As students across the QCA make their way back to school for a new year, teachers, old friends and new challenges will be waiting for them. However, campuses in Illinois will have some new laws waiting for faculty, staff and students.

While schools across Illinois already have guidelines in place to address bullying, a new state law is making changes for when school officials have to notify parents about bullying cases. Previously, state law didn’t specify when school officials had to notify parents, only that they needed to do so in a timely manner.

When students head back for the new year, schools will have to tell the parents of every student involved in a bullying incident within 24 hours. Some say it can be a challenge to investigate what happened in that window of time, especially if the school learns about the incident at the end of the week.

Additionally, educators will need to navigate an upcoming state law for banning books. A law to take effect in January mandates any library that bans books because people don’t approve of their content or for political reasons, won’t be eligible for grant money from the state.

A third new law for school requires all school districts to set up a full-day kindergarten program by fall of 2027. The law creates a task force that will track the implementation.