Education

Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall establish and maintain a Temporary Teacher Apprenticeship Program to assist qualified participants in acquiring a Professional Educator License. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may establish and adopt any rules necessary to implement this program, including the standards that a qualified participant must meet to receive a Professional Educator License. Sets forth the requirements to complete the program. Provides that upon completing the requirements of the program, a qualified participant is eligible for a Professional Educator License. Makes related changes. Provides that a foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets specified requirements. Provides that the foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed. Provides that an individual who holds a valid foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may teach a course on the foreign language for which the foreign language endorsement is issued. Provides that an individual who holds a valid foreign language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in foreign language classrooms. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $7,200,000 to Western Illinois University for the purpose of funding the operations of the Western Illinois University Innovation Campus at the Quad Cities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Transportation Article of the School Code. Requires the school boards of certain school districts to provide free transportation for pupils residing at a distance of 1/2 mile or more from the school to which they are assigned for attendance if the school is located completely or partially within or directly adjacent to an R3 zone, as designated by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and is outside of a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more residents, except for those pupils for whom adequate transportation for the public is available.

Amends the School Code. Allows any school or school district that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 to implement an advance academic studies ambassadors program with the following goals: (1) to improve the enrollment of students in advanced academic programs within the school or district; (2) to improve the retention and academic success of students enrolled in advanced academic programs within the school or district; (3) to provide students information, leadership opportunities, and foster a sense of community among the student body; and (4) to promote the importance and awareness of advanced academic programs offered at the school or school district to enrolled students and their families. Provides that the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to schools and school districts that submit a grant application to the State Board requesting funds to implement an advance academic studies ambassadors program. Allows the State Board to adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of the provisions.

Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. Provides that a female student in any of grades 6 through 12 who is participating in an educational program in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics, subject to guidelines established by the State Board of Education, shall be permitted by a school board to have one school-day-long, excused absence per school year to participate in an externship or volunteer opportunity with an Illinois organization in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Provides that the school board may require that the student provide reasonable advance notice of the intended absence to the appropriate school administrator and require that the student provide documentation of the participation in an externship or volunteer opportunity to the appropriate school administrator.

Appropriates $175,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for a grant to the Chicago Board of Education to construct a new school facility for Grissom Elementary, located at 12810 S. Escanaba Ave., Chicago, IL, with a lunchroom, gymnasium, theater, and swimming pool. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $2,000,000 to the Department of Human Services for a grant to the Illinois Prison Project for the purposes of legal support, representation, and education for incarcerated persons in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Effective July 1, 2025.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Board of Higher Education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: General Funds $33,791,800; Other State Funds $16,630,000; Federal Funds $5,622,111; Total $56,043,911.

Creates the Public University Direct Admission Program Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a direct admission program. Requires each public university in the direct admission program to identify and provide its grade point average standards for general admission for first time admission and for transfer students to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission by March 1 of each year. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 and each July 1 thereafter, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall use data collected from school districts to determine which students meet the standards for general admission and provide the data to the Board of Higher Education. Provides that, beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the State Board of Education, shall develop, in consultation with the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a preselection outreach campaign to encourage qualifying State high school juniors and seniors to apply to the University of Illinois at Chicago or the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Requires the Board of Higher Education to submit a report on the direct admission program and the preselection outreach campaign to the Governor and General Assembly by August 1, 2029 and each August 1 thereafter. Amends the School Code. Requires a school board to provide access to high school student directory information and each student's email address and grade point average to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and each public institution of higher education for the purpose of informing students of educational and career opportunities.

Appropriates $6,000,000 to the Illinois State University for the purpose of the Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver Program. Effective July 1, 2025.