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On June 18, 2020, the Governor signed into law SB 1569, which includes revisions to the special education disclosure and notification provisions enacted in August 2019.  The Public Act is effective immediately. The Requirement to provide parents certain documents at least three school days before an eligibility or IEP meeting is effective again beginning July…

On June 5, 2020, Governor Pritzker signed Public Act 101-633 into law. This new legislation will have a significant and immediate effect on unemployment and workers’ compensation claims filed by certain school district and joint agreement employees through December 31, 2020.  Amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act In past years, a non-professional school employee who…

The Illinois legislature has passed Senate Bill 685, which is waiting signature by the Governor. This law would allow county boards (other than Cook County) to waive interest penalties for property tax installments. Cook County previously exercised its own authority to waive interest penalties. However, while SB 685 attempts to create some structure for how…

During the early days of the public health emergency, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-7. That order, which has since been extended, suspended requirements under the Open Meetings Act that required members be physically present at meetings and altered the conditions of remote participation in meetings. On May 23, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill…

In 2018, we reported on the United States Department of Education’s Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NPRM”) relating to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The NPRM aimed to overhaul Title IX’s language regarding its prohibition of sexual harassment in schools and its procedures for adjudicating sexual harassment complaints in schools. Generally, Title…

Like so much else during the crisis caused by the ongoing pandemic, property values can be affected. That, in turn, can impact property tax assessments and taxpayer appeals in the Property Tax Appeal Board and in the courts.  This is especially true for commercial and industrial properties whose businesses have seen reductions in volume as…

On March 18, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) into law.  As described in a priority briefing we issued soon after its passage (and which we recommend reviewing as a precursor to this posting), the FFCRA requires employers, including school districts and joint agreements, to provide leave under the Emergency Family…

The Illinois State Board of Education has issued Frequently Asked Questions for Special Education During Remote Learning at https://www.isbe.net/Documents/SPED-FAQ-04-20-20.pdf Highlights of the Guidance include: There is no waiver of IDEA or Section 504 timelines. Remote learning days count as “school days” for purposes of special education timelines that are based on school days. However, remote…

An important tool for school districts in fund management is due to expire on June 30, 2020.  Districts would be wise to employ that tool before then in order to maintain flexibility in the use of scarce resources and, even more important, to avoid costly tax objection refunds in the future. Section 17-2A of the…

On April 9, 2020, the Illinois State Board of Education issued additional new language (highlighted below) as part of its emergency rule regarding State reimbursements for payments to transportation contractors.  This action is designed to cover payments for the contractors’ employee costs and is not tied exclusively to the provision of alternative services. Due to…