SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure that would address unequitable school disciplinary practices.

“The practice of ticketing in schools does not address the root causes of students’ behavior and instead creates financial hardships for working families, affecting Black and Latino families the most,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “This creates serious learning disparities between students of color and their white counterparts.”

In 2015, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law ending the ability of schools to issue monetary fines to students for disciplinary infractions at school. However, students in schools across the state continue to be fined due to the practice of students being referred to law enforcement for school-related behavior. 

A 2022 investigation revealed that Black and Latino students were ticketed at disproportionate rates. Between 2019 and 2021, 11,950 tickets were issued with fines as high as $750.

Senate Bill 1519 aims to address the issue by ensuring that no person on school grounds is allowed to issue a fine or ticket to a student for a school-based disciplinary infraction. The bill would also require school districts with a school resource officer to have a memorandum of understanding with their local law enforcement agency, establishing that SROs are properly trained and do not use fines or tickets for disciplinary infractions.

“Ticketing in schools as a form of discipline forces students to miss class to attend hearings designed for adults,” said Aimee Galvin, government affairs director for Stand for Children Illinois. “This practice creates a new form of exclusionary discipline, which does not make schools safer and may worsen academic outcomes. Every student deserves to feel safe and welcomed in their school.”

Senate Bill 1519 passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.