The Public Access Counselor recently issued a non-binding opinion holding that public bodies have the discretion to decide whether to waive or reduce copying fees associated with the production of documents responsive to FOIA requests. The request, in this case, sought documents […]
Category: K-12 Education
Government bodies subject to the Open Meetings Act (OMA) sometimes struggle to strike the right balance between too much and too little detail contained in their published Board meeting agendas. A recent advisory opinion from the Public Access Counselor (PAC) […]
Attorney General’s Office Finds School Board Held Improper Discussion in Closed Session
May 15, 2017
The Attorney General’s Office recently issued a non-binding opinion concluding that a board of education improperly discussed matters in closed session that were not within the scope of the exceptions on which the board relied when entering closed session. This opinion […]
The Expanding Definition of “News Media” Under FOIA
May 15, 2017
In the age of Twitter and blogging, it is not always easy to tell who qualifies as a journalist or member of the media. But according to a recent advisory opinion from the Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney […]
The Latest on School Funding Legislation and Litigation
April 13, 2017
The issue of school funding reform is being addressed on many fronts this year. In Springfield, proponents of funding reform and the evidence based model continue their efforts at legislative change. Meanwhile, school districts in vastly different communities have taken […]
Supreme Court Refines Legal Standard for Special Education
March 24, 2017
Thirty-five years ago, in Board of Education of Hendricks Hudson District v. Rowley, the Supreme Court ruled that, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools must provide students with an individualized education plan (IEP) “reasonably calculated to enable the […]
The wait for a final resolution of the legal issues surrounding transgender students will be extended as the result of a decision today by the United State Supreme Court in the landmark case, Gloucester County School Bd. v. G.G. Following the Trump […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) jointly issued a statement rescinding the guidance on transgender students’ rights under Title IX issued to school districts nationwide in May. The prior administration’s guidance had confirmed that the DOJ […]