Ptacek comments on discipline guideline bill

By Ryne Turke on November 18, 2015 at 12:31pm

A new law signed by Governor Rauner would require Illinois schools to develop more measured discipline policies.

According to the bill, schools would be forced to end zero-tolerance policies, limit out-of-school suspensions, address bullying and create a parent-teacher advisory board on school discipline.

District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek explains how the discipline bill would impact schools in Jacksonville.

“This is an aspect of Senate Bill 100. We have been analyzing what we are doing. We have to make some slight adjustments, mostly reporting to parents,” says Ptacek.

“We don’t have zero-tolerance policies, we do consider other alternative methods in discipline before we jump to suspension or expulsion and we haven’t expelled students directly out to the street. We feel the changes being made fit our current operation.”

Ptacek expects to have District 117 up to speed on the discipline guidelines by the fall of next school year.