Full Text of SB0704 100th General Assembly
SB0704 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018 SB0704 Introduced 1/30/2017, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| 105 ILCS 5/2-3.170 new | | 105 ILCS 5/10-22.6 | from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6 |
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Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education is, subject to appropriation, authorized to award competitive grants under a Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Program. Provides that under the program, selected school districts must reallocate funding for school-based law enforcement personnel in some or all of their schools to other evidence-based and promising practices designed to promote school safety and healthy learning environments, including, but not limited to, restorative justice programs; increased use of school psychologists, social workers, and other mental and behavioral health specialists; drug and alcohol treatment services; wraparound services for youth; and training for school staff on conflict resolution techniques and other disciplinary alternatives. Provides that the program shall match the amount that is reallocated from school-based law enforcement personnel to alternative methods of addressing student behavior on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Prohibits grant funds from being used to increase the use of school-based security personnel. Provides for an annual report to update progress on the Program. Prohibits arrest or being otherwise cited for a criminal offense committed during school hours while on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school activities or sanctioned events except in certain circumstances.
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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 | | 10-22.6 and by adding Section 2-3.170 as follows: | 6 | | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.170 new) | 7 | | Sec. 2-3.170. Safe Schools and Healthy Learning | 8 | | Environments Program. | 9 | | (a) The General Assembly recognizes that (i) many K-12 | 10 | | students around the State are arrested in school and sent into | 11 | | the justice system, often for minor offenses that do not pose a | 12 | | serious threat to school safety; (ii) many schools across the | 13 | | State have become overly reliant on law enforcement personnel | 14 | | to handle routine school disciplinary matters; (iii) many | 15 | | student behaviors that result in arrest in some schools are | 16 | | addressed without involving the justice system in others; (iv) | 17 | | the over-criminalization of K-12 students has had significant | 18 | | negative consequences for students, families, and entire | 19 | | communities; (v) these dynamics, known as the | 20 | | "school-to-prison pipeline", have disproportionately affected | 21 | | students of color; (vi) these practices impose substantial | 22 | | economic costs on both localities and the State overall; (vii) | 23 | | the use of school-based law enforcement has not been proven |
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| 1 | | effective as a strategy to promote safe and productive schools; | 2 | | and (viii) eliminating unnecessary school-based arrests and | 3 | | law enforcement presence in school while promoting the use of | 4 | | developmentally appropriate alternatives will protect school | 5 | | safety, improve school climate, raise academic achievement, | 6 | | and save taxpayer dollars. | 7 | | (b) The State Board of Education, subject to appropriation, | 8 | | is authorized to award competitive grants under a Safe Schools | 9 | | and Healthy Learning Environments Program. Under this program, | 10 | | selected school districts must reallocate funding for | 11 | | school-based law enforcement personnel in some or all of their | 12 | | schools to other evidence-based and promising practices | 13 | | designed to promote school safety and healthy learning | 14 | | environments, including, but not limited to, restorative | 15 | | justice programs; increased use of school psychologists, | 16 | | social workers, and other mental and behavioral health | 17 | | specialists; drug and alcohol treatment services; wraparound | 18 | | services for youth; and training for school staff on conflict | 19 | | resolution techniques and other disciplinary alternatives. To | 20 | | apply for a grant under the program, school districts shall | 21 | | submit applications that outline their plans for reallocating | 22 | | their funds, including the total amount of funds to be | 23 | | reallocated. Subject to the availability of funds, for grant | 24 | | recipients, the Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments | 25 | | Program shall match the amount that is reallocated from | 26 | | school-based law enforcement personnel to alternative methods |
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| 1 | | of addressing student behavior on a dollar-for-dollar basis. | 2 | | Grant funds shall be used only to fund alternatives to | 3 | | school-based arrests and law enforcement presence in schools. | 4 | | Grant funds shall not be used to increase the use of | 5 | | school-based security personnel. Grant funds may be used to | 6 | | transition from school-based law enforcement personnel to | 7 | | alternative patrol structures. Nothing in this Section shall | 8 | | prohibit school districts from involving law enforcement | 9 | | personnel when necessary and allowed by law. | 10 | | (c) The State Board of Education shall annually disseminate | 11 | | a request for applications to this program and funds shall be | 12 | | distributed annually. The criteria to be considered by the | 13 | | State Board of Education in awarding funds shall be (i) the | 14 | | demonstrated need for the funds, as indicated by past use of | 15 | | school-based arrests; the substantial presence of school-based | 16 | | law enforcement personnel; and the targeted schools being | 17 | | located in historically under-resourced communities and (ii) | 18 | | the degree to which the proposal fulfills the goals of this | 19 | | Section. | 20 | | (d) The State Superintendent of Education, in cooperation | 21 | | with the school districts participating in the program, shall | 22 | | submit an annual report to the General Assembly on the results | 23 | | of the program, including the progress being made in reducing | 24 | | both unnecessary school-based arrests and the over-reliance on | 25 | | school-based law enforcement to address school disciplinary | 26 | | matters, and the effects of the program on school safety and |
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| 1 | | school climate. | 2 | | (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules | 3 | | necessary for the implementation of this program.
