Pritzker signs legislation expanding equity for special needs students

CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed two pieces of legislation on Wednesday that will help students with special needs.

One of the bills will allow students to continue their education and graduate with their peers even if they turn 22.

"There’s nothing kind about taking a student with disabilities out of the classroom on October 16th, or January 5th, or April 19th, just because they turned another day older," Pritzker said. "It doesn’t happen to general education students, and it shouldn’t happen to our students with special needs either. In Illinois, it will never happen again."

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Previously, students would be taken out of school once they turned 22, losing access to important support services.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Another bill will allow those students impacted by in-person learning due to the coronavirus to go back and make up school work.

"Zoom classes were particularly difficult for this cohort of students and has left students and their families with even fewer options then they might have had with in person instruction," said State Representative Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake). "For these students, their final year is critical to helping them transition to whatever is next."

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Pritzker says this legislation was long overdue.

Currently, the state of Illinois ranks 44th in the nation in funding for programs for adults with special needs.