HB2762 amends the Illinois School Code to establish a statutory minimum hourly wage for certain school district and joint agreement employees who provide educational support services. The bill sets the minimum at $20 per hour for the 2026-2027 school year, $21 for 2027-2028, and $22 for 2028-2029. After that, the minimum would rise each year by the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), creating an inflation-adjusted floor.
The bill defines covered employees broadly to include custodial workers, transportation staff, food service workers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, and paraprofessional educators. It also specifies that salary includes employer-paid employee contributions to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), which matters for calculating compliance with the minimum compensation requirement.
Impact
If enacted, HB2762 would create a new Section 24-8.2 in the School Code and impose a statewide minimum hourly pay standard on school boards and joint agreements for a wide range of non-certified and support personnel. This would directly affect school district payroll practices, potentially increase labor costs, and require districts to account for IMRF contributions when determining whether the minimum is met. The bill also notes that the State Mandates Act may require reimbursement, signaling possible state fiscal implications for local school employers.
Sentiment
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a pro-worker, wage-floor policy aimed at improving compensation for school support staff. The absence of recorded legislative discussion means the overall sentiment cannot be measured from proceedings, but the proposal itself is clearly framed as a wage increase for lower-paid school employees.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is fiscal impact: school districts and joint agreements would be required to raise wages over time, which could increase operating costs and potentially require additional funding. Another issue is the breadth of the covered employee definition, which extends beyond custodial and food service workers to administrative staff and paraprofessionals, potentially expanding the number of employees affected. The inclusion of IMRF employer contributions in the salary calculation may also be disputed because it affects how districts determine compliance with the wage floor.
Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.
Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.
Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.
Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.