| 4 | | (105 ILCS 5/10-22.6) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.6)
| 5 | | Sec. 10-22.6. Suspension or expulsion of pupils; school | 6 | | searches.
| 7 | | (a) To expel pupils guilty of gross disobedience or | 8 | | misconduct, including gross disobedience or misconduct | 9 | | perpetuated by electronic means, pursuant to subsection (b-20) | 10 | | of this Section, and
no action shall lie against them for such | 11 | | expulsion. Expulsion shall
take place only after the parents | 12 | | have been requested to appear at a
meeting of the board, or | 13 | | with a hearing officer appointed by it, to
discuss their | 14 | | child's behavior. Such request shall be made by registered
or | 15 | | certified mail and shall state the time, place and purpose of | 16 | | the
meeting. The board, or a hearing officer appointed by it, | 17 | | at such
meeting shall state the reasons for dismissal and the | 18 | | date on which the
expulsion is to become effective. If a | 19 | | hearing officer is appointed by
the board he shall report to | 20 | | the board a written summary of the evidence
heard at the | 21 | | meeting and the board may take such action thereon as it
finds | 22 | | appropriate. If the board acts to expel a pupil, the written | 23 | | expulsion decision shall detail the specific reasons why | 24 | | removing the pupil from the learning environment is in the best | 25 | | interest of the school. The expulsion decision shall also |
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| 1 | | include a rationale as to the specific duration of the | 2 | | expulsion. An expelled pupil may be immediately transferred to | 3 | | an alternative program in the manner provided in Article 13A or | 4 | | 13B of this Code. A pupil must not be denied transfer because | 5 | | of the expulsion, except in cases in which such transfer is | 6 | | deemed to cause a threat to the safety of students or staff in | 7 | | the alternative program.
| 8 | | (b) To suspend or by policy to authorize the superintendent | 9 | | of
the district or the principal, assistant principal, or dean | 10 | | of students
of any school to suspend pupils guilty of gross | 11 | | disobedience or misconduct, or
to suspend pupils guilty of | 12 | | gross disobedience or misconduct on the school bus
from riding | 13 | | the school bus, pursuant to subsections (b-15) and (b-20) of | 14 | | this Section, and no action
shall lie against them for such | 15 | | suspension. The board may by policy
authorize the | 16 | | superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
| 17 | | principal, or dean of students of any
school to suspend pupils | 18 | | guilty of such acts for a period not to exceed
10 school days. | 19 | | If a pupil is suspended due to gross disobedience or misconduct
| 20 | | on a school bus, the board may suspend the pupil in excess of | 21 | | 10
school
days for safety reasons. | 22 | | Any suspension shall be reported immediately to the
| 23 | | parents or guardian of a pupil along with a full statement of | 24 | | the
reasons for such suspension and a notice of their right to | 25 | | a review. The school board must be given a summary of the | 26 | | notice, including the reason for the suspension and the |
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| 1 | | suspension length. Upon request of the
parents or guardian the | 2 | | school board or a hearing officer appointed by
it shall review | 3 | | such action of the superintendent or principal, assistant
| 4 | | principal, or dean of students. At such
review the parents or | 5 | | guardian of the pupil may appear and discuss the
suspension | 6 | | with the board or its hearing officer. If a hearing officer
is | 7 | | appointed by the board he shall report to the board a written | 8 | | summary
of the evidence heard at the meeting. After its hearing | 9 | | or upon receipt
of the written report of its hearing officer, | 10 | | the board may take such
action as it finds appropriate. If a | 11 | | student is suspended pursuant to this subsection (b), the board | 12 | | shall, in the written suspension decision, detail the specific | 13 | | act of gross disobedience or misconduct resulting in the | 14 | | decision to suspend. The suspension decision shall also include | 15 | | a rationale as to the specific duration of the suspension. A | 16 | | pupil who is suspended in excess of 20 school days may be | 17 | | immediately transferred to an alternative program in the manner | 18 | | provided in Article 13A or 13B of this Code. A pupil must not | 19 | | be denied transfer because of the suspension, except in cases | 20 | | in which such transfer is deemed to cause a threat to the | 21 | | safety of students or staff in the alternative program.
