Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

SCHOOLS
(105 ILCS 5/) School Code.

105 ILCS 5/26-3d

    (105 ILCS 5/26-3d) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-3d)
    Sec. 26-3d. All regional superintendents, district superintendents, and special education joint agreement directors shall collect data concerning truants, chronic truants, and truant minor pupils as designated by the State Board of Education. On or before August 15 of each year, this data must be submitted to the State Board of Education.
(Source: P.A. 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)

105 ILCS 5/26-4

    (105 ILCS 5/26-4)
    Sec. 26-4. (Repealed).
(Source: Repealed by P.A. 88-50.)

105 ILCS 5/26-5

    (105 ILCS 5/26-5) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-5)
    Sec. 26-5. Duties of truant officers.
    The truant officer of the school district, whenever notified by the Superintendent, teacher, or other person of violations of this Article, or the county truant officer, when notified by the County Superintendent, shall investigate all cases of truancy or non-attendance at school in their respective jurisdictions, and if the children complained of are not exempt under the provisions of this Article, the truant officer shall proceed as is provided in this Article. The county truant officer, within the county and the district truant officers, within their respective districts, shall in the exercise of their duties be conservators of the peace and shall keep the same, suppress riots, routs, affray, fighting, breaches of the peace, and prevent crime; and may arrest offenders on view and cause them to be brought before proper officials for trial or examination.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)

105 ILCS 5/26-6

    (105 ILCS 5/26-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-6)
    Sec. 26-6. List and reports in districts employing truant officers.
    In school districts which employ truant officers the clerk or secretary of the school board shall at the beginning of each school year furnish a copy of the last school census to the superintendent of schools (or principal teacher) in the district, together with the names and addresses of the truant officers in the district, and the superintendent, (or principal teacher) shall compare the census list with the enrollment of the school or schools and, from time to time, report to the proper truant officers the names and addresses of persons having custody or control of children included under the provisions of this Article who are truant or who are chronic or habitual truants for whom supportive services and other school resources have failed to correct the truant behavior and who are not in regular attendance at public schools and also the names of persons having custody or control of children who are not in regular attendance at school and whose names are not included in the census list.
(Source: P.A. 80-908.)

105 ILCS 5/26-7

    (105 ILCS 5/26-7) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-7)
    Sec. 26-7. Notice to custodian-Notice of non-compliance. If any person fails to send any child under his custody or control to some lawful school, the truant officer or, in a school district that does not have a truant officer, the regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee shall, as soon as practicable after he is notified thereof, give notice in person or by mail to such person that such child shall be present at the proper public school on the day following the receipt of such notice. The notice shall state the date that attendance at school must begin and that such attendance must be continuous and consecutive in the district during the remainder of the school year. The truant officer or, in a school district that does not have a truant officer, the regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee shall at the same time that such notice is given notify the teacher or superintendent of the proper public school thereof and the teacher or superintendent shall notify the truant officer or regional superintendent of schools of any non-compliance therewith.
(Source: P.A. 93-858, eff. 1-1-05.)

105 ILCS 5/26-8

    (105 ILCS 5/26-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-8)
    Sec. 26-8. Determination as to compliance - Complaint in circuit court. Except for a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, a truant officer or, in a school district that does not have a truant officer, the regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee, after giving the notice provided in Section 26-7, shall determine whether the notice has been complied with. If 3 notices have been given and the notices have not been complied with, and if the persons having custody or control have knowingly and willfully permitted the truant behavior to continue, the regional superintendent of schools, or his or her designee, of the school district where the child resides shall conduct a truancy hearing. If the regional superintendent determines as a result of the hearing that the child is truant, the regional superintendent shall, if age appropriate at the discretion of the regional superintendent, require the student to complete 20 to 40 hours of community service over a period of 90 days. If the truancy persists, the regional superintendent shall (i) make complaint against the persons having custody or control to the state's attorney or in the circuit court in the county where such person resides for failure to comply with the provisions of this Article or (ii) conduct truancy mediation and encourage the student to enroll in a graduation incentives program under Section 26-16 of this Code. If, however, after giving the notice provided in Section 26-7 the truant behavior has continued, and the child is beyond the control of the parents, guardians or custodians, a truancy petition shall be filed under the provisions of Article III of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
(Source: P.A. 102-456, eff. 1-1-22.)

