  or other violation of the by-laws,
28    rules and regulations. The board  shall  compile  a  list  of
29    local  facilities  and  organizations  that have an education
30    program that a suspended student can attend during the period
31    of time of his or her suspension. A copy of the list shall be
32    filed with the State Board of Education. The  suspension  may
33    not  take effect until the board provides the student and the
 
                            -6-      LRB093 04208 NHT 11097 a
 1    student's parents or guardian with a copy of the list and  an
 2    official  notice  of  suspension  that  may  be  shown to the
 3    education program that the student is to attend to prove that
 4    the  student  is  not  a  truant.    The  bylaws,  rules  and
 5    regulations of the board shall be  enacted,  money  shall  be
 6    appropriated or expended, salaries shall be fixed or changed,
 7    and  textbooks and courses of instruction shall be adopted or
 8    changed only at the regular meetings of the board  and  by  a
 9    vote  of  a  majority  of  the  full membership of the board;
10    provided that notwithstanding any  other  provision  of  this
11    Article  or  the  School Code, neither the board or any local
12    school council may purchase  any  textbook  for  use  in  any
13    public  school  of  the  district from any textbook publisher
14    that fails to furnish  any  computer  diskettes  as  required
15    under Section 28-21. The board shall be further encouraged to
16    provide opportunities for public hearing and testimony before
17    the  adoption  of  bylaws,  rules  and  regulations. Upon all
18    propositions requiring for their adoption at least a majority
19    of all the members of the board the yeas and  nays  shall  be
20    taken and reported. The by-laws, rules and regulations of the
21    board shall not be repealed, amended or added to, except by a
22    vote  of  2/3  of the full membership of the board. The board
23    shall keep a record of all its proceedings.  Such records and
24    all by-laws, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, may  be
25    proved  by  a  copy  thereof  certified  to  be  such  by the
26    secretary of the board, but if they are printed  in  book  or
27    pamphlet   form  which  are  purported  to  be  published  by
28    authority of the board they need not be  otherwise  published
29    and  the  book  or  pamphlet  shall  be received as evidence,
30    without further proof, of the  records,  by-laws,  rules  and
31    regulations,  or any part thereof, as of the dates thereof as
32    shown in such book or pamphlet,  in  all  courts  and  places
33    where judicial proceedings are had.
34        Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article or in
 
                            -7-      LRB093 04208 NHT 11097 a
 1    the  School  Code,  the  board  may  delegate  to the general
 2    superintendent or to the attorney the authorities granted  to
 3    the  board  in  the School Code, provided such delegation and
 4    appropriate oversight procedures are made pursuant  to  board
 5    by-laws,  rules  and regulations, adopted as herein provided,
 6    except that the board may not delegate  its  authorities  and
 7    responsibilities  regarding  (1) budget approval obligations;
 8    (2) rule-making functions; (3) desegregation obligations; (4)
 9    real estate acquisition, sale or lease in excess of 10  years
10    as  provided  in Section 34-21; (5) the levy of taxes; or (6)
11    any mandates imposed upon the board by "An Act in relation to
12    school reform in cities over 500,000,  amending  Acts  herein
13    named", approved December 12, 1988 (P.A. 85-1418).
14    (Source: P.A. 88-45; 89-15, eff. 5-30-95.)

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