| 22 | | (b-5) Among the many possible disciplinary interventions | 23 | | and consequences available to school officials, school | 24 | | exclusions, such as out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, | 25 | | are the most serious. School officials shall limit the number | 26 | | and duration of expulsions and suspensions to the greatest |
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| 1 | | extent practicable, and it is recommended that they use them | 2 | | only for legitimate educational purposes. To ensure that | 3 | | students are not excluded from school unnecessarily, it is | 4 | | recommended that school officials consider forms of | 5 | | non-exclusionary discipline prior to using out-of-school | 6 | | suspensions or expulsions. | 7 | | (b-10) Unless otherwise required by federal law or this | 8 | | Code, school boards may not institute zero-tolerance policies | 9 | | by which school administrators are required to suspend or expel | 10 | | students for particular behaviors. | 11 | | (b-15) Out-of-school suspensions of 3 days or less may be | 12 | | used only if the student's continuing presence in school would | 13 | | pose a threat to school safety or a disruption to other | 14 | | students' learning opportunities. For purposes of this | 15 | | subsection (b-15), "threat to school safety or a disruption to | 16 | | other students' learning opportunities" shall be determined on | 17 | | a case-by-case basis by the school board or its designee. | 18 | | School officials shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve | 19 | | such threats, address such disruptions, and minimize the length | 20 | | of suspensions to the greatest extent practicable. | 21 | | (b-20) Unless otherwise required by this Code, | 22 | | out-of-school suspensions of longer than 3 days, expulsions, | 23 | | and disciplinary removals to alternative schools may be used | 24 | | only if other appropriate and available behavioral and | 25 | | disciplinary interventions have been exhausted and the | 26 | | student's continuing presence in school would either (i) pose a
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| 1 | | threat to the safety of other students, staff, or members of
| 2 | | the school community or (ii) substantially disrupt, impede, or
| 3 | | interfere with the operation of the school. For purposes of | 4 | | this subsection (b-20), "threat to the safety of other | 5 | | students, staff, or members of the school community" and | 6 | | "substantially disrupt, impede, or interfere with the | 7 | | operation of the school" shall be determined on a case-by-case | 8 | | basis by school officials. For purposes of this subsection | 9 | | (b-20), the determination of whether "appropriate and | 10 | | available behavioral and disciplinary interventions have been | 11 | | exhausted" shall be made by school officials. School officials | 12 | | shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve such threats, | 13 | | address such disruptions, and minimize the length of student | 14 | | exclusions to the greatest extent practicable. Within the | 15 | | suspension decision described in subsection (b) of this Section | 16 | | or the expulsion decision described in subsection (a) of this | 17 | | Section, it shall be documented whether other interventions | 18 | | were attempted or whether it was determined that there were no | 19 | | other appropriate and available interventions. | 20 | | (b-25) Students who are suspended out-of-school for longer | 21 | | than 4 school days shall be provided appropriate and available | 22 | | support services during the period of their suspension. For | 23 | | purposes of this subsection (b-25), "appropriate and available | 24 | | support services" shall be determined by school authorities. | 25 | | Within the suspension decision described in subsection (b) of | 26 | | this Section, it shall be documented whether such services are |
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| 1 | | to be provided or whether it was determined that there are no | 2 | | such appropriate and available services. | 3 | | A school district may refer students who are expelled to | 4 | | appropriate and available support services. | 5 | | A school district shall create a policy to facilitate the | 6 | | re-engagement of students who are suspended out-of-school, | 7 | | expelled, or returning from an alternative school setting. | 8 | | (b-30) A school district shall create a policy by which | 9 | | suspended pupils, including those pupils suspended from the | 10 | | school bus who do not have alternate transportation to school, | 11 | | shall have the opportunity to make up work for equivalent | 12 | | academic credit. It shall be the responsibility of a pupil's | 13 | | parent or guardian to notify school officials that a pupil | 14 | | suspended from the school bus does not have alternate | 15 | | transportation to school. | 16 | | (c) The Department of Human Services
shall be invited to | 17 | | send a representative to consult with the board at
such meeting | 18 | | whenever there is evidence that mental illness may be the
cause | 19 | | for expulsion or suspension.
