Priority Briefings

Last year we alerted you to Doe-3 v. White, an Illinois Appellate Court decision that appeared to greatly expand the possibility for school districts’ and district officials’ liability to students when failing to report an employee with a history of abusive conduct. Doe-3 was appealed and the Illinois Supreme Court rendered a decision on August…

On June 18, 2012, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court ruled that the Illinois School Code does not require a public school district to provide transportation to parochial and charter school students on days that public schools are not in session.  In C.E. and C.L. v. Board of Education of East St. Louis School Dist.…

Governor Quinn has signed into law Public Act 97-0956, which amends Section 14-6.02 of the School Code to permit not only dogs, but also miniature horses, to act as service animals for students with disabilities. Effective immediately, a “service animal” is defined as a dog or miniature horse trained or being trained as a hearing…

We are proud and happy to report that Hauser Izzo, LLC has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education to provide Leadership Training for Illinois school board members. Leadership Training is a new program required by the Education Reform Act. Pursuant to Section 10-16a of the School Code, all school board members elected…

On August 1, 2012, Governor Pat Quinn signed into law new provisions of the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act which significantly curtail an employer’s right to gain access to the private social media and e-mail accounts of employees and prospective employees. The new provisions of the Act, which take effect on January…

Despite two earlier rulings allowing the practice in the same case, the United States Court of Appeals in Chicago, by a 7-3 vote last week, ruled that a Wisconsin high school district acted improperly in conducting its graduation ceremonies in an evangelical Christian church. In what is commonly referred to as the “Establishment Clause”, the…

Teri Engler will be addressing special education transportation issues as part of an Attorney Panel presentation at the IAASE Fall Conference in Tinley Park on September 21, 2012.

Effective January 1, 2013, there are a few new provisions in the Open Meetings Act relating to board meeting agendas. The amendments are contained in Public Act 97-827, which adds new subsection (c) to Section 2.02. First, it is now mandated that the “general subject matter of any resolution or ordinance” must be set forth…

Action required on the first day of student attendance. Action required on or before September 1, 2012. PRINCIPAL/ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL EVALUATION The Performance Evaluation Reform Act (“PERA”) requires that on and after September 1, 2012, data and indicators of student growth be a “significant factor” in the performance evaluation of “principals.” Subsequent legislation has included “assistant principals”…

On June 14, 2012, a new law became effective which is intended to clarify some controversial issues surrounding a hospital’s right to receive property tax exemptions. The controversy was the focus of the Illinois Supreme Court decision in Provena Covenant Medical Center v. Department of Revenue, 236 Ill.2d 368 (2010). In Provena, the Illinois Supreme…