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Illinois General Assembly· SB 1616Governor Approved

SCH CD-MAJOR SCHOOL EVENTS, the official text

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SB1616 Enrolled                     LRB104 12054 LNS 22149 b

1   AN ACT concerning education.

2   Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4   Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section

5 2-3.206 as follows:

6   (105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)

7   Sec. 2-3.206. Scheduling guidance for major school events.

8   (a) As used in this Section, "major school event" means a

9 school sanctioned or sponsored event that is part of a school

10 or school district's locally created school calendar for the

11 year, including, but not limited to, events or activities that

12 would be difficult for a student to make up.

13  (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with

14 stakeholders, shall identify dates during the year of cultural

15 or religious significance to the student population and in

16 which students may have out-of-school commitments or otherwise

17 be unable to participate in a major school event.

18  By July 1 of each year, the State Board of Education shall

19 prominently post on its website and distribute to each school

20 district a nonexhaustive list of the identified days and dates

21 of cultural, religious, or other observances for, at a

22 minimum, the school year that begins in the next calendar year

23 as a resource for making scheduling decisions for major school
    SB1616 Enrolled          -2-  LRB104 12054 LNS 22149 b

1 events. The list shall include a statement encouraging schools

2 to be mindful of the days and dates of cultural, religious, or

3 other observances that impact student participation as schools

4 plan major school events.

5   (c) The list of cultural, religious, or other observances

6 under subsection (b) shall additionally include a statement

7 indicating that the list is only for scheduling guidance

8 purposes and does not affect a student's right to be excused

9 from attendance because of the observance of a religious

10 holiday pursuant to Section 26-2b of this Code, regardless of

11 whether the religious holiday appears on the list.

12  Upon the posting and distribution of the list, the State

13 Board of Education shall also inform school districts that the

14 list is nonexhaustive and that a school district may include

15 additional days and dates on its locally created school

16 calendars based on community feedback or demographics.

17  The State Board of Education shall additionally distribute

18 the list each year to relevant associations or entities as

19 determined by the State Board of Education.

20  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

21 becoming law.
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