SPRINGFIELD - In order to improve the state’s ability to study class sizes, school districts in Illinois would be required to report various sets of classroom data to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) under legislation advanced out of the Illinois Senate today by State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago).

The legislation, House Bill 5481, aims to shed light on data related to class sizes and teacher caseloads in Illinois, while setting class size goals that give students their best chance at succeeding inside and outside of the classroom, according to Aquino.

HB 5481 requires school districts to report the following criteria no later than the 60th day of each school year:
• the pupil-teacher ratios for each school district
• the number of teachers employed by each school
• the number of class instructors by grade level and subject
• each individual class size and total caseload for each teacher

ISBE would be required to post the data on its website by Dec. 1 of the same year.

HB 5481 also sets the following class size goals for the General Assembly for the start of the 2020-2021 school year:
• 18 students or less for kindergarten;
• 22 students or less for grades 1 through 5;
• 25 students or less for grades 6 through 12; and
• 150 student’s or less for each teachers caseload

“Reducing teachers’ caseloads improves student performance at every level by maximizing student engagement, allowing for concentrated instruction and fostering better classroom relationships, all of which are major factors in a student’s long-term success,” Aquino said. “This bill sets the framework for giving our students their best shot at achieving their full potential.”

HB 5481 now awaits the Governor’s signature to become law.