CREST HILL – Families can get their kids ready to head back to the classroom by attending State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel and State Representative Natalie Manley’s Back to School Fair on July 29.

“With the school year right around the corner, it’s a perfect time to have an event that serves as a central location for connecting families with programs in our community,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We want families to have a chance to get free school supplies and useful resources all in one place.”

The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 29 at the University of St. Francis St. Clare Campus, located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. Loughran Cappel and Manley will be joined by community partners who can provide resources and supplies for students to use when they return to the classroom.

Students can receive free school supplies at the fair and learn about a number of services offered by organizations in the community. Students and families visiting the fair will be able to “Touch-a-truck,” enjoy food from Truckin Delicious Food Truck, engage with Bernie from the University of St. Francis, receive resources form local libraries and organizations, and more.

For more information on the Back to School Fair, people can call Loughran Cappel’s office at 815-267-6119.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law supported by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel will help continue tackling the teacher shortage school districts across the state are facing.

“Here in Illinois, we are taking strides to address the teacher shortage head on,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “It’s clear that there are issues recruiting and retaining teachers. We have to find the tools and resources to keep quality educators in the profession so our students can be lifelong learners.”

The new law provides retention bonuses of $4,000 per year, for two consecutive years to teachers who are National Board Certified and employed in hard-to-staff schools. A hard-to-staff school is a public school that no less than 30% of the student enrollment is considered low-income. Becoming a National Board Certified teacher is a career continuum for those who start in pre-service teacher preparation, leading aspiring teachers to pursue and achieve National Board Certification.

This measure aims to provide an incentive for teachers to work in underserved areas, as these are the areas that are most affected by the current teacher shortage.

“By investing in our educators, we are helping our students excel in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel.

House Bill 3801 takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

CREST HILL – In partnership with State Representative Natalie Manley, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel is hosting a shred event for residents to safely destroy personal documents at no cost.

“To help prevent fraud and identity theft, I encourage residents to take advantage of this free event to dispose of old personal documents,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Many of us have unnecessary papers in our homes and this is a great opportunity to get rid of them in a safe way.”

The shredding truck will be available in the parking lot of the Ovation Center, located at 349 S. Weber Road in Romeoville, from 10 a.m. to noon, or until the truck is full on Saturday, July 22. A limit of two boxes of documents per car is encouraged.

Examples of documents with personally identifiable information that should be safely discarded include bank statements, outdated medical records, tax returns, bills, junk mail, credit card applications and receipts.

Local law enforcement officials will be available to collect old prescription medications.

If residents have questions about the event, Loughran Cappel urges them to contact her office at 815-267-6119.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law backed by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel will highlight future career opportunities for children with disabilities.

“I spent 15 years in the classroom as a special education teacher and I saw first-hand the importance of planning cohesively with parents and the student,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “It’s crucial to create a plan that paves the way for students with disabilities to succeed.”

Individualized education plans – or IEPs – are plans that describe education instruction, support and services that students with disabilities are entitled to receive. Under the new law, students with IEPs and their parents will be provided information on the school district’s career and technical education and dual credit opportunities.

According to the National School Boards Association’s 2019 analysis, students with disabilities who were in career and technical educational programs had an 89% graduation rate nationwide during the previous school year, which was 20% higher than the overall graduation rate for students with disabilities.

“Career and technical education can give students the training needed to build a meaningful career,” said Loughran Cappel. “I will continue working to ensure children with disabilities have every opportunity.”

House Bill 3224 took effect immediately.