Bill Text: IL HB0059 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Requires the adopted school board policy for a remote educational program to allow a student to apply to participate in the remote educational program if the student (i) provides an employee pay stub, (ii) has a medical need, including pregnancy, or (iii) needs to care for a family member, including the student's own child.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-09 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB0059 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB0059-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0059 Introduced , by Rep. Kevin Schmidt SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/10-29
Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Requires the adopted school board policy for a remote educational program to allow a student to apply to participate in the remote educational program if the student (i) provides an employee pay stub, (ii) has a medical need, including pregnancy, or (iii) needs to care for a family member, including the student's own child.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
10-29 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-29)
Sec. 10-29. Remote educational programs.
(a) For purposes of this Section, "remote educational
program" means an educational program delivered to students in
the home or other location outside of a school building that
meets all of the following criteria:
(1) A student may participate in the program only
after the school district, pursuant to adopted school
board policy, and a person authorized to enroll the
student under Section 10-20.12b of this Code determine
that a remote educational program will best serve the
student's individual learning needs. The adopted school
board policy shall include, but not be limited to, all of
the following:
(A) Criteria for determining that a remote
educational program will best serve a student's
individual learning needs. The criteria must include
consideration of, at a minimum, a student's prior

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attendance, disciplinary record, and academic history.
(B) Any limitations on the number of students or
grade levels that may participate in a remote
educational program.
(C) A description of the process that the school
district will use to approve participation in the
remote educational program. The process must include
without limitation a requirement that, for any student
who qualifies to receive services pursuant to the
federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004, the student's participation
in a remote educational program receive prior approval
from the student's individualized education program
team.
(D) A description of the process the school
district will use to develop and approve a written
remote educational plan that meets the requirements of
subdivision (5) of this subsection (a).
(E) A description of the system the school
district will establish to determine student
participation in instruction in accordance with the
remote educational program.
(F) A description of the process for renewing a
remote educational program at the expiration of its
term.
(G) Such other terms and provisions as the school

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district deems necessary to provide for the
establishment and delivery of a remote educational
program.
The adopted school board policy shall allow a student
to apply to participate in the remote educational program
if the student (i) provides an employee pay stub, (ii) has
a medical need, including pregnancy, or (iii) needs to
care for a family member, including the student's own
child.
(2) The school district has determined that the remote
educational program's curriculum is aligned to State
learning standards and that the program offers instruction
and educational experiences consistent with those given to
students at the same grade level in the district.
(3) The remote educational program is delivered by
instructors that meet the following qualifications:
(A) they are licensed under Article 21B of this
Code;
(B) (blank); and
(C) they have responsibility for all of the
following elements of the program: planning
instruction, diagnosing learning needs, prescribing
content delivery through class activities, assessing
learning, reporting outcomes to administrators and
parents and guardians, and evaluating the effects of
instruction.

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(4) During the period of time from and including the
opening date to the closing date of the regular school
term of the school district established pursuant to
Section 10-19 of this Code, participation in a remote
educational program may be claimed for evidence-based
funding purposes under Section 18-8.15 of this Code on any
calendar day, notwithstanding whether the day is a day of
pupil attendance or institute day on the school district's
calendar or any other provision of law restricting
instruction on that day. If the district holds year-round
classes in some buildings, the district shall classify
each student's participation in a remote educational
program as either on a year-round or a non-year-round
schedule for purposes of claiming evidence-based funding.
Outside of the regular school term of the district, the
remote educational program may be offered as part of any
summer school program authorized by this Code.
(5) Each student participating in a remote educational
program must have a written remote educational plan that
has been approved by the school district and a person
authorized to enroll the student under Section 10-20.12b
of this Code. The school district and a person authorized
to enroll the student under Section 10-20.12b of this Code
must approve any amendment to a remote educational plan.
The remote educational plan must include, but is not
limited to, all of the following:

