Priority Briefings

On July 29, two major changes were announced for the sporting community due to COVID-19. Governor Pritzker announced a new set of guidance for all youth and adult recreational sports. That guidance placed different sports into specific categories based on the level of risk attributed to them (high, medium, or low). It also set type…

On June 23, 2020, the Illinois State Board of Education (“ISBE”), in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health (“IDPH”) issued guidance on the return to in-person learning for the 2020-21 school year. As part of that guidance, ISBE and IDPH require that all individuals over the age of two wear a face covering…

Last month, Governor Pritzker signed Public Act 101-633 into law. As we previously reported, this new law permits a school district employee who does not provide “instructional, research, or principal administrative services” (e.g. a 9 or 10 month custodian, paraprofessional, cafeteria worker, bus driver, or clerical worker) to receive unemployment benefits for any week of…

The Illinois High School Association (“IHSA”) has developed Stage 2 guidelines for student-athletes to begin participating in athletics. These guidelines, developed by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, are awaiting approval by the Illinois Department of Public Health and include the specific requirements schools need to implement moving forward. As of June 6, 2020, the…

On June 22, 2020, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued Frequently Asked Questions Guidance regarding timelines and procedures for State complaints, resolution meetings, mediations, and special education due process hearings. According to OSEP, the sixty day timeline for state complaint resolution may not be categorically extended due to COVID-19, but the State Board…

On June 18, 2020, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1569 into law as Public Act 101-643. This law makes numerous changes to the Illinois School Code and codifies many school-related provisions from Governor Pritzker’s executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Priority Briefing highlights some of the law’s most impactful sections. Remote Learning Days…

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…