105 ILCS 5/26-8a

    (105 ILCS 5/26-8a) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-8a)
    Sec. 26-8a. The petition for court action shall include the name of the truant minor, the names and addresses of persons having custody or control of the student, the dates of the truant behavior, the dates and nature of contacts or conferences with the student and the persons having custody or control of the student, and the nature of the supportive services, alternative programs and other school resources the school district provided to that child in an effort to correct that child's truant behavior.
(Source: P.A. 80-908.)

105 ILCS 5/26-8b

    (105 ILCS 5/26-8b) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-8b)
    Sec. 26-8b. When a petition is filed, it shall be set for an adjudicatory hearing within 10 days and acted upon within 30 days, subject to the provisions of the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 if filed thereunder.
(Source: P.A. 85-1209.)

105 ILCS 5/26-9

    (105 ILCS 5/26-9) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-9)
    Sec. 26-9. School officers and teachers to assist truant officers.
    School officers, superintendents, teachers or other persons shall render such assistance and furnish such information as they have to aid truant officers in the performance of their duties.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)

105 ILCS 5/26-10

    (105 ILCS 5/26-10) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-10)
    Sec. 26-10. Fine for noncompliance.) Any person having custody or control of a child subject to the provisions of this Article to whom notice has been given of the child's truancy and who knowingly and wilfully permits such a child to persist in his truancy within that school year, upon conviction thereof shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor and shall be subject to not more than 30 days imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $500.
(Source: P.A. 80-908.)

105 ILCS 5/26-11

    (105 ILCS 5/26-11) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-11)
    Sec. 26-11. Punishment for certain offenses.
    Any person who induces or attempts to induce any child to be absent from school unlawfully, or who knowingly employs or harbors, while school is in session, any child absent unlawfully from school for 3 consecutive school days, is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 77-2267.)

105 ILCS 5/26-12

    (105 ILCS 5/26-12) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-12)
    Sec. 26-12. Punitive action.
    (a) No punitive action, including out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, or court action, shall be taken against truant minors for such truancy unless appropriate and available supportive services and other school resources have been provided to the student. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10-22.6 of this Code, a truant minor may not be expelled for nonattendance unless he or she has accrued 15 consecutive days of absences without valid cause and the student cannot be located by the school district or the school district has located the student but cannot, after exhausting all available supportive services, compel the student to return to school.
    (b) A school district may not refer a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, as defined under Section 1-206 of the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, for that local public entity to issue the child a fine or a fee as punishment for his or her truancy.
    (c) A school district may refer any person having custody or control of a truant, chronic truant, or truant minor to any other local public entity, as defined under Section 1-206 of the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, for that local public entity to issue the person a fine or fee for the child's truancy only if the school district's truant officer, regional office of education, or intermediate service center has been notified of the truant behavior and the school district, regional office of education, or intermediate service center has offered all appropriate and available supportive services and other school resources to the child. Before a school district may refer a person having custody or control of a child to a municipality, as defined under Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code, the school district must provide the following appropriate and available services:
        (1) For any child who is a homeless child, as defined
    
under Section 1-5 of the Education for Homeless Children Act, a meeting between the child, the person having custody or control of the child, relevant school personnel, and a homeless liaison to discuss any barriers to the child's attendance due to the child's transitional living situation and to construct a plan that removes these barriers.
        (2) For any child with a documented disability, a
    
meeting between the child, the person having custody or control of the child, and relevant school personnel to review the child's current needs and address the appropriateness of the child's placement and services. For any child subject to Article 14 of this Code, this meeting shall be an individualized education program meeting and shall include relevant members of the individualized education program team. For any child with a disability under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), this meeting shall be a Section 504 plan review and include relevant members of the Section 504 plan team.
        (3) For any child currently being evaluated by a
    
school district for a disability or for whom the school has a basis of knowledge that the child is a child with a disability under 20 U.S.C. 1415(k)(5), the completion of the evaluation and determination of the child's eligibility for special education services.
    (d) Before a school district may refer a person having custody or control of a child to a local public entity under this Section, the school district must document any appropriate and available supportive services offered to the child. In the event a meeting under this Section does not occur, a school district must have documentation that it made reasonable efforts to convene the meeting at a mutually convenient time and date for the school district and the person having custody or control of the child and, but for the conduct of that person, the meeting would have occurred.
(Source: P.A. 100-810, eff. 1-1-19; 100-825, eff. 8-13-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

