The following is a summary of the 2017 legislative changes affecting school districts. For more information regarding the school funding reforms contained in Senate Bill 1947, For our Franczek P.C. alert. We are still evaluating the impact of this historic […]
Category: K-12 Education
Two New PAC Opinions Provide Clarification to School Districts on Meeting Agendas and Redacting Information from FOIA Responses
August 8, 2017
Recently, the Illinois Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued two opinions – one advisory and one binding – that reiterate the requirements of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Final Action on an Agenda Item […]
The PAC Strictly Interprets the “Probable or Imminent Litigation” Exception for Closed Session
August 7, 2017
Recently, the Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued a rare binding opinion finding that the City Council of Bloomington violated the Open Meetings Act when it held a closed meeting to discuss potential litigation that the PAC determined was not probable or imminent. […]
Public schools should be cautious as to how they moderate access to and comments on their social media profiles. In Packingham v. North Carolina, the Supreme Court recently recognized that the Internet, and particularly social media sites, is an important place for […]
We are closely monitoring the U.S. Department of Education’s policy guidance concerning investigations of sexual assaults and sexual violence on school campuses, applicable to both K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the country. Media outlets, including the New York Times, are […]
The Illinois House voted yesterday to override Governor Rauner’s veto of the budget bill, income tax increase, and the budget implementation bill. The House vote came on the heels of the Illinois Senate’s override vote on Tuesday, July 4th. With […]
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently joined a national campaign to protect endangered monarch butterflies. As of May 2017, IDOT is mowing only 15 feet from the edge of roadways, reducing the total amount of mowed land, allowing milkweed […]
Breakfast After the Bell Explained
July 6, 2017
In August 2016, Governor Rauner signed Public Act 099—0850 creating the “Breakfast After the Bell” program. Historically, schools have provided breakfast prior to the start of the school day. However, the traditional model may discourage student participation due to stigma, transportation, […]