104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2
105 ILCS 5/24-2
Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
A BILL FOR
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1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 24-2 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/24-2)
7 Sec. 24-2. Holidays.
8 (a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays,
9 nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section,
10 shall teachers, educational support personnel employees, or
11 other school employees, other than noncertificated school
12 employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency
13 or for the continued operation and maintenance of school
14 facilities or property, be required to work on legal school
15 holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third
16 Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
17 Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln;
18 the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's
19 birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by
20 federal law; June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day; July 4,
21 Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day;
22 the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11,
23 Veterans' Day; the Thursday in November commonly called
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1553 Introduced , by Rep. Tony M. McCombie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/24-2 105 ILCS 5/24-2
105 ILCS 5/24-2
Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning holidays, provides that a school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under the Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day) if certain conditions are met. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
LRB104 03438 LNS 13461 b
A BILL FOR
105 ILCS 5/24-2
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1 Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School
2 boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment
3 such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the
4 time or compensation of a school employee, including an
5 educational support personnel employee, on account of any
6 legal or special holiday in which that employee would have
7 otherwise been scheduled to work but for the legal or special
8 holiday.
9 (b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for
10 waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code
11 is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes,
12 parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third
13 Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King,
14 Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln);
15 the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's
16 birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day);
17 November 3, 2026 (2026 General Election Day), and November 11
18 (Veterans' Day), provided that:
19 (1) the person or persons or event honored by the
20 holiday are recognized through instructional activities
21 conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for
22 student attendance, on the first school day preceding or
23 following that day; and
24 (2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority
25 first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The
26 entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing
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1 to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth
2 the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the
3 proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony
4 from educators and parents about the proposal.
5 (c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified
6 patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities,
7 or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays
8 are: January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali), January 28 (to
9 be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a
10 commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday
11 of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day),
12 September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), September 17
13 (Constitution Day), the school day immediately preceding
14 Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling
15 Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance
16 Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so
17 appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may
18 establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment
19 such action is advisable. School boards shall include
20 instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or
21 events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time
22 during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when
23 such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of
24 Education shall prepare and make available to school boards
25 instructional materials relative to commemorated persons,
26 activities, or events which may be used by school boards in
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1 conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this
2 paragraph.
3 (d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe
4 March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday
5 shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to
6 commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive
7 Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late
8 Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington.
9 If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be
10 observed on the following Monday.
11 (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to
12 the contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known
13 as 2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout
14 the State pursuant to Public Act 101-642. All government
15 offices, with the exception of election authorities, shall be
16 closed unless authorized to be used as a location for election
17 day services or as a polling place.
18 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
19 contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as
20 2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the
21 State under Public Act 102-15.
22 Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the
23 contrary, November 5, 2024 shall be a State holiday known as
24 2024 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout
25 this State pursuant to Public Act 103-467.
26 (Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-15, eff. 6-17-21;
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1 102-334, eff. 8-9-21; 102-411, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff.
2 5-13-22; 103-15, eff. 7-1-23; 103-395, eff. 1-1-24; 103-467,
3 eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)
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