Bill Text: IL HB2981 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that a school report card must include data related to: (1) the total student capacity for each school in the school district; (2) the number of student transfers enrolled in each receiving school in the receiving school district; (3) the number of requests for transfer received; and (4) the number of requests for transfer denied and the reasons supporting the denial of any request for transfer. Provides that on or before the first day of each semester, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of the receiving school district to file with the State Board of Education showing the total number of students granted transfers into or within the receiving school district, and their respective school sites and grade levels. Requires the State Board to submit an annual report available to the public, on or before July 1st, on their website that includes for each school district: (1) the number of students in the school year seeking admission to transfer to or within a school district; (2) the number of rejected transfer requests in the school year; (3) the reason or reasons why each rejected transfer request was rejected in the school year; and (4) the total number of students that into or within each district. Provides that each year the State Board shall randomly select 20 of the school districts in the State to conduct an audit of each district's approved and denied transfers based on the provisions of the policies adopted by the respective school district. Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the amendatory Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-06 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB2981 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB2981-Introduced.html

---

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2981 Introduced , by Rep. William "Will" Davis SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/10-17a
105 ILCS 5/10-21.3b new
30 ILCS 805/8.49 new
Amends the School Code. Provides that a school report card must include data related to: (1) the total student capacity for each school in the school district; (2) the number of student transfers enrolled in each receiving school in the receiving school district; (3) the number of requests for transfer received; and (4) the number of requests for transfer denied and the reasons supporting the denial of any request for transfer. Provides that on or before the first day of each semester, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of the receiving school district to file with the State Board of Education showing the total number of students granted transfers into or within the receiving school district, and their respective school sites and grade levels. Requires the State Board to submit an annual report available to the public, on or before July 1st, on their website that includes for each school district: (1) the number of students in the school year seeking admission to transfer to or within a school district; (2) the number of rejected transfer requests in the school year; (3) the reason or reasons why each rejected transfer request was rejected in the school year; and (4) the total number of students that into or within each district. Provides that each year the State Board shall randomly select 20 of the school districts in the State to conduct an audit of each district's approved and denied transfers based on the provisions of the policies adopted by the respective school district. Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the amendatory Act.
LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
A BILL FOR
HB2981 LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
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
10-17a and by adding Section 10-21.3b as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-17a)
Sec. 10-17a. State, school district, and school report
cards; Expanded High School Snapshot Report.
(1) By October 31, 2013 and October 31 of each subsequent
school year, the State Board of Education, through the State
Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a State report
card, school district report cards, and school report cards,
and shall by the most economical means provide to each school
district in this State, including special charter districts
and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, the
report cards for the school district and each of its schools.
Because of the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency
during school year 2020-2021, the State Board of Education
shall have until December 31, 2021 to prepare and provide the
report cards that would otherwise be due by October 31, 2021.
During a school year in which the Governor has declared a
disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section
7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the report

HB2981 - 2 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
cards for the school districts and each of its schools shall be
prepared by December 31.
(2) In addition to any information required by federal
law, the State Superintendent shall determine the indicators
and presentation of the school report card, which must
include, at a minimum, the most current data collected and
maintained by the State Board of Education related to the
following:
(A) school characteristics and student demographics,
including average class size, average teaching experience,
student racial/ethnic breakdown, and the percentage of
students classified as low-income; the percentage of
students classified as English learners, the number of
students who graduate from a bilingual or English learner
program, and the number of students who graduate from,
transfer from, or otherwise leave bilingual programs; the
percentage of students who have individualized education
plans or 504 plans that provide for special education
services; the number and the percentage of all students in
grades kindergarten through 8, disaggregated by the
student demographics described in this paragraph (A), in
each of the following categories: (i) those who have been
assessed for placement in a gifted education program or
accelerated placement, (ii) those who have enrolled in a
gifted education program or in accelerated placement, and
(iii) for each of categories (i) and (ii), those who

HB2981 - 3 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
received direct instruction from a teacher who holds a
gifted education endorsement; the number and the
percentage of all students in grades 9 through 12,
disaggregated by the student demographics described in
this paragraph (A), who have been enrolled in an advanced
academic program; the percentage of students scoring at
the "exceeds expectations" level on the assessments
required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code; the
percentage of students who annually transferred in or out
of the school district; average daily attendance; the
per-pupil operating expenditure of the school district;
and the per-pupil State average operating expenditure for
the district type (elementary, high school, or unit);
(B) curriculum information, including, where
applicable, Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate or equivalent courses, dual credit courses,
foreign language classes, computer science courses, school
personnel resources (including Career Technical Education
teachers), before and after school programs,
extracurricular activities, subjects in which elective
classes are offered, health and wellness initiatives
(including the average number of days of Physical
Education per week per student), approved programs of
study, awards received, community partnerships, and
special programs such as programming for the gifted and
talented, students with disabilities, and work-study

