Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

Filed: 4/1/2014

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3940

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3940 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
52-3.25g as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g)
7    Sec. 2-3.25g. Waiver or modification of mandates within the
8School Code and administrative rules and regulations.
9    (a) In this Section:
10        "Board" means a school board or the governing board or
11    administrative district, as the case may be, for a joint
12    agreement.
13        "Eligible applicant" means a school district, joint
14    agreement made up of school districts, or regional
15    superintendent of schools on behalf of schools and programs
16    operated by the regional office of education.

 

 

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1        "Implementation date" has the meaning set forth in
2    Section 24A-2.5 of this Code.
3        "State Board" means the State Board of Education.
4    (b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this School
5Code or any other law of this State to the contrary, eligible
6applicants may petition the State Board of Education for the
7waiver or modification of the mandates of this School Code or
8of the administrative rules and regulations promulgated by the
9State Board of Education. Waivers or modifications of
10administrative rules and regulations and modifications of
11mandates of this School Code may be requested when an eligible
12applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the
13rule or mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical
14manner or when necessary to stimulate innovation or improve
15student performance. Waivers of mandates of the School Code may
16be requested when the waivers are necessary to stimulate
17innovation or improve student performance. Waivers may not be
18requested from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to
19special education, teacher certification, teacher tenure and
20seniority, or Section 5-2.1 of this Code or from compliance
21with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110).
22Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, waivers or
23modifications may not be requested from laws, rules, and
24regulations pertaining to physical education. Eligible
25applicants may not seek a waiver or seek a modification of a
26mandate regarding the requirements for (i) student performance

 

 

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1data to be a significant factor in teacher or principal
2evaluations or (ii) for teachers and principals to be rated
3using the 4 categories of "excellent", "proficient", "needs
4improvement", or "unsatisfactory". On September 1, 2014, any
5previously authorized waiver or modification from such
6requirements shall terminate.
7    (c) Eligible applicants, as a matter of inherent managerial
8policy, and any Independent Authority established under
9Section 2-3.25f may submit an application for a waiver or
10modification authorized under this Section. Each application
11must include a written request by the eligible applicant or
12Independent Authority and must demonstrate that the intent of
13the mandate can be addressed in a more effective, efficient, or
14economical manner or be based upon a specific plan for improved
15student performance and school improvement. Any eligible
16applicant requesting a waiver or modification for the reason
17that intent of the mandate can be addressed in a more
18economical manner shall include in the application a fiscal
19analysis showing current expenditures on the mandate and
20projected savings resulting from the waiver or modification.
21Applications and plans developed by eligible applicants must be
22approved by the board or regional superintendent of schools
23applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
24regional office of education following a public hearing on the
25application and plan and the opportunity for the board or
26regional superintendent to hear testimony from staff directly

 

 

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1involved in its implementation, parents, and students. The time
2period for such testimony shall be separate from the time
3period established by the eligible applicant for public comment
4on other matters. If the applicant is a school district or
5joint agreement requesting a waiver or modification of Section
627-6 of this Code, the public hearing shall be held on a day
7other than the day on which a regular meeting of the board is
8held.
9    (c-5) If the applicant is a school district, then the
10district shall post information that sets forth the time, date,
11place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its
12Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the
13district is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver
14education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code,
15the website information shall include the proposed amount of
16the fee the district will request. All school districts must
17publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to
18the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the
19school district that sets forth the time, date, place, and
20general subject matter of the hearing. Districts requesting to
21increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in
22the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the
23district will request. If the applicant is a joint agreement or
24regional superintendent, then the joint agreement or regional
25superintendent shall post information that sets forth the time,
26date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing

 

 

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1on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing.
2If the joint agreement or regional superintendent is requesting
3to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized
4pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website
5information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the
6applicant will request. All joint agreements and regional
7superintendents must publish a notice of the public hearing at
8least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general
9circulation in each school district that is a member of the
10joint agreement or that is served by the educational service
11region that sets forth the time, date, place, and general
12subject matter of the hearing, provided that a notice appearing
13in a newspaper generally circulated in more than one school
14district shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement with
15respect to all of the affected districts. Joint agreements or
16regional superintendents requesting to increase the fee
17charged for driver education shall include in the published
18notice the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will
19request. The eligible applicant must notify in writing the
20affected exclusive collective bargaining agent and those State
21legislators representing the eligible applicant's territory of
22its intent to seek approval of a waiver or modification and of
23the hearing to be held to take testimony from staff. The
24affected exclusive collective bargaining agents shall be
25notified of such public hearing at least 7 days prior to the
26date of the hearing and shall be allowed to attend such public

 

 

