Governor’s Focus on School Districts in New Executive Order
Mar 27, 2020
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Today, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-15 which is aimed at ensuring that critical demands for continuity of education of students, as well as continuity of school construction projects and capital improvements are met for the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation (through April 7, 2020). We expect further guidance from ISBE soon.
The following are Quick Takeaways from the Executive Order:
- ISBE is authorized to implement rules allowing the State Superintendent of Education to:
- Address the minimum requirements of the school calendar and the school day.
- Create, define and determine the use of “Remote Learning Planning Days” (for after March 30, 2020).
- Create, define and determine the use of “Remote Learning Days” (for after March 30).
- The following Illinois School Code provisions are suspended:
- Requiring the administration of assessments. 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5 and 5/27/3.
- Specifying the school term and requiring certain approval for changes to the school term. 105 ILCS 5/10-19. Note, however, that schools are not relieved of the requirement to insure 176 days of actual pupil attendance.
- Providing the method for the calculation of daily pupil attendance. 105 ILCS 5/10-19.05(a)-(j).
- Prohibiting bids for construction purposes form being communicated, accepted, or opened electronically. 105 ILCS 5/10-20.21. This means that any bids received by a school district for construction purposes may be communicated, accepted, or opened electronically.
- Certain provisions pertaining to grants for preschool education programs. 105 ILCS 5/2-3.71.
- All public school districts that receive funding from ISBE to implement and administrator a grant program for preschool education programs or an early childhood block may provide child care services to the children (aged 0-12) of employees exempted from the Governor’s “Stay at Home” Order.