HB2981 - 4 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
students;
(C) student outcomes, including, where applicable, the
percentage of students deemed proficient on assessments of
State standards, the percentage of students in the eighth
grade who pass Algebra, the percentage of students who
participated in workplace learning experiences, the
percentage of students enrolled in post-secondary
institutions (including colleges, universities, community
colleges, trade/vocational schools, and training programs
leading to career certification within 2 semesters of high
school graduation), the percentage of students graduating
from high school who are college and career ready, the
percentage of graduates enrolled in community colleges,
colleges, and universities who are in one or more courses
that the community college, college, or university
identifies as a developmental course, and the percentage
of students with disabilities under the federal
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Article 14
of this Code who have fulfilled the minimum State
graduation requirements set forth in Section 27-22 of this
Code and have been issued a regular high school diploma;
(D) student progress, including, where applicable, the
percentage of students in the ninth grade who have earned
5 credits or more without failing more than one core
class, a measure of students entering kindergarten ready
to learn, a measure of growth, and the percentage of

HB2981 - 5 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
students who enter high school on track for college and
career readiness;
(E) the school environment, including, where
applicable, high school dropout rate by grade level, the
percentage of students with less than 10 absences in a
school year, the percentage of teachers with less than 10
absences in a school year for reasons other than
professional development, leaves taken pursuant to the
federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, long-term
disability, or parental leaves, the 3-year average of the
percentage of teachers returning to the school from the
previous year, the number of different principals at the
school in the last 6 years, the number of teachers who hold
a gifted education endorsement, the process and criteria
used by the district to determine whether a student is
eligible for participation in a gifted education program
or advanced academic program and the manner in which
parents and guardians are made aware of the process and
criteria, the number of teachers who are National Board
Certified Teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 2
or more indicators from any school climate survey selected
or approved by the State and administered pursuant to
Section 2-3.153 of this Code, with the same or similar
indicators included on school report cards for all surveys
selected or approved by the State pursuant to Section
2-3.153 of this Code, the combined percentage of teachers

HB2981 - 6 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
rated as proficient or excellent in their most recent
evaluation, and, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year,
data on the number of incidents of violence that occurred
on school grounds or during school-related activities and
that resulted in an out-of-school suspension, expulsion,
or removal to an alternative setting, as reported pursuant
to Section 2-3.162;
(F) a school district's and its individual schools'
balanced accountability measure, in accordance with
Section 2-3.25a of this Code;
(G) the total and per pupil normal cost amount the
State contributed to the Teachers' Retirement System of
the State of Illinois in the prior fiscal year for the
school's employees, which shall be reported to the State
Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of
the State of Illinois;
(H) for a school district organized under Article 34
of this Code only, State contributions to the Public
School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago
and State contributions for health care for employees of
that school district;
(I) a school district's Final Percent of Adequacy, as
defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code;
(J) a school district's Local Capacity Target, as
defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section

HB2981 - 7 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;
(K) a school district's Real Receipts, as defined in
paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 18-8.15 of this
Code, divided by a school district's Adequacy Target, as
defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;
(L) a school district's administrative costs;
(M) whether or not the school has participated in the
Illinois Youth Survey. In this paragraph (M), "Illinois
Youth Survey" means a self-report survey, administered in
school settings every 2 years, designed to gather
information about health and social indicators, including
substance abuse patterns and the attitudes of students in
grades 8, 10, and 12;
(N) whether the school offered its students career and
technical education opportunities; and
(O) beginning with the October 2024 report card, the
total number of school counselors, school social workers,
school nurses, and school psychologists by school,
district, and State, the average number of students per
school counselor in the school, district, and State, the
average number of students per school social worker in the
school, district, and State, the average number of
students per school nurse in the school, district, and
State, and the average number of students per school
psychologist in the school, district, and State; and .

HB2981 - 8 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
(P) beginning with the October 2026 report card and on
or before every October 1st thereafter:
(1) the total student capacity for each school in
the school district;
(2) the number of student transfers enrolled in
each receiving school in the receiving school
district;
(3) the number of requests for transfer received
under Sections 10-21.3a and 10-22.5a; and
(4) the number of requests for transfer denied and
the reasons supporting the denial of any request for
transfer.
The school report card shall also provide information that
allows for comparing the current outcome, progress, and
environment data to the State average, to the school data from
the past 5 years, and to the outcomes, progress, and
environment of similar schools based on the type of school and
enrollment of low-income students, special education students,
and English learners.
As used in this subsection (2):
"Accelerated placement" has the meaning ascribed to that
term in Section 14A-17 of this Code.
"Administrative costs" means costs associated with
executive, administrative, or managerial functions within the
school district that involve planning, organizing, managing,
or directing the school district.

