Policy

2:250-E2 – Immediately Available District Public Records and Web-Posted Reports and Records

[For use by only those Districts that have websites.]

The District’s Freedom of Information Officer designates the public records that are listed in this table as being immediately available to the public. The records that are asterisked (*) are posted on the District’s website and may be immediately inspected, downloaded, printed, and/or copied. Any asterisked public record is also immediately available for inspection or copying upon request at the District’s administrative office during its regular business hours, provided any applicable fees are paid. Records not asterisked (*) will be provided within five business days as allowed by the Freedom of Information Act, provided any applicable fees are paid.

Web-posted records and information (use of an * is explained in the paragraph above this table) Web-posting statutory reference and special instructions
*Annual schedule of regular meetings for the current school year that are posted at the beginning of each calendar or fiscal year

*Public notice of each Board meeting that is posted at least 48 hours before the meeting and remains posted until the meeting is concluded

*Agenda of each regular meeting that is posted at least 48 hours before a meeting and remains posted until the meeting is concluded

Note: For school districts that do not post board meeting notices and/or agendas on a website (because they do not have a website maintained by a full time staff member), the notice and agenda must be continuously available for public review during the entire 48-hour period preceding the meeting

5 ILCS 120/2.02.
*Official open meeting minutes that are posted within 10 days of the Board’s approval and remain posted for at least 60 days (required if the District has a website maintained by a full time staff member) 5 ILCS 120/2.06(b).
*Description of the District and its records including:

  1. Summary of the District’s purpose
  2. Functional subdivisions
  3. Total amount of operating budget
  4. Number and location of all of its separate offices
  5. Approximate number of full- and part-time employees (see also, salary and benefits information report for the Superintendent, administrators, and teachers, District’s Statement of Affairs)
  6. Identification and membership of the Board
  7. Brief description of the methods whereby the public may request information and public records
  8. Directory information for the Freedom of Information Officer
  9. Address where requests for public records should be directed
  10. Fees

 

5 ILCS 140/4.

The District must prominently post the list at each administrative office and make it available for inspection and copying.

*A hyperlink to an email address(es) for members of the public to communicate with members of the Board 50 ILCS 205/20

The hyperlink must be easily accessible from the District’s home page.

Annual budget for current fiscal year, itemized by receipts and expenditures 105 ILCS 5/17-1.2.

This may be accomplished using Ill. State Board of Education (ISBE) School District Budget Form (50-36) or the summary pages from it.

The District must notify its students’ parents/guardians when the budget is web-posted along with its website address.

*District Report Card and a Report Card for each School (the Report Cards will be provided by ISBE by Oct. 31 of each year) 105 ILCS 5/10-17a, amended by P.A.s 101-68101-654, 102-16, 102-294, 102-539, and 102-594.

Annually, no more than 30 calendar days after receiving the Report Cards from the State Superintendent, the District must: (1) present them at a regular Board meeting, (2) post them on the District’s website, (3) make them available to a newspaper of general circulation serving the District, and (4) upon request, send them home to parents/guardians. 105 ILCS 5/10-17a(5).

The District also must send a written notice home to parents/guardians stating: (1) that the Report Cards are available on the website, (2) the website’s address, (3) that a printed copy will be sent upon request, and (4) the telephone number to request a printed copy. Id.

*The District’s discipline plan and progress on the plan, in the event the District is identified by ISBE to be in the top 20% (for three consecutive years) of districts for out-of-school suspensions, out-of-school expulsions, or racial disproportionality in the use of out-of-school suspensions
and expulsions
105 ILCS 5/2-3.162.
If the District is required to submit a plan to ISBE, it must be approved at a public board meeting and posted on the District’s website. Within one year after being identified by ISBE, the District must submit to ISBE and post on its website a progress report describing implementation
of the plan and the results achieved.
*A list of all contracts in excess of $25,000 and any contracts with an exclusive bargaining representative 105 ILCS 5/10-20.44.

There is no statutory timeline for web posting.

Each year, in conjunction with the submission of the Statement of Affairs to ISBE, before Dec. 1, the District must submit to ISBE an annual report on all contracts over $25,000 awarded during the previous fiscal year.

*Contract(s) with any commercial driver training school(s) for driver education 105 ILCS 5/27-24.2, amended by P.A. 100-465.

