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A brand new legislation in Illinois prevents legislation enforcement from ticketing college students at college, ending a observe that state schooling officers and lawmakers say disproportionately impacts college students of shade.
The legislation, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed Wednesday, additionally requires districts to have a “memorandum of understanding” with native legislation enforcement companies for faculties utilizing faculty useful resource officers by July 1, 2026. The settlement should prohibit faculty useful resource officers from ticketing college students, in addition to define the tasks of the useful resource officer, guarantee officers have been educated, and supply evaluation and analysis of the varsity useful resource officer program.
The ban on ticketing and fining college students for incidents that occur on faculty property through the faculty day takes impact instantly.
The adjustments construct on a legislation handed 10 years in the past that prohibited faculties from immediately issuing charges and fines as a disciplinary consequence.
The brand new legislation additionally consists of information assortment necessities for native faculty districts and the Illinois State Board of Training. Starting with the 2027-28 faculty yr, faculty districts will probably be required to report the variety of Ok-12 college students referred to legislation enforcement and the variety of referrals to legislation enforcement. The State Board of Training will report information collected from faculty districts throughout the state by Jan. 31, 2029.
State Superintendent Tony Sanders mentioned in a press launch Wednesday that the state board advocated for the legislation through the Basic Meeting’s spring legislative session and he’s “proud to see this legislation cross the end line.”
“Ticketing college students for disciplinary offenses has not been proven to enhance scholar habits or tackle underlying causes and scholar wants,” mentioned Sanders. “The observe has disproportionately impacted college students of shade and harmed low-income households, forcing them to pay exorbitant and pointless fines as a substitute of shopping for groceries and different family wants.”
The legislation doesn’t forestall faculties from contacting native police departments when against the law has occurred on faculty property or security threats.
The brand new legislation got here in response to a 2022 investigation by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune that discovered faculties in Illinois referred college students to native police departments for disciplinary infractions, relatively than subject fines themselves. College students had been usually ticketed for points similar to truancy — or when a scholar misses about 5% of the varsity yr and not using a legitimate excuse. Black and Latino college students had been extra usually ticketed or fined by native enforcement, reporting discovered.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who represents neighborhoods on Chicago’s West Aspect and suburbs and was the Home sponsor of the invoice, mentioned in a press launch that the legislation is a “accountable measure” to guard college students.
“We need to preserve younger folks out of the legal justice system, not unnecessarily introduce them to it by together with legislation enforcement at school issues that ought to be dealt with by academics and principals,” mentioned Ford. “Extreme penalties can push a scholar away from the classroom as a substitute of serving to them, which is why it’s so vital we’re selecting a greater path ahead right now.”
Samantha Smylie is the state schooling reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago protecting faculty districts throughout the state, laws, particular schooling and the state board of schooling. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.
