Chicago City Wire

The Illinois Department of Revenue announced in May the state is having a back-to-school sales tax holiday, it’ll start Friday.

“Illinois shoppers will be able to purchase school supplies for reduced costs through Aug. 14,” Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Chicago) posted on Facebook. “Retailers will reduce the state sales tax to almost 1.25%, down from 6.25% for 10 days as parents, students, and teachers make their annual back-to-school supply purchases.”

The State Journal-Register noted items not included in the relief include, but aren’t limited to, textbooks and breathing masks.

The sales tax on school supplies will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25% from Aug. 5 through 14 as part of Senate Bill 157, the State Journal-Register reported. Supplies including book bags, calculators, erasers, highlighters, lunch boxes, notebooks, and pens and pencils are included in the tax reduction, as well as apparel items such as belts, shirts and blouses, shorts and pants, skirts and dresses, rain gear, lab coats, and jackets. Items such as cellphones and jewelry are not included.

“These past two-and-a-half years, for everyone, of managing through the pandemic has been hard,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Thursday, The Telegraph reported. “And the last nine months of inflation on top of that has strained the budgets of parents and teachers alike.”

Illinois lawmakers have enacted multiple other bills related to schools and students, including Senate Bill 3936, which requires the Illinois State Police to collaborate with other state agencies in responding to individuals with mental health issues who have expressed thoughts about attacking others at school. The legislation builds on Illinois’ existing Safe2Help program, which provides a hotline for students to send in tips about concerning behavior.

Center Square Illinois reported many schools in the state chose to op-out of a curriculum made by the National Sex Education Standards, such as teaching kindergarten students how to identify healthy relationships and consent.

House Bill 4316 adds a layer of protection against teachers who have engaged in or been credibly accused of sexual misconduct by requiring superintendents to notify parents and the school board. The law also requires school boards to review the employment histories of new hires to verify that the teachers have not been previously fired for sexual misconduct. 

House Bill 3296 aims to enhance career exploration and development activities for students by providing opportunities for school districts to develop and implement programs through which older students can explore a variety of high-skill, in-demand career fields.