The District is required to web-post this document if it has a website. If the District has no website, it must make the contract available upon request.

Annual Statement of Affairs 105 ILCS 5/10-17.

The District is not required to web-post this document. It must, annually by Dec. 1, submit the Statement to ISBE for posting on ISBE’s website, have copies of the Statement available in the main administrative office, and publish a summary of the Statement in a newspaper of general circulation published in the District.

*Fiscal Efficiency Report, summarizing the District’s
attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared
services or outsourcing in the prior fiscal year
105 ILCS 5/17-1.1, amended by P.A. 102-1088.
The report must be: (1) approved by the
Board at an open meeting, and (2)
primarily in checklist form and
approximately one page in length.
Beginning in levy year 2022, if the District has an aggregate property tax levy greater than $5,000,000, it
will make good faith efforts to electronically publish the following data from all vendors and subcontractors doing business with the District:
1. Whether the vendor or subcontractor is minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned
2. Whether the vendor or subcontractor holds a certification as a minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned business as defined in 30 ILCS
575/, or if they are self-certifying; and
3. If the vendor self-certifies, whether it qualifies as a small business under federal Small Business Administration standards (See www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards).
35 ILCS 200/18-50.2, added by P.A. 102-
265.
The law does not define electronically
publish; website posting is a means of
compliance. This item is not asterisked should the District choose to electronically publish the information offline.
*Explanation of the data elements of covered information that the District collects, maintains, or discloses to any person, entity, third party, or governmental agency.

*A description of the procedures that parents/guardians may use to carry out their rights under 105 ILCS 85/33(c)(1), (2), & (3) added by P.A. 101-516, including the right to:

  1. Inspect and review their child’s covered information
  2. Request a paper or electronic copy of their child’s covered information
  3. Request corrections for factual inaccuracies contained in their child’s covered information.
105 ILCS 85/27(a)(1), added by P.A. 101-516.

The explanation of data elements of covered information must be clear and understandable by a layperson and cover the following: (1) how the District uses the covered information; (2) to whom or what entities the District discloses the covered information; and (3) for what purpose the District discloses the covered information.

The explanation of data elements and description of parent rights procedures must be updated by Jan. 31 and July 31 each year, as needed.

*A list of operators with whom the District has written agreements and the following for each operator:

  1. Copy of the agreement
  2. Business address
  3. List of any subcontractors to whom covered information may be disclosed or a link to a page on the operator’s website that clearly lists the subcontractors
105 ILCS 85/27(a)(2) & (3), added by P.A. 101-516.

The District must post new operator contracts and an explanation of the data elements of covered information disclosed to the operator (see immediate row above) within 10 business days after entering into the contract. 105 ILCS 85/27(c), added by P.A. 101-516.

This list must also be updated by Jan. 31 and July 31 each year, as needed.

*A list of breaches of covered information maintained by the school or an operator involving 10% or more of the District’s student enrollment. The list must include:

1.       Number of students whose covered information was involved in the breach, unless the breach involved personal information as defined in the Personal Information Protection Act, 815 ILCS 530/5, in which case the number of students involved may not be disclosed.

2.       Date, estimated date, or estimated date range of the breach

3.       Name of the operator, if applicable

105 ILCS 85/27(a)(5), added by P.A. 101-516, eff. 7-21-21.

The District must update breach information by January 31 and July 31 each year and it must remain on the District’s website for at least five years after the District adds it to the lists.  Breaches that occurred (or were estimated to have occurred) prior to 7-2-21 or breaches that were posted more than five years  prior to updating the current list do not need to be posted.

*Board policy, 7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment

*Information developed as a result of the evaluation and assessment of the bullying policy’s outcomes and effectiveness

105 ILCS 5/27-23.7(b)(10) & (11)
*Contact information for the District’s Title IX Coordinator(s) and Board policies 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure; and 2:265, Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure 34 C.F.R. §106.8.
*Training materials for any individuals designated as Title IX Coordinator(s), investigators, decision-makers, and informal resolution facilitators 34 C.F.R. §106.45(b)(10)(i)(D).