HB2981 - 9 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
"Advanced academic program" means a course of study,
including, but not limited to, accelerated placement, advanced
placement coursework, International Baccalaureate coursework,
dual credit, or any course designated as enriched or honors,
that a student is enrolled in based on advanced cognitive
ability or advanced academic achievement compared to local age
peers and in which the curriculum is substantially
differentiated from the general curriculum to provide
appropriate challenge and pace.
"Computer science" means the study of computers and
algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and
software designs, their implementation, and their impact on
society. "Computer science" does not include the study of
everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as
keyboarding or accessing the Internet.
"Gifted education" means educational services, including
differentiated curricula and instructional methods, designed
to meet the needs of gifted children as defined in Article 14A
of this Code.
For the purposes of paragraph (A) of this subsection (2),
"average daily attendance" means the average of the actual
number of attendance days during the previous school year for
any enrolled student who is subject to compulsory attendance
by Section 26-1 of this Code at each school and charter school.
(2.5) For any school report card prepared after July 1,
2025, for all high school graduation completion rates that are

HB2981 - 10 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
reported on the school report card as required under this
Section or by any other State or federal law, the State
Superintendent of Education shall also report the percentage
of students who did not meet the requirements of high school
graduation completion for any reason and, of those students,
the percentage that are classified as students who fulfill the
requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code.
The State Superintendent shall ensure that for the
2023-2024 school year there is a specific code for districts
to report students who fulfill the requirements of Section
14-16 of this Code to ensure accurate reporting under this
Section.
All reporting requirements under this subsection (2.5)
shall be included on the school report card where high school
graduation completion rates are reported, along with a brief
explanation of how fulfilling the requirements of Section
14-16 of this Code is different from receiving a regular high
school diploma.
(3) At the discretion of the State Superintendent, the
school district report card shall include a subset of the
information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) of
subsection (2) of this Section, as well as information
relating to the operating expense per pupil and other finances
of the school district, and the State report card shall
include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs
(A) through (E) and paragraph (N) of subsection (2) of this

HB2981 - 11 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
Section. The school district report card shall include the
average daily attendance, as that term is defined in
subsection (2) of this Section, of students who have
individualized education programs and students who have 504
plans that provide for special education services within the
school district.
(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section, in consultation with key education stakeholders, the
State Superintendent shall at any time have the discretion to
amend or update any and all metrics on the school, district, or
State report card.
(5) Annually, no more than 30 calendar days after receipt
of the school district and school report cards from the State
Superintendent of Education, each school district, including
special charter districts and districts subject to the
provisions of Article 34, shall present such report cards at a
regular school board meeting subject to applicable notice
requirements, post the report cards on the school district's
Internet web site, if the district maintains an Internet web
site, make the report cards available to a newspaper of
general circulation serving the district, and, upon request,
send the report cards home to a parent (unless the district
does not maintain an Internet web site, in which case the
report card shall be sent home to parents without request). If
the district posts the report card on its Internet web site,
the district shall send a written notice home to parents

HB2981 - 12 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
stating (i) that the report card is available on the web site,
(ii) the address of the web site, (iii) that a printed copy of
the report card will be sent to parents upon request, and (iv)
the telephone number that parents may call to request a
printed copy of the report card.
(6) Nothing contained in Public Act 98-648 repeals,
supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in
lawsuits pending on July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public
Act 98-648) in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of
Public Act 97-8.
(7) As used in this subsection (7):
"Advanced coursework or programs" means any high school
courses, sequence of courses, or class or grouping of students
organized to provide more rigorous, enriched, advanced,
accelerated, gifted, or above grade-level instruction. This
may include, but is not limited to, Advanced Placement
courses, International Baccalaureate courses, honors,
weighted, advanced, or enriched courses, or gifted or
accelerated programs, classrooms, or courses.
"Course" means any high school class or course offered by
a school that is assigned a school course code by the State
Board of Education.
"High school" means a school that maintains any of grades
9 through 12.
"Standard coursework or programs" means any high school
courses or classes other than advanced coursework or programs.

HB2981 - 13 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
By December 31, 2027 and by December 31 of each subsequent
year, the State Board of Education, through the State
Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a stand-alone
report covering all public high schools in this State, to be
referred to as the Expanded High School Coursework Snapshot
Report. The State Board shall post the Report on the State
Board's Internet website. Each school district with high
school enrollment for the reporting year shall include on the
school district's Internet website, if the district maintains
an Internet website, a hyperlink to the Report on the State
Board's Internet website titled "Expanded High School
Coursework Snapshot Report". Hyperlinks under this subsection
(7) shall be displayed in a manner that is easily accessible to
the public.
The Expanded High School Coursework Snapshot Report shall
include:
(A) a listing of all standard coursework or programs
that have high school student enrollment;
(B) a listing of all advanced coursework or programs
that have high school student enrollment;
(C) a listing of all coursework or programs that have
high school student enrollment by English learners;
(D) a listing of all coursework or programs that have
high school student enrollment by students with
disabilities;
(E) data tables and graphs comparing advanced

