The delayed placements come even as Chicago Public Schools has added more than 100 programs serving exclusively students with disabilities.
The new law, signed Wednesday by Gov. JB Pritzker, also requires school districts to collect data on how many students have been referred to local law enforcement.
The new law, called Safe Schools for All, creates protections upheld in a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case, which said all students are afforded access to a free and public education, regardless of immigration status.
The cut scores for English language arts and math will be lowered, resulting in more students labeled as proficient, while science cut scores will go up, resulting in fewer students being considered proficient.
Due to a drop in local tax revenue and a bump in English learner enrollment, Chicago Public Schools will receive an additional $76 million from the state. Earlier this year, district officials anticipated a $25 million increase from the state.
State lawmakers said they’re ready to collaborate with the Chicago school board to find funding solutions, but did not commit to a special session or additional education funding.
The Office for Students with Disabilities is phasing out two departments and reassigning 65 new roles to work directly with schools, an internal email from Chicago Public Schools shows. The changes aim to put high-quality instruction before compliance, a top district official said.
A new Trump administration policy bars undocumented students from accessing Head Start, a 60-year-old program for low-income families.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon signed by 16 other governors calling the freeze of federal funds “a failure to fulfill the Department’s most basic responsibility.”
A new report looks at Illinois students who graduated high school between 2008 and 2012 and their education, career, and earning outcomes. Students who obtained a college degree made more money, but disparities in education and career outcomes persist.