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(A) Specific achievement goals for the student
aligned to State learning standards.
(B) A description of all assessments that will be
used to measure student progress, which description
shall indicate the assessments that will be
administered at an attendance center within the school
district.
(C) A description of the progress reports that
will be provided to the school district and the person
or persons authorized to enroll the student under
Section 10-20.12b of this Code.
(D) Expectations, processes, and schedules for
interaction between a teacher and student.
(E) A description of the specific responsibilities
of the student's family and the school district with
respect to equipment, materials, phone and Internet
service, and any other requirements applicable to the
home or other location outside of a school building
necessary for the delivery of the remote educational
program.
(F) If applicable, a description of how the remote
educational program will be delivered in a manner
consistent with the student's individualized education
program required by Section 614(d) of the federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act of 2004 or plan to ensure compliance with Section

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504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
(G) A description of the procedures and
opportunities for participation in academic and
extracurricular activities and programs within the
school district.
(H) The identification of a parent, guardian, or
other responsible adult who will provide direct
supervision of the program. The plan must include an
acknowledgment by the parent, guardian, or other
responsible adult that he or she may engage only in
non-teaching duties not requiring instructional
judgment or the evaluation of a student. The plan
shall designate the parent, guardian, or other
responsible adult as non-teaching personnel or
volunteer personnel under subsection (a) of Section
10-22.34 of this Code.
(I) The identification of a school district
administrator who will oversee the remote educational
program on behalf of the school district and who may be
contacted by the student's parents with respect to any
issues or concerns with the program.
(J) The term of the student's participation in the
remote educational program, which may not extend for
longer than 12 months, unless the term is renewed by
the district in accordance with subdivision (7) of
this subsection (a).

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(K) A description of the specific location or
locations in which the program will be delivered. If
the remote educational program is to be delivered to a
student in any location other than the student's home,
the plan must include a written determination by the
school district that the location will provide a
learning environment appropriate for the delivery of
the program. The location or locations in which the
program will be delivered shall be deemed a long
distance teaching reception area under subsection (a)
of Section 10-22.34 of this Code.
(L) Certification by the school district that the
plan meets all other requirements of this Section.
(6) Students participating in a remote educational
program must be enrolled in a school district attendance
center pursuant to the school district's enrollment policy
or policies. A student participating in a remote
educational program must be tested as part of all
assessments administered by the school district pursuant
to Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code at the attendance center
in which the student is enrolled and in accordance with
the attendance center's assessment policies and schedule.
The student must be included within all accountability
determinations for the school district and attendance
center under State and federal law.
(7) The term of a student's participation in a remote

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educational program may not extend for longer than 12
months, unless the term is renewed by the school district.
The district may only renew a student's participation in a
remote educational program following an evaluation of the
student's progress in the program, a determination that
the student's continuation in the program will best serve
the student's individual learning needs, and an amendment
to the student's written remote educational plan
addressing any changes for the upcoming term of the
program.
For purposes of this Section, a remote educational program
does not include instruction delivered to students through an
e-learning program approved under Section 10-20.56 of this
Code.
(b) A school district may, by resolution of its school
board, establish a remote educational program.
(c) (Blank).
(d) The impact of remote educational programs on wages,
hours, and terms and conditions of employment of educational
employees within the school district shall be subject to local
collective bargaining agreements.
(e) The use of a home or other location outside of a school
building for a remote educational program shall not cause the
home or other location to be deemed a public school facility.
(f) A remote educational program may be used, but is not
required, for instruction delivered to a student in the home

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or other location outside of a school building that is not
claimed for evidence-based funding purposes under Section
18-8.15 of this Code.
(g) School districts that, pursuant to this Section, adopt
a policy for a remote educational program must submit to the
State Board of Education a copy of the policy and any
amendments thereto, as well as data on student participation
in a format specified by the State Board of Education. The
State Board of Education may perform or contract with an
outside entity to perform an evaluation of remote educational
programs in this State.
(h) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
necessary to ensure compliance by remote educational programs
with the requirements of this Section and other applicable
legal requirements.
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-894, eff. 5-20-22.)