| 20 | | (c-5) School districts shall make reasonable efforts to | 21 | | provide ongoing professional development to teachers, | 22 | | administrators, school board members, school resource | 23 | | officers, and staff on the adverse consequences of school | 24 | | exclusion and justice-system involvement, effective classroom | 25 | | management strategies, culturally responsive discipline, and | 26 | | developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote |
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| 1 | | positive and healthy school climates. | 2 | | (d) The board may expel a student for a definite period of | 3 | | time not to
exceed 2 calendar years, as determined on a case by | 4 | | case basis.
A student who
is determined to have brought one of | 5 | | the following objects to school, any school-sponsored activity
| 6 | | or event, or any activity or event that bears a reasonable | 7 | | relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not | 8 | | less than
one year: | 9 | | (1) A firearm. For the purposes of this Section, | 10 | | "firearm" means any gun, rifle, shotgun, weapon as defined | 11 | | by Section 921 of Title 18 of the United States Code, | 12 | | firearm as defined in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners | 13 | | Identification Card Act, or firearm as defined in Section | 14 | | 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012. The expulsion period | 15 | | under this subdivision (1) may be modified by the | 16 | | superintendent, and the superintendent's determination may | 17 | | be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis. | 18 | | (2) A knife, brass knuckles or other knuckle weapon | 19 | | regardless of its composition, a billy club, or any other | 20 | | object if used or attempted to be used to cause bodily | 21 | | harm, including "look alikes" of any firearm as defined in | 22 | | subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). The expulsion | 23 | | requirement under this subdivision (2) may be modified by | 24 | | the superintendent, and the superintendent's determination | 25 | | may be modified by the board on a case-by-case basis. | 26 | | Expulsion
or suspension
shall be construed in a
manner |
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| 1 | | consistent with the Federal Individuals with Disabilities | 2 | | Education
Act. A student who is subject to suspension or | 3 | | expulsion as provided in this
Section may be eligible for a | 4 | | transfer to an alternative school program in
accordance with | 5 | | Article 13A of the School Code.
| 6 | | (d-5) The board may suspend or by regulation
authorize the | 7 | | superintendent of the district or the principal, assistant
| 8 | | principal, or dean of students of any
school to suspend a | 9 | | student for a period not to exceed
10 school days or may expel | 10 | | a student for a definite period of time not to
exceed 2 | 11 | | calendar years, as determined on a case by case basis, if (i) | 12 | | that student has been determined to have made an explicit | 13 | | threat on an Internet website against a school employee, a | 14 | | student, or any school-related personnel, (ii) the Internet | 15 | | website through which the threat was made is a site that was | 16 | | accessible within the school at the time the threat was made or | 17 | | was available to third parties who worked or studied within the | 18 | | school grounds at the time the threat was made, and (iii) the | 19 | | threat could be reasonably interpreted as threatening to the | 20 | | safety and security of the threatened individual because of his | 21 | | or her duties or employment status or status as a student | 22 | | inside the school.
