Starting on August 1st, students with medical marijuana cards may be administered cannabis products at school.
Known as Ashley’s Law, the School Code now allows students to be given medical cannabis infused products at...more
8/10/2018
/ Charter Schools ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Educational Institutions ,
Healthcare ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
Students
In the last month and a half of 2017, the Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office issued three binding opinions, one addressing the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and two addressing the Freedom of...more
The rollercoaster ride of the past weeks on school funding is coming to an end as the General Assembly has passed a new compromise bill that is expected to be signed by Governor Rauner as early as the end of this week. ...more
The Illinois House voted last week to override Governor Rauner’s veto of the budget bill, income tax increase, and the budget implementation bill. The House vote came on the heels of the Illinois Senate’s override vote on...more
The Public Access Counselor (PAC) of the Illinois Attorney General’s office recently issued two binding opinions addressing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Specifically, the opinions found two public bodies in...more
The Attorney General’s Office recently issued a non-binding opinion concluding that a board of education improperly discussed matters in closed session that were not within the scope of the exceptions on which the board...more
The Public Access Counselor recently issued a non-binding opinion holding that public bodies have the discretion to decide whether to waive or reduce copying fees associated with the production of documents responsive to FOIA...more
The issue of school funding reform is being addressed on many fronts this year. In Springfield, proponents of funding reform and the evidence based model continue their efforts at legislative change. Meanwhile, school...more
As we move into the second half of the school year, we want to remind districts and charter schools of the importance of securing and protecting student data. Educators use and share student data in dynamic ways that improve...more
1/31/2017
/ Charter Schools ,
Clickwrap Agreements ,
Contract Terms ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data-Sharing ,
Educational Institutions ,
Student Privacy ,
Student Records ,
Students ,
Technology
At the end of last month, the Department of Education released three new sets of guidance on the federal civil rights laws that govern students with disabilities. All three offer valuable information about current and...more
1/12/2017
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Disability ,
Disabled Children ,
Educational Institutions ,
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ,
GAO ,
IDEA ,
New Guidance ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Section 504 ,
Special Education ,
Students
In three separate opinions rendered in November, the Public Access Counselor (PAC) of the Illinois Attorney General provided guidance regarding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on the definition of “unduly burdensome,”...more
One of the most legally perilous jobs of a school board is to preside over the public participation portion of a meeting. The key for a board is to balance its need to run efficient and orderly meetings with the ability of...more
The Second District Appellate Court recently addressed the question of when an electronic record is a public record subject to FOIA and when a public agency is required to release information from an electronic database. In...more
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has issued a ruling that clarifies the application of the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to schools to allow automated calls and texts to parents in the case of...more
Over the past few years there has been no shortage of FOIA requests and media attention on how school districts and other units of local government spend or reimburse spending on conferences, dining, and travel. Last week...more
On July 20, 2016, the Illinois Appellate Court reversed the decision of the circuit court in Veazey v. Rich Township High School District 227, et al. and sent the case back to the circuit court with instruction that Mr....more
On September 24, 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court reaffirmed the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words” in holding that Community High School District No. 155’s bleacher construction project is subject to and must...more
9/29/2015
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Educational Institutions ,
IASB ,
IL Supreme Court ,
Industrial Stormwater Rule ,
Jurisdiction ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
School Districts ,
Zoning Laws
In working with school districts and charter schools, our firm has learned that many clients may have entered into agreements that lack key contract terms necessary to protect student data privacy. In other cases, we have...more
In late June, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) reached an agreement, settling two pending federal court cases, aimed at ensuring that student athletes with disabilities...more
On May 13, 2015, the Illinois Appellate Court’s First District held that the former Board President of an Illinois high school district’s Board of Education was ineligible to fill a vacancy on the board following his previous...more