103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2987
 
Introduced 1/31/2024, by Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-16a
 Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that, in addition to required professional development leadership training, every voting member of a school board of a school district elected or appointed for a term beginning after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall complete a minimum of 3 hours of training every 2 years on continuous improvement planning and leveraging instruction, funding, and support to improve student outcomes. Provides that this training must be completed within one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act or the first year of a school board member's term and must be completed at least every 2 years thereafter. Provides that, subject to the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, school board members may take this training together. Provides that the training may be provided by an association established under the Code for the purpose of training school board members or by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with an association so established.


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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 
 
A BILL FOR
 
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1 AN ACT concerning education.

2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 
510-16a as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/10-16a)
7 Sec. 10-16a. School board member's leadership training.
8 (a) This Section applies to all school board members 
9serving pursuant to Section 10-10 of this Code who have been 
10elected after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 
1197th General Assembly or appointed to fill a vacancy of at 
12least one year's duration after the effective date of this 
13amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
14 (a-5) In this Section, "trauma" has the meaning ascribed 
15to that term in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of this Code. 
16 (b) Every voting member of a school board of a school 
17district elected or appointed for a term beginning after the 
18effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General 
19Assembly, within a year after the effective date of this 
20amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly or the first year 
21of his or her first term, shall complete a minimum of 4 hours 
22of professional development leadership training covering 
23topics in education and labor law, financial oversight and 
 
 
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1accountability, fiduciary responsibilities of a school board 
2member, and, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, 
3trauma-informed practices for students and staff. The school 
4district shall maintain on its Internet website, if any, the 
5names of all voting members of the school board who have 
6successfully completed the training.
7 (b-5) The training regarding trauma-informed practices for 
8students and staff required by this Section must include 
9information that is relevant to and within the scope of the 
10duties of a school board member. Such information may include, 
11but is not limited to:
12  (1) the recognition of and care for trauma in students 
13 and staff;
14  (2) the relationship between staff wellness and 
15 student learning;
16  (3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and 
17 learning;
18  (4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including 
19 the prevalence of trauma among student populations at 
20 higher risk of experiencing trauma;
21  (5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on 
22 recognizing trauma among various student groups in 
23 connection with race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual 
24 orientation, socio-economic status, and other relevant 
25 factors; and
26  (6) effective district and school practices that are 
 
 
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1 shown to:
2   (A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of 
3 trauma on student behavior and learning; and
4   (B) support the emotional wellness of staff. 
5 (c) The training on financial oversight, accountability, 
6fiduciary responsibilities, and, beginning with the 2023-2024 
72023-24 school year, trauma-informed practices for students 
8and staff may be provided by an association established under 
9this Code for the purpose of training school board members or 
10by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of 
11Education, in consultation with an association so established.
12 (c-5) In addition to the training required under 
13subsection (b), every voting member of a school board of a 
14school district elected or appointed for a term beginning 
15after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd 
16General Assembly shall complete a minimum of 3 hours of 
17training every 2 years on continuous improvement planning and 
18leveraging instruction, funding, and support to improve 
19student outcomes. This training must be completed within one 
20year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 
21103rd General Assembly or the first year of a school board 
22member's term and must be completed at least every 2 years 
23thereafter. Subject to the requirements of the Open Meetings 
24Act, school board members may take this training together. The 
25training set forth in this subsection may be provided by an 
26association established under this Code for the purpose of 
 
 
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