94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB4986

 

Introduced 1/20/2006, by Rep. Donald L. Moffitt

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.80   from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.80

    Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district that offers a secondary agricultural education program that is eligible for State and federal funding must ensure that, at a minimum, the following are available to its secondary agricultural education students: (1) an instructional sequence of courses approved by the State Board of Education; (2) a State and nationally affiliated FFA chapter that is integral to instruction and is not treated as an extracurricular activity; and (3) a mechanism for ensuring the involvement of all secondary agricultural education students in formal, supervised, agricultural-experience activities and programs.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

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 2-3.80 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.80)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.80)
7     Sec. 2-3.80. (a) The General Assembly recognizes that
8 agriculture is the most basic and singularly important industry
9 in the State, that agriculture is of central importance to the
10 welfare and economic stability of the State, and that the
11 maintenance of this vital industry requires a continued source
12 of trained and qualified individuals for employment in
13 agriculture and agribusiness. The General Assembly hereby
14 declares that it is in the best interests of the people of the
15 State of Illinois that a comprehensive education program in
16 agriculture be created and maintained by the State's public
17 school system in order to ensure an adequate supply of trained
18 and skilled individuals and to ensure appropriate
19 representation of racial and ethnic groups in all phases of the
20 industry. It is the intent of the General Assembly that a State
21 program for agricultural education shall be a part of the
22 curriculum of the public school system K through adult, and
23 made readily available to all school districts which may, at
24 their option, include programs in education in agriculture as a
25 part of the curriculum of that district.
26     (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules and
27 regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of
28 this Section. The rules and regulations shall not create any
29 new State mandates on school districts as a condition of
30 receiving federal, State, and local funds by those entities. It
31 is in the intent of the General Assembly that, although this
32 Section does not create any new mandates, school districts are

 

 

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1 strongly advised to follow the guidelines set forth in this
2 Section.
3     (c) The State Superintendent of Education shall assume
4 responsibility for the administration of the State program
5 adopted under this Section throughout the public school system
6 as well as the articulation of the State program to the
7 requirements and mandates of federally assisted education.
8 There is currently within the State Board of Education an
9 agricultural education unit to assist school districts in the
10 establishment and maintenance of educational programs pursuant
11 to the provisions of this Section. The staffing of the unit
12 shall at all times be comprised of an appropriate number of
13 full-time employees who shall serve as program consultants in
14 agricultural education and shall be available to provide
15 assistance to school districts. At least one consultant shall
16 be responsible for the coordination of the State program, as
17 Head Consultant. At least one consultant shall be responsible
18 for the coordination of the activities of student and
19 agricultural organizations and associations.
20     (d) A committee of 13 agriculturalists representative of
21 the various and diverse areas of the agricultural industry in
22 Illinois shall be established to at least develop a curriculum
23 and overview the implementation of the Build Illinois through
24 Quality Agricultural Education plans of the Illinois
25 Leadership Council for Agricultural Education and to advise the
26 State Board of Education on vocational agricultural education.
27 The Committee shall be composed of the following: (6)
28 agriculturalists representing the Illinois Leadership Council
29 for Agricultural Education; (2) Secondary Agriculture
30 Teachers; (1) "Ag In The Classroom" Teacher; (1) Community
31 College Agriculture Teacher; (1) Adult Agriculture Education
32 Teacher; (1) University Agriculture Teacher Educator; and (1)
33 FFA Representative. All members of the Committee shall be
34 appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of
35 the Senate. The terms of all members so appointed shall be for
36 3 years, except that of the members initially appointed, 5

 

 

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1 shall be appointed to serve for terms of 1 year, 4 shall be
2 appointed to serve for terms of 2 years and 4 shall be
3 appointed to serve for terms of 3 years. All members of the
4 Committee shall serve until their successors are appointed and
5 qualified. Vacancies in terms shall be filled by appointment of
6 the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for the
7 extent of the unexpired term. The State Board of Education
8 shall implement a Build Illinois through Quality Agricultural
9 Education plan following receipt of these recommendations
10 which shall be made available on or before March 31, 1987.
11 Recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, the
12 development of a curriculum and a strategy for the purpose of
13 establishing a source of trained and qualified individuals in
14 agriculture, a strategy for articulating the State program in
15 agricultural education throughout the public school system,
16 and a consumer education outreach strategy regarding the
17 importance of agriculture in Illinois. The committee of
18 agriculturalists shall serve without compensation.
19     (e) A school district that offers a secondary agricultural
20 education program that is eligible for State and federal
21 funding must ensure that, at a minimum, all of the following
22 are available to its secondary agricultural education
23 students:
24         (1) An instructional sequence of courses approved by
25     the State Board of Education.
26         (2) A State and nationally affiliated FFA (Future
27     Farmers of America) chapter that is integral to instruction
28     and is not treated as an extracurricular activity.
29         (3) A mechanism for ensuring the involvement of all
30     secondary agricultural education students in formal,
31     supervised, agricultural-experience activities and
32     programs.
33 (Source: P.A. 84-1452.)