105 ILCS 5/26-13

    (105 ILCS 5/26-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-13)
    Sec. 26-13. Absenteeism and truancy policies. School districts shall adopt policies, consistent with rules adopted by the State Board of Education and Section 22-92, which identify the appropriate supportive services and available resources which are provided for truants and chronic truants.
(Source: P.A. 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

105 ILCS 5/26-14

    (105 ILCS 5/26-14) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-14)
    Sec. 26-14. Truancy programs for dropouts. Any dropout, as defined in Section 26-2a, who is 17 years of age may apply to a school district for status as a truant, and the school district shall permit such person to participate in the district's various programs and resources for truants. At the time of the person's application, the district may request documentation of his dropout status for the previous 6 months.
(Source: P.A. 93-858, eff. 1-1-05.)

105 ILCS 5/26-15

    (105 ILCS 5/26-15) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-15)
    Sec. 26-15. Truant minors. When a regional superintendent has reason to believe that a pupil is a truant minor as defined in Section 26-2a, the regional superintendent may report such pupil under the provisions of the Juvenile Court Act.
(Source: P.A. 85-1209.)

105 ILCS 5/26-16

    (105 ILCS 5/26-16)
    Sec. 26-16. Graduation incentives program.
    (a) The General Assembly finds that it is critical to provide options for children to succeed in school. The purpose of this Section is to provide incentives for and encourage all Illinois students who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty in the traditional education system to enroll in alternative programs.
    (b) Any student who is below the age of 20 years is eligible to enroll in a graduation incentives program if he or she:
        (1) is considered a dropout pursuant to Section
    
26-2a of this Code;
        (2) has been suspended or expelled pursuant to
    
Section 10-22.6 or 34-19 of this Code;
        (3) is pregnant or is a parent;
        (4) has been assessed as chemically dependent; or
        (5) is enrolled in a bilingual education or LEP
    
program.
    (c) The following programs qualify as graduation incentives programs for students meeting the criteria established in this Section:
        (1) Any public elementary or secondary education
    
graduation incentives program established by a school district or by a regional office of education.
        (2) Any alternative learning opportunities program
    
established pursuant to Article 13B of this Code.
        (3) Vocational or job training courses approved by
    
the State Superintendent of Education that are available through the Illinois public community college system. Students may apply for reimbursement of 50% of tuition costs for one course per semester or a maximum of 3 courses per school year. Subject to available funds, students may apply for reimbursement of up to 100% of tuition costs upon a showing of employment within 6 months after completion of a vocational or job training program. The qualifications for reimbursement shall be established by the State Superintendent of Education by rule.
        (4) Job and career programs approved by the State
    
Superintendent of Education that are available through Illinois-accredited private business and vocational schools. Subject to available funds, pupils may apply for reimbursement of up to 100% of tuition costs upon a showing of employment within 6 months after completion of a job or career program. The State Superintendent of Education shall establish, by rule, the qualifications for reimbursement, criteria for determining reimbursement amounts, and limits on reimbursement.
        (5) Adult education courses that offer preparation
    
for high school equivalency testing.
    (d) Graduation incentives programs established by school districts are entitled to claim general State aid and evidence-based funding, subject to Sections 13B-50, 13B-50.5, and 13B-50.10 of this Code. Graduation incentives programs operated by regional offices of education are entitled to receive general State aid and evidence-based funding at the foundation level of support per pupil enrolled. A school district must ensure that its graduation incentives program receives supplemental general State aid, transportation reimbursements, and special education resources, if appropriate, for students enrolled in the program.
(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

105 ILCS 5/26-17

    (105 ILCS 5/26-17)
    Sec. 26-17. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 97-911, eff. 8-8-12. Repealed internally, eff. 11-2-12.)

