School Visitation Rights

Administrative Procedure 5.307

Elgin Community College encourages College-employed parents and guardians to play a role in the education of their children. In the event they are unable to meet with their children's educators due to a work conflict, College-employed parents and guardians will be granted the right to an allotment of time during the school year to attend necessary educational or behavioral conferences at their children's school, in accordance with the Illinois School Visitation Rights Act, 820 ILCS 147/1 et seq.

1. As used in this procedure, terms are defined as follows:  

A. An employee is a person who performs services for hire for an employer: (i) at least six (6) consecutive months immediately preceding a request for a leave under this procedure; and (ii) an average number of hours per week equal to at least one-half (1/2) the full-time equivalent position in the employer's job classification, as defined by the employer's personnel policies or practices or in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement, during those six (6) months; and (iii)who is not an independent contractor.  

B. Employer and College mean Elgin Community College.  

C. A child is a biological, adopted or foster child, a stepchild or a legal ward of an employee who is enrolled in a primary or secondary public or private school in the State of Illinois, or a state which shares a common boundary with Illinois.  

D. School means any public or private primary or secondary school or educational facility located in Illinois, or a state, which shares a common boundary with Illinois.  

E. A School Administrator is the principal or similar administrator who is responsible for the operations of the school.  

2. Each employee will be allowed up to eight (8) hours of leave during any school year, provided, however, that (a) No more than four (4) hours are taken on any given day and (b) The conference cannot be scheduled during non-work hours. No leave may be taken under this procedure unless the employee has exhausted all accrued vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory leave, and any other leave that may be granted to the employee except for sick leave and disability leave.  

3. The employee will provide the College with a written leave request at least seven  (7) days in advance.  However, in emergency situations, no more than twenty-four  

(24) hours of notice will be required to be given the College.   

4. The College will make a good-faith effort allowing employees to make up lost time due to the exercise of their rights under this procedure.  The employee will notify the College to schedule the leave so it does not unduly disrupt College operations.  

5. An employee who chooses to utilize the rights outlined in this procedure is not required to make up the time so taken.  However, if the employee's rights under this act are exercised by the employee and the employee fails to make up the time lost, such employee will not be compensated for the time taken under this procedure.  

6. An employee who does make up time will be compensated at the employee's normal rate of pay. A reasonable opportunity to make up the time does not include the scheduling of make-up time in a manner that would require the payment of wages on an overtime basis. Make-up time will be scheduled within the same pay period.  

7. Upon completion of school visitation by an employee, the school administrator will provide the employee with documentation of the school visitation, which the employee will submit to the supervisor and Human Resource department.  The documentation provided to the employee will include, but not be limited to, the exact time and date the visitation took place and was completed.  

8. An employee will submit the documentation to the College within two (2) working days.  (Failure to submit such documentation may permit the College to discipline said employee.)  

9. No employee will lose any employee benefits, except as provided in items #5 and #6 above of this procedure, for exercising his/her rights under this procedure.  

This policy was last reviewed on 08/31/2023.