| 23 | | (e) To maintain order and security in the schools, school | 24 | | authorities may
inspect and search places and areas such as | 25 | | lockers, desks, parking lots, and
other school property and | 26 | | equipment owned or controlled by the school, as well
as |
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| 1 | | personal effects left in those places and areas by students, | 2 | | without notice
to or the consent of the student, and without a | 3 | | search warrant. As a matter of
public policy, the General | 4 | | Assembly finds that students have no reasonable
expectation of | 5 | | privacy in these places and areas or in their personal effects
| 6 | | left in these places and areas. School authorities may request | 7 | | the assistance
of law enforcement officials for the purpose of | 8 | | conducting inspections and
searches of lockers, desks, parking | 9 | | lots, and other school property and
equipment owned or | 10 | | controlled by the school for illegal drugs, weapons, or
other
| 11 | | illegal or dangerous substances or materials, including | 12 | | searches conducted
through the use of specially trained dogs. | 13 | | If a search conducted in accordance
with this Section produces | 14 | | evidence that the student has violated or is
violating either | 15 | | the law, local ordinance, or the school's policies or rules,
| 16 | | such evidence may be seized by school authorities, and | 17 | | disciplinary action may
be taken. School authorities may also | 18 | | turn over such evidence to law
enforcement authorities.
| 19 | | (f) Suspension or expulsion may include suspension or | 20 | | expulsion from
school and all school activities and a | 21 | | prohibition from being present on school
grounds.
| 22 | | (g) A school district may adopt a policy providing that if | 23 | | a student
is suspended or expelled for any reason from any | 24 | | public or private school
in this or any other state, the | 25 | | student must complete the entire term of
the suspension or | 26 | | expulsion in an alternative school program under Article 13A of |
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| 1 | | this Code or an alternative learning opportunities program | 2 | | under Article 13B of this Code before being admitted into the | 3 | | school
district if there is no threat to the safety of students | 4 | | or staff in the alternative program.
| 5 | | (h) School officials shall not advise or encourage students | 6 | | to drop out voluntarily due to behavioral or academic | 7 | | difficulties. | 8 | | (i) A student may not be issued a monetary fine or fee as a | 9 | | disciplinary consequence, though this shall not preclude | 10 | | requiring a student to provide restitution for lost, stolen, or | 11 | | damaged property. | 12 | | (i-5) A student may not be arrested or otherwise cited for | 13 | | a criminal offense committed during school hours while on | 14 | | school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school activities or | 15 | | sanctioned events unless: | 16 | | (1) the offense would constitute a felony, if committed | 17 | | outside of the school setting, in one of the classes | 18 | | defined in the Criminal Code of 2012; | 19 | | (2) the offense involved an act of physical violence | 20 | | against another person or resulted in a serious bodily | 21 | | injury to that person, and the arrest of the student is | 22 | | necessary to avoid an ongoing threat to the physical safety | 23 | | of other members of the school community; | 24 | | (3) the offense involved the use of a firearm; or | 25 | | (4) the offense involved an act of criminal sexual | 26 | | abuse. |
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| 1 | | While the option to use justice-system interventions is | 2 | | available under these conditions, they shall only be used as a | 3 | | last resort, when there are no other options for safely and | 4 | | appropriately handling the situation. | 5 | | School employees and officials retain their authority and | 6 | | discretion under law to address offenses not specified within | 7 | | items (1) through (4) of this subsection (i-5) through the | 8 | | school disciplinary process. Nothing in this subsection (i-5) | 9 | | shall limit the rights and duties of teachers, school | 10 | | administrators, other school district employees, and law | 11 | | enforcement officers from reporting and responding to criminal | 12 | | conduct by any individual who is not a student under the school | 13 | | district's jurisdiction. | 14 | | (j) Subsections (a) through (i-5) (i) of this Section shall | 15 | | apply to elementary and secondary schools, charter schools, | 16 | | special charter districts, and school districts organized | 17 | | under Article 34 of this Code. | 18 | | (Source: P.A. 99-456, eff. 9-15-16 .)
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