105 ILCS 5/26-18

    (105 ILCS 5/26-18)
    Sec. 26-18. Chronic absenteeism report and support.
    (a) As used in this Section:
    "Chronic absence" means absences that total 10% or more of school days of the most recent academic school year, including absences with and without valid cause, as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code, and out-of-school suspensions for an enrolled student.
    "Student" means any enrolled student that is subject to compulsory attendance under Section 26-1 of this Code but does not mean a student for whom a documented homebound or hospital record is on file during the student's absence from school.
    (b) The General Assembly finds that:
        (1) The early years are a critical period in
    
children's learning and development. Every child should be counted present every day. Every day of school matters.
        (2) Being absent too many days from school can make
    
it difficult for students to stay on-track academically and maintain the momentum to graduate from high school in order to be college- or career-ready.
        (3) Every day of school attendance matters for all
    
students and their families. It is crucial, therefore, that the implications of chronic absence be understood and reviewed regularly.
    (c) Beginning July 1, 2018, every school district, charter school, or alternative school or any school receiving public funds shall collect and review its chronic absence data and determine what systems of support and resources are needed to engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success. The review shall include an analysis of chronic absence data from each attendance center or campus of the school district, charter school, or alternative school or other school receiving public funds.
    (d) School districts, charter schools, or alternative schools or any school receiving public funds are encouraged to provide a system of support to students who are at risk of reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels with strategies such as those available through the Illinois Multi-tiered Systems of Support Network. Schools additionally are encouraged to make resources available to families such as those available through the State Board of Education's Family Engagement Framework to support and engage students and their families to encourage heightened school engagement and improved daily school attendance.
(Source: P.A. 100-156, eff. 1-1-18.)

105 ILCS 5/26-19

    (105 ILCS 5/26-19)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
    Sec. 26-19. Chronic absenteeism in preschool children.
    (a) In this Section, "chronic absence" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 26-18 of this Code.
    (b) The General Assembly makes all of the following findings:
        (1) The early years are an extremely important period
    
in a child's learning and development.
        (2) Missed learning opportunities in the early years
    
make it difficult for a child to enter kindergarten ready for success.
        (3) Attendance patterns in the early years serve as
    
predictors of chronic absenteeism and reduced educational outcomes in later school years. Therefore, it is crucial that the implications of chronic absence be understood and reviewed regularly under the Preschool for All Program and Preschool for All Expansion Program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code.
    (c) The Preschool for All Program and Preschool for All Expansion Program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code shall collect and review its chronic absence data and determine what support and resources are needed to positively engage chronically absent students and their families to encourage the habit of daily attendance and promote success.
    (d) The Preschool for All Program and Preschool for All Expansion Program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code are encouraged to do all of the following:
        (1) Provide support to students who are at risk of
    
reaching or exceeding chronic absence levels.
        (2) Make resources available to families, such as
    
those available through the State Board of Education's Family Engagement Framework, to support and encourage families to ensure their children's daily program attendance.
        (3) Include information about chronic absenteeism as
    
part of their preschool to kindergarten transition resources.
    (e) On or before July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the Preschool for All Program and Preschool for All Expansion Program shall report all data collected under subsection (c) of this Section to the State Board of Education, which shall make the report publicly available via the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map Internet website and the Preschool for All Program or Preschool for All Expansion Program triennial report.
    (f) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2026.
(Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 103-594, eff. 6-25-24.)

105 ILCS 5/Art. 26A

 
    (105 ILCS 5/Art. 26A heading)
ARTICLE 26A. CHILDREN AND STUDENTS WHO ARE PARENTS,
EXPECTANT PARENTS, OR VICTIMS OF
DOMESTIC OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE
(Source: P.A. 102-466, eff. 7-1-25.)

105 ILCS 5/26A-1

    (105 ILCS 5/26A-1)
    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)
    Sec. 26A-1. Scope of Article. This Article applies to all school districts and schools governed by this Code, including schools operating under Article 13, 13A, 13B, 27A, 32, 33, or 34. However, this Article does not apply to the Department of Juvenile Justice School District.
(Source: P.A. 102-466, eff. 7-1-25.)

105 ILCS 5/26A-5

    (105 ILCS 5/26A-5)
    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)
    Sec. 26A-5. Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to ensure that Illinois schools have policies, procedures, or both, in place that enable children and students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence to be identified by schools in a manner respectful of their privacy and safety, treated with dignity and regard, and provided the protection, instruction, and related services necessary to enable them to meet State educational standards and successfully attain a school diploma. This Article shall be interpreted liberally to aid in this purpose. Nothing in this Article precludes or may be used to preclude a mandated reporter from reporting child abuse or child neglect as required under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
(Source: P.A. 102-466, eff. 7-1-25.)