HB2981 - 14 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
coursework or programs enrollment with standard coursework
or programs enrollment according to the following
parameters:
(i) the average years of experience of all
teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach
advanced coursework or programs compared with the
average years of experience of all teachers in the
high school who are assigned to teach standard
coursework or programs;
(ii) the average years of experience of all
teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach
coursework or programs that have high school
enrollment by students with disabilities compared with
the average years of experience of all teachers in the
high school who are not assigned to teach coursework
or programs that have high school student enrollment
by students with disabilities;
(iii) the average years of experience of all
teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach
coursework or programs that have high school student
enrollment by English learners compared with the
average years of experience of all teachers in the
high school who are not assigned to teach coursework
or programs that have high school student enrollment
by English learners;
(iv) the number of high school teachers who

HB2981 - 15 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or
higher degrees and who are assigned to teach advanced
coursework or programs compared with the number of
teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's
degrees, or higher degrees and who are assigned to
teach standard coursework or programs;
(v) the number of high school teachers who possess
bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher
degrees and who are assigned to teach coursework or
programs that have high school student enrollment by
students with disabilities compared with the number of
teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's
degrees, or higher degrees and who are not assigned to
teach coursework or programs that have high school
student enrollment by students with disabilities;
(vi) the number of high school teachers who
possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or
higher degrees and who are assigned to teach
coursework or programs that have high school student
enrollment by English learners compared with the
number of teachers who possess bachelor's degrees,
master's degrees, or higher degrees and who are not
assigned to teach coursework or programs that have
high school student enrollment by English learners;
(vii) the average student enrollment of advanced
coursework or programs offered in a high school

HB2981 - 16 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
compared with the average student enrollment of
standard coursework or programs;
(viii) the percentages of high school students, by
race, gender, and program student group, who are
enrolled in advanced coursework or programs;
(ix) (blank);
(x) (blank);
(xi) (blank);
(xii) (blank);
(xiii) (blank);
(xiv) the percentage of high school students, by
race, gender, and program student group, who earn the
equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through
F scale in one or more advanced coursework or programs
compared with the percentage of high school students,
by race, gender, and program student group, who earn
the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A
through F scale in one or more standard coursework or
programs;
(xv) (blank);
(xvi) (blank); and
(F) data tables and graphs for each race and ethnicity
category and gender category describing:
(i) the total student number and student
percentage for Advanced Placement courses taken by
race and ethnicity category and gender category;

HB2981 - 17 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
(ii) the total student number and student
percentage for International Baccalaureate courses
taken by race and ethnicity category and gender
category;
(iii) (blank);
(iv) (blank); and
(v) the total student number and student
percentage of high school students who earn a score of
3 or higher on the Advanced Placement exam associated
with an Advanced Placement course.
For data on teacher experience and education under this
subsection (7), a teacher who teaches a combination of courses
designated as advanced coursework or programs, courses or
programs that have high school student enrollment by English
learners, or standard coursework or programs shall be included
in all relevant categories and the teacher's level of
experience shall be added to the categories.
(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-294, eff. 1-1-22;
102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-594, eff.
7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-116, eff. 6-30-23; 103-263,
eff. 6-30-23; 103-413, eff, 1-1-24; 103-503, eff. 1-1-24;
103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-780, eff. 8-2-24.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-21.3b new)
Sec. 10-21.3b. Transfer report.
(a) On or before the first day of each semester, it shall

HB2981 - 18 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
be the duty of the superintendent of the receiving school
district to file with the State Board of Education showing the
total number of students granted transfers into or within the
receiving school district, and their respective school sites
and grade levels.
(b) The State Board of Education shall submit an annual
report available to the public, on or before July 1st, on their
website that includes for each school district:
(1) the number of students in the school year seeking
admission to transfer to or within a school district;
(2) the number of rejected transfer requests in the
school year;
(3) the reason or reasons why each rejected transfer
request was rejected in the school year; and
(4) the total number of students that into or within
each district.
(c) Each year the State Board of Education shall randomly
select 20 of the school districts in the State to conduct an
audit of each district's approved and denied transfers based
on the provisions of the policies adopted by the respective
school district. If the State Board of Education finds
inaccurate reporting of capacity levels in a school district,
the State Board of Education shall set the capacity for the
school district.
Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding

HB2981 - 19 - LRB104 10325 LNS 20399 b
Section 8.49 as follows:
(30 ILCS 805/8.49 new)
Sec. 8.49. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and
8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for
the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory
Act of the 104th General Assembly.