Bill Text: IL HB0806 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that children who have attended a State-certified, private preschool and continued their education at that school through kindergarten and who will attain the age of 6 years on or before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon commencement of such term. Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2009.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2010-01-21 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0864 [HB0806 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB0806-Enrolled.html

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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 3. The Department of Human Services Act is amended
by adding Section 10-65 as follows:
(20 ILCS 1305/10-65 new)
Sec. 10-65. Gateways to Opportunity.
(a) Subject to the availability of funds, the Department of
Human Services shall operate a Gateways to Opportunity program,
a comprehensive professional development system. The goal of
Gateways to Opportunity is to support a diverse, stable, and
quality workforce for settings serving children and youth,
specifically to:
(1) enhance the quality of services;
(2) increase positive outcomes for children and youth;
and
(3) advance the availability of coursework and
training related to quality services for children and
youth.
(b) The Department shall award Gateways to Opportunity
credentials to early care and education, school-age, and youth
development practitioners. The credentials shall validate an
individual's qualifications and shall be issued based on a

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variety of professional achievements in field experience,
knowledge and skills, educational attainment, and training
accomplishments. The Department shall adopt rules outlining
the framework for awarding credentials.
(c) The Gateways to Opportunity program shall identify
professional knowledge guidelines for practitioners serving
children and youth. The professional knowledge guidelines
shall define what all adults who work with children and youth
need to know, understand, and be able to demonstrate to support
children's and youth's development, school readiness, and
school success. The Department shall adopt rules to identify
content areas, alignment with other professional standards,
and competency levels.
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
10-20.12 and 34-19 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.12) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.12)
Sec. 10-20.12. School year - School age. To establish and
keep in operation in each year during a school term of at least
the minimum length required by Section 10-19, a sufficient
number of free schools for the accommodation of all persons in
the district who are 5 years of age or older but under 21 years
of age, and to secure for all such persons the right and
opportunity to an equal education in such schools; provided
that (i) children who will attain the age of 5 years on or

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before September 1 of the year of the 1990-1991 school term and
each school term thereafter may attend school upon the
commencement of such term and (ii) based upon an assessment of
the child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public
preschool and continued their education at that school through
kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately
certified teacher, and will attain the age of 6 years on or
before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and
each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon
commencement of such term. Based upon an assessment of a
child's readiness to attend school, a school district may
permit a child to attend school prior to the dates contained in
this Section. In any school district operating on a full year
school basis children who will attain age 5 within 30 days
after the commencement of a term may attend school upon the
commencement of such term and, based upon an assessment of the
child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public
preschool and continued their education at that school through
kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately
certified teacher, and will attain age 6 within 4 months after
the commencement of a term may attend first grade upon the
commencement of such term. The school district may, by
resolution of its board, allow for a full year school plan.
(Source: P.A. 87-359.)
(105 ILCS 5/34-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-19)

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Sec. 34-19. By-laws, rules and regulations; business
transacted at regular meetings; voting; records. The board
shall, subject to the limitations in this Article, establish
by-laws, rules and regulations, which shall have the force of
ordinances, for the proper maintenance of a uniform system of
discipline for both employees and pupils, and for the entire
management of the schools, and may fix the school age of
pupils, the minimum of which in kindergartens shall not be
under 4 years, except that, based upon an assessment of the
child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public
preschool and continued their education at that school through
kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately
certified teacher, and will attain the age of 6 years on or
before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and
each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon
commencement of such term, and in grade schools shall not be
under 6 years. It may expel, suspend or, subject to the
limitations of all policies established or adopted under
Section 14-8.05, otherwise discipline any pupil found guilty of
gross disobedience, misconduct or other violation of the
by-laws, rules and regulations. The bylaws, rules and
regulations of the board shall be enacted, money shall be
appropriated or expended, salaries shall be fixed or changed,
and textbooks and courses of instruction shall be adopted or
changed only at the regular meetings of the board and by a vote
of a majority of the full membership of the board; provided

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that notwithstanding any other provision of this Article or the
School Code, neither the board or any local school council may
purchase any textbook for use in any public school of the
district from any textbook publisher that fails to furnish any
computer diskettes as required under Section 28-21. The board
shall be further encouraged to provide opportunities for public
hearing and testimony before the adoption of bylaws, rules and
regulations. Upon all propositions requiring for their
adoption at least a majority of all the members of the board
the yeas and nays shall be taken and reported. The by-laws,
rules and regulations of the board shall not be repealed,
amended or added to, except by a vote of 2/3 of the full
membership of the board. The board shall keep a record of all
its proceedings. Such records and all by-laws, rules and
regulations, or parts thereof, may be proved by a copy thereof
certified to be such by the secretary of the board, but if they
are printed in book or pamphlet form which are purported to be
published by authority of the board they need not be otherwise
published and the book or pamphlet shall be received as
evidence, without further proof, of the records, by-laws, rules
and regulations, or any part thereof, as of the dates thereof
as shown in such book or pamphlet, in all courts and places
where judicial proceedings are had.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article or in
the School Code, the board may delegate to the general
superintendent or to the attorney the authorities granted to

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the board in the School Code, provided such delegation and
appropriate oversight procedures are made pursuant to board
by-laws, rules and regulations, adopted as herein provided,
except that the board may not delegate its authorities and
responsibilities regarding (1) budget approval obligations;
(2) rule-making functions; (3) desegregation obligations; (4)
real estate acquisition, sale or lease in excess of 10 years as
provided in Section 34-21; (5) the levy of taxes; or (6) any
mandates imposed upon the board by "An Act in relation to
school reform in cities over 500,000, amending Acts herein
named", approved December 12, 1988 (P.A. 85-1418).
(Source: P.A. 88-45; 89-15, eff. 5-30-95.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,