News

Classroom Cellphone Restrictions Signed into Law

A new state law aimed at reducing classroom distractions will require Illinois public schools to restrict student cellphone use beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. Under Senate Bill 2427, public school districts and charter schools must adopt policies prohibiting students from using cellphones and other wireless communication devices during the school day. The law includes exceptions for students who need

Read More »

Federal Court Strikes Down Illinois Tuition Benefits for Undocumented Students

A federal district court recently struck down several Illinois laws that provided in-state tuition rates and financial assistance to noncitizens. In United States v. Illinois, the federal government argued that Illinois law conflicted with a federal statute prohibiting states from offering residency-based higher education benefits to noncitizens unless the same benefits are made available to all U.S. citizens, regardless of

Read More »

House Speaker Pushes More State Funding for Chicago Schools at the Expense of Other Districts

House Speaker Chris Welch recently pledged to lead an effort during the fall veto session to provide additional state funding for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), renewing debate over how Illinois should invest in public education. While additional investment in public education remains a priority, Senate Republicans maintain that any new funding should be distributed through Illinois’ Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula,

Read More »
Dave Syverson

Want to stay up to date with your Senator?

Sign up for the District E-Newsletter below: