SPRINGFIELD -- In an effort to help strapped school districts save money, the House today approved a bill that would let local school boards set four-day weeks for students.
Students would still be required to go to school the same amount of hours every year. That would mean school days could be longer or summer vacation would be shorter.
The bill passed the House on an 81-21 vote and goes to the Senate for consideration.
Lawmakers said the move could save schools districts money on fuel for buses and could scale back their electric bills for school buildings.
Rep. Bill Black, a Danville Republican who sponsored the bill, said he took up the issue when a school superintendent in Vermilion County approached him about ever-increasing fuel costs. Black said many smaller, rural districts have long bus routes with students who live in farms several miles away from their schools.
"All he wanted to do is try and keep their school district operating," Black said.
Schools statewide are struggling due to delayed payments from the state for items like transportation and special education.
But the legislation is opposed by some major education groups, including the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers. Lawmakers opposed to the bill said denying kids a day of school is the wrong way to address the state's enormous backlog of bills.
"It is tragic when we try to balance the budget of the state of Illinois on the backs of our babies," said Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago
Let's keep an eye on this and see if the Senate approves...
