By: Elizabeth Kelly On May 15, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released guidance on the current state of the law as it relates to school prayer and religious expression in the public school setting. This guidance comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton. The legal motivation for [...]
By: Rob Swain In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held that a student eligible for special education may file a lawsuit in court for damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act without first going through (“exhausting”) administrative due process procedures under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The exhaustion doctrine is an [...]
Recently, the Illinois State Police (ISP) notified school districts that clear and present danger reports will now be made through an online portal. The ISP provided school districts with a user agreement that was originally required to be signed by March 1 and prior to use of the portal. Several school law firms and organizations, [...]
Education Week ran an article on Feb. 3, 2023 highlighting a noticeable uptick in aggressive adult behaviors in PK-12 schools nationwide. The article, “Parents’ Bad Behavior at School Sports Events Has Gotten Extreme” by Elizabeth Heubeck, framed the issue of aggression through the lens of sporting events. Recently KB attorneys have observed aggressive adult behaviors [...]
COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave HB 1167 created a new School Code provision requiring school districts to provide paid administrative leave to employees who were forced to miss work for a “COVID-19 Related Absence.” Under this new law, employees who are considered “Fully Vaccinated against COVID-19” are entitled to receive paid administrative leave for any day [...]
Recently, a school in Utah made national headlines when it allowed parents to opt their children out of Black History Month curriculum. The school eventually reversed its decision, but not before a significant backlash emerged. Closer to home, the Illinois legislature enacted Public Law 101-0227 requiring that as of July 1, 2020, Illinois public schools [...]
Effective January 22, 2021, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) amended its administrative rules to include a number of requirements relating to the provision of interpreter services for parents/guardians during IEP meetings. Many school districts are choosing to include Section 504 meetings in the same category. ISBE is in the process of developing language [...]
On February 8th, TRS issued a communication regarding the new TRS Supplemental Savings Plan (SSP). The communication included an Employer Participating Agreement for Districts to approve, as well as a proposed Board Resolution for approving a District’s participation in the SSP. Additionally, in its February 2021 Employer Bulletin, TRS instructed employers that “This agreement must [...]
Starting Thursday, February 25, 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health expanded the vaccine distribution list (called 1b+) to include Illinoisans ages 16 and older who have one of the following conditions: Obesity Pregnancy Diabetes Sickle Cell Disease Pulmonary Disease Solid Organ Transplant Smoking Cancer Heart Conditions Chronic Kidney Disease READ MORE
Check out our recent newsletter! As of February 4, 2021, every EMS Region of the state has re-entered Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan The relaxing of restrictions on activities has brought renewed optimism for the return of more normal high school experiences, such as interscholastic sports, and even graduation ceremonies. Administrators at middle [...]