Naming only the training provider and course does not meet this requirement. The U.S. Dept. of Education (DOE) requires training materials be publicly available “so that a district’s approach to training Title IX personnel may be transparently viewed by the [district’s] educational community and the public, including for the purpose of holding a [district] accountable for using training materials that comply with [Title IX] regulations.” 85 Fed. Reg. 30254. Consult the board attorney regarding this requirement; making training materials of third-party consultants publicly available may violate their intellectual property rights. The DOE acknowledged the potential for intellectual property violations, suggesting that districts either “secure permission from the consultant to publish the training materials” or create their own training materials. 85 Fed. Reg. 30412.

*Board policy 7:020, Harassment of Students Prohibited, and age-appropriate explanations of its contents in student handbook(s) 105 ILCS 5/10-20.69 (final citation pending), added by P.A. 101-418.

The District must have an age-appropriate policy on sexual harassment (1) in the student handbook(s), (2) posted on the District’s website, and (3) posted in any other area where policies, rules and standards of conduct are posted in each school.

*Board Policy, 7:290Suicide and Depression and Awareness and Prevention 105 ILCS 5/2-3.166, amended by P.A. 102-267.
*Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits Report (itemized salary report for the Superintendent and all administrators and teachers); benefits includes without limitation vacation days, sick days, bonuses, annuities, and retirement enhancements 105 ILCS 5/10-20.47.

Annually on or before October 1: (1) the information must be presented at a regular Board meeting and posted on the District’s website, and (2) after the Board meeting at which the information was presented, the Report must be provided to ISBE.

*Information regarding a Severance Agreement entered into because an employee or contractor was found to have engaged in sexual harassment or sexual discrimination. 50 ILCS 205/3c, added by P.A. 100-1040.

Within 72 hours of Board approval, the District must post: (1) the name/title of person receiving payment under the severance agreement, (2) the amount of payment, (3) that the employee or contractor was found to have engaged in sexual harassment or sexual discrimination, as applicable, and (4) the date, time, and location of the meeting at which the agreement was approved.

Note: The Government Severance Pay Act (GSPA), 5 ILCS 415/10(a)(2), prohibits an employee of a school district with contract provisions for severance pay from receiving any severance if he or she is fired for misconduct by the board, which includes sexual harassment and/or discrimination. Id. at 415/5. For more discussion about the reconciling these laws, see f/n 6 in policy 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure.

*As an employer that participates in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), a compensation report for employees who have a total compensation package that exceeds $75,000 per year; total compensation package means salary, health insurance, a housing allowance, a vehicle allowance, a clothing allowance, bonuses, loans, vacation days granted, and sick days granted.

 

5 ILCS 120/7.3.

The report must be posted within six business days after the District approves a budget.  The District may choose to post a physical copy of this information at its principal office in lieu of posting the information directly on the website in which case it must post directions on the website for accessing that information.

The Ill. Attorney General’s office has not provided guidance concerning whether this requirement applies to employees who do not participate in IMRF, e.g., Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) participants.

*As an employer that participates in the IMRF, a compensation report for employees who have a total compensation package that is equal to or in excess of $150,000 per year; total compensation package means payment by the employer to the employee for salary, health insurance, a housing allowance, a vehicle allowance, a clothing allowance, bonuses, loans, vacation days granted, and sick days granted

The Ill. Attorney General’s office has not provided guidance concerning whether this requirement applies to employees who do not participate in IMRF, e.g., TRS participants.

5 ILCS 120/7.3.

The report must be posted at least six days before the District approves an employee’s total compensation package that is equal to or in excess of $150,000. The District may choose to post a physical copy of this information at its principal office in lieu of posting the information directly on the website in which case it must post directions on the website for accessing that information.