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1hearing. The eligible applicant shall attest to compliance with
2all of the notification and procedural requirements set forth
3in this Section.
4    (d) A request for a waiver or modification of
5administrative rules and regulations or for a modification of
6mandates contained in this School Code shall be submitted to
7the State Board of Education within 15 days after approval by
8the board or regional superintendent of schools. The
9application as submitted to the State Board of Education shall
10include a description of the public hearing. Except with
11respect to contracting for adaptive driver education, an
12eligible applicant wishing to request a modification or waiver
13of administrative rules of the State Board of Education
14regarding contracting with a commercial driver training school
15to provide the course of study authorized under Section 27-24.2
16of this Code must provide evidence with its application that
17the commercial driver training school with which it will
18contract holds a license issued by the Secretary of State under
19Article IV of Chapter 6 of the Illinois Vehicle Code and that
20each instructor employed by the commercial driver training
21school to provide instruction to students served by the school
22district holds a valid teaching certificate or teaching
23license, as applicable, issued under the requirements of this
24Code and rules of the State Board of Education. Such evidence
25must include, but need not be limited to, a list of each
26instructor assigned to teach students served by the school

 

 

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1district, which list shall include the instructor's name,
2personal identification number as required by the State Board
3of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If the
4modification or waiver is granted, then the eligible applicant
5shall notify the State Board of Education of any changes in the
6personnel providing instruction within 15 calendar days after
7an instructor leaves the program or a new instructor is hired.
8Such notification shall include the instructor's name,
9personal identification number as required by the State Board
10of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If a
11school district maintains an Internet website, then the
12district shall post a copy of the final contract between the
13district and the commercial driver training school on the
14district's Internet website. If no Internet website exists,
15then the district shall make available the contract upon
16request. A record of all materials in relation to the
17application for contracting must be maintained by the school
18district and made available to parents and guardians upon
19request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
20number and any other personally identifying information as
21deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
22must be redacted from any public materials. Following receipt
23of the waiver or modification request, the State Board shall
24have 45 days to review the application and request. If the
25State Board fails to disapprove the application within that 45
26day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted.

 

 

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1The State Board may disapprove any request if it is not based
2upon sound educational practices, endangers the health or
3safety of students or staff, compromises equal opportunities
4for learning, or fails to demonstrate that the intent of the
5rule or mandate can be addressed in a more effective,
6efficient, or economical manner or have improved student
7performance as a primary goal. Any request disapproved by the
8State Board may be appealed to the General Assembly by the
9eligible applicant as outlined in this Section.
10    A request for a waiver from mandates contained in this
11School Code shall be submitted to the State Board within 15
12days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of
13schools. The application as submitted to the State Board of
14Education shall include a description of the public hearing.
15The description shall include, but need not be limited to, the
16means of notice, the number of people in attendance, the number
17of people who spoke as proponents or opponents of the waiver, a
18brief description of their comments, and whether there were any
19written statements submitted. The State Board shall review the
20applications and requests for completeness and shall compile
21the requests in reports to be filed with the General Assembly.
22The State Board shall file reports outlining the waivers
23requested by eligible applicants and appeals by eligible
24applicants of requests disapproved by the State Board with the
25Senate and the House of Representatives before each March 1 and
26October 1. The General Assembly may disapprove the report of

 

 

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1the State Board in whole or in part within 60 calendar days
2after each house of the General Assembly next convenes after
3the report is filed by adoption of a resolution by a record
4vote of the majority of members elected in each house. If the
5General Assembly fails to disapprove any waiver request or
6appealed request within such 60 day period, the waiver or
7modification shall be deemed granted. Any resolution adopted by
8the General Assembly disapproving a report of the State Board
9in whole or in part shall be binding on the State Board.
10    (e) An approved waiver or modification (except a waiver
11from or modification to a physical education mandate approved
12for school years before the 2020-2021 school year) may remain
13in effect for a period not to exceed 5 school years and may be
14renewed upon application by the eligible applicant. However,
15such waiver or modification may be changed within that 5-year
16period by a board or regional superintendent of schools
17applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
18regional office of education following the procedure as set
19forth in this Section for the initial waiver or modification
20request. If neither the State Board of Education nor the
21General Assembly disapproves, the change is deemed granted.
22    A An approved waiver from or modification to a physical
23education mandate approved for school years before the
242020-2021 school year may remain in effect for a period not to
25exceed 2 school years and may be renewed no more than 2 times
26upon application by the eligible applicant, as long as the

 

 

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1applicant's final request is submitted to the General Assembly
2no later than the spring of 2018 to ensure that the waiver, if
3approved, will expire at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
4An approved waiver from or modification to a physical education
5mandate may be changed within the 2-year period by the board or
6regional superintendent of schools, whichever is applicable,
7following the procedure set forth in this Section for the
8initial waiver or modification request. If neither the State
9Board of Education nor the General Assembly disapproves, the
10change is deemed granted.
11    (f) (Blank).
12(Source: P.A. 97-1025, eff. 1-1-13; 98-513, eff. 1-1-14.)".