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House Bill 4243 was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this
month. The measure is an effort to keep students advancing
through grades even with unpaid bills.
Previous law did not address the withholding of grades,
transcripts or diplomas for students for financial reasons, only
academic performance and social issues.
State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, explained the
legislation during Senate debate last month.
"This amends the school code and prohibits public school
districts from withholding a student's grades, transcripts, or
diplomas because of an unpaid balance," Johnson said.
The bill also requires school districts to notify the Illinois
State Board of Education of the total amount of unpaid accounts
due to the prohibition of withholding grades, transcripts, or
diplomas.
"At the end of each school year, the school district must
catalog and report to the state board of education the total
unpaid amount that remains," Johnson said.
The law goes into effect immediately.
"Students are so much more than a set of credits,” Johnson said
in a statement. “They are scholars and future contributors to
our society, and we should do all we can to further their
academic careers and not contribute to unnecessary burdens.”
Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter
and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the
Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and
Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.
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