*As an employer that participates in IMRF, a link to the information posted on the IMRF website at: www.imrf.org/en/about-imrf/tranparency/employer-cost-and-participation-information 40 ILCS 5/7-135.5, added by P.A. 101-504
*Board policy 5:120, Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest 105 ILCS 5/22-85.5(e), added by P.A. 102-
676.
A description of activities to address intergroup conflict (an optional program authorized by Sec. 27- 23.6) 105 ILCS 5/27-23.6(c).
The total number of personnel with a school support
personnel endorsement, and for each endorsement area:
1. Those actively employed by the District on a full-time
basis;
2. Those actively employed by the District on a part-time
basis; and
3. Those actively employed by a special education
cooperative providing services to students in the
District
105 ILCS 5/10-20.80, added by P.A. 102-302 and renumbered by P.A. 102-813.  Annually by Dec. 1st, the District must report its school support personnel information as of Oct. 1 to ISBE and web-post it.
The total number of students enrolled in the District and of
that total, the number of students with an individualized
education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan
105 ILCS 5/2-3.182, added by P.A. 102-
302 and renumbered by P.A. 102-813.
Annually by Dec. 1st, the District must
report its enrollment information as of Oct.
1 to ISBE and web-post it.
*Notice that students with disabilities who do not qualify
for an IEP may qualify for services under Section 504
105 ILCS 5/14-6.01, amended by P.A. 102-1072. The notice shall: (1) identify the location and phone number of the District office or employee to whom inquiries about the identification, assessment, and placement of children with disabilities should be directed, and (2) inform parents who are deaf or do not typically communicate using spoken English that they are entitled to the services of an
interpreter when participating in a Section 504 meeting.
*Names of Board members who have completed professional development leadership training  

105 ILCS 5/10-16a, amended by P.A. 102-638, eff. 1-1-23, requires the District to post on its website the names of all Board members who have completed professional development leadership training. The web-posting may be expanded to log all Board members’ training and development activities.

5 ILCS 120/1.05(b) and (c) require each Board member to complete training on the Open Meetings Act. After completing the training, each Board member must file a copy of their certificate of completion with the Board.

105 ILCS 5/24-16.5 requires each Board member to complete a training program on performance evaluations before voting on a dismissal based on a performance evaluation pursuant to the Performance Evaluation Reform Act.

Immunization data reported to ISBE by each Nov. 15 105 ILCS 5/27-8.1(6).

By Dec. 1, the District must annually make the immunization data that it must report to ISBE each year publicly available. The data, not its format, must be identical to the data reported to ISBE. Boards have control over the method(s) used to make this data publicly available. One method is to instruct the reader to ask for the data directly from ISBE.

Information on mental health issues and local treatment resources The Ill. House of Representatives encouraged this in HR 478 (99th General Assembly, 5-31-15).
All reliable assessments, scored by entities other than the District, that are administered in each of the District’s schools. 105 ILCS 5/22-82(b)

These must be made available to parents and/or guardians through the District’s Internet website or paper handouts.

*The District’s Remote and/or Blended Remote Learning Day Plan. 105 ILCS 5/10-30(6), added by P.A. 101-643.
When the Board allows for student participation in registered apprenticeship programs.

  1. Notification to students and parents of the opportunities for registered apprenticeships, which includes the following statements:
    1. Students may participate in any registered apprenticeship program listed by the District and
    2. Students may find a registered, but not listed, apprenticeship program with a business or organization, if a registered apprenticeship program is not offered in the District.
  2. Board policy 6:310, High School Credit for Non-District Experiences; Course Substitutions; Re-Entering Students (specifically, the section titled Registered Apprenticeship Program).
  3. A form for a parent/guardian to request that when their child successfully completes a registered apprenticeship program, it be substituted for a course.
23 Ill.Admin.Code §255.200(b)(4) and (c).
*If offered by the District, identification of the curriculum the District uses to provide comprehensive personal health and safety and comprehensive sexual health education (National Sex Education Standards (NSES)), the scope and sequence of these instructional materials, and the name and contact information, including an email address, of a school staff member who can respond to inquiries about instruction and materials 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1a, added by P.A. 102-522.
*Board policy 6:135, Accelerated Placement Program 23 Ill.Admin.Code §227.60(a).
*Board policy 7:70, Attendance and Truancy 23 Ill.Admin.Code §207.20(b).

Cross Reference:

2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure

2:265, Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure

5:120, Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest

6:135, Accelerated Placement Program

6:310, High School Credit for Non-District Experiences; Course Substitutions; Re-Entering Students

7:020, Harassment of Students Prohibited

7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment

7:290Suicide and Depression and Awareness and Prevention

7:70, Attendance and Truancy

Dated Amended:  December 20, 2016

Date Amended:  January 21, 2020

Dated Amended:  September 22, 2020

Date Amended:  August 24, 2021

Date Amended:  January 24, 2023

Date Amended:  June 20, 2023