Public Act 098-0125
 
HB2267 EnrolledLRB098 05992 NHT 38607 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
7-2a, 7-4, 10-22.22c, 11E-20, 11E-45, and 11E-70 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/7-2a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 7-2a)
    Sec. 7-2a. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
Section, any petition for dissolution filed under this Article
must specify the school district or districts to which all of
the territory of the district proposed to be dissolved will be
annexed. Any petition for dissolution may be made by the board
of education of the district or a majority of the legal voters
residing in the district proposed to be dissolved. No petition
from any other district affected by the proposed dissolution
shall be required.
    (b) Any school district with a population of less than
5,000 residents or an enrollment of less than 750 students, as
determined by the district's current fall housing report filed
with the State Board of Education, shall be dissolved and its
territory annexed as provided in Section 7-11 by the regional
board of school trustees upon the filing with the regional
board of school trustees of a petition adopted by resolution of
the board of education or a petition signed by a majority of
the registered voters of the district seeking such dissolution.
No petition shall be adopted or signed under this subsection
until the board of education or the petitioners, as the case
may be, shall have given at least 10 days' notice to be
published once in a newspaper having general circulation in the
district and shall have conducted a public informational
meeting to inform the residents of the district of the proposed
dissolution and to answer questions concerning the proposed
dissolution. The petition shall be filed with and decided
solely by the regional board of school trustees of the region
in which the regional superintendent of schools has supervision
of the school district being dissolved. The regional board of
school trustees shall not act on a petition filed by a board of
education if within 45 days after giving notice of the hearing
required under Section 7-11 a petition in opposition to the
petition of the board to dissolve, signed by a majority of the
registered voters of the district, is filed with the regional
board of school trustees. The regional board of school trustees
shall have no authority to deny dissolution requested in a
proper petition for dissolution filed under this subsection
(b), but shall exercise its discretion in accordance with
Section 7-11 on the issue of annexing the territory of a
district being dissolved, giving consideration to but not being
bound by the wishes expressed by the residents of the various
school districts that may be affected by such annexation.
    When dissolution and annexation become effective for
purposes of administration and attendance as determined
pursuant to Section 7-11, the positions of teachers in
contractual continued service in the district being dissolved
are transferred to an annexing district or to annexing
districts pursuant to the provisions of Section 24-12 relative
to teachers having contractual continued service status whose
positions are transferred from one board to the control of a
different board, and those said provisions of Section 24-12
shall apply to said transferred teachers. In the event that the
territory is added to 2 or more districts, the decision on
which positions shall be transferred to which annexing
districts shall be made giving consideration to the
proportionate percent of pupils transferred and the annexing
districts' staffing needs, and the transfer of specific
individuals into such positions shall be based upon the request
of those teachers in order of seniority in the dissolving
district. The contractual continued service status of any
teacher thereby transferred to an annexing district is not lost
and the different board is subject to this Act with respect to
such transferred teacher in the same manner as if such teacher
was that district's employee and had been its employee during
the time such teacher was actually employed by the board of the
dissolving district from which the position was transferred.
(Source: P.A. 86-13; 87-1215.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/7-4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 7-4)
    Sec. 7-4. Requirements for granting petitions. No petition
shall be granted under Section Sections 7-1 or 7-2 of this Code
Act:
    (a) If there will be any non-high school territory
resulting from the granting of the petition.
    (b) Unless after granting the petition any community unit
district, community consolidated district, elementary district
or high school district created shall have a population of at
least 2,000 and an equalized assessed valuation of at least
$6,000,000 based upon the last value as equalized by the
Department of Revenue as of the date of filing of the petition.
    (c) Unless the territory within any district so created or
any district whose boundaries are affected by the granting of a
petition shall after the granting thereof be compact and
contiguous, except as provided in Section 7-6 of this Code or
as otherwise provided in this subdivision (c) Act. The fact
that a district is divided by territory lying within the
corporate limits of the city of Chicago shall not render it
non-compact or non-contiguous. If, pursuant to a petition filed
under Section 7-1 or 7-2 of this Code, all of the territory of
a district is to be annexed to another district, then the
annexing district and the annexed district need not be
contiguous if the following requirements are met and documented
within 2 calendar years prior to the petition filing date:
        (1) the distance between each district administrative
    office is documented as no more than 30 miles;
        (2) every district contiguous to the district wishing
    to be annexed determines that it is not interested in
    participating in a petition filed under Section 7-1 or 7-2
    of this Code, through a vote of its school board, and
    documents that non-interest in a letter to the regional
    board of school trustees containing approved minutes that
    record the school board vote; and
        (3) documentation of meeting these requirements are
    presented as evidence at the hearing required under Section
    7-6 of this Code.
    (d) To create any school district with a population of less
than 2,000 unless the State Board of Education and the regional
superintendent of schools for the region in which the proposed
district will lie shall certify to the regional board or boards
of school trustees that the creation of such new district will
not interfere with the ultimate reorganization of the territory
of such proposed district as a part of a district having a
population of 2,000 or more. Notwithstanding any other
provisions of this Article, the granting or approval by a
regional board or regional boards of school trustees or by the
State Superintendent of Education of a petition that under
subsection (b-5) of Section 7-6 is required to request the
submission of a proposition at a regular scheduled election for
the purpose of voting for or against the annexation of the
territory described in the petition to the school district
proposing to annex that territory is subject to, and any change
in school district boundaries pursuant to the granting of the
petition shall not be made except upon, approval of the
proposition at the election in the manner provided by Section
7-7.7.
(Source: P.A. 89-397, eff. 8-20-95; 90-459, eff. 8-17-97.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/10-22.22c)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.22c)
    Sec. 10-22.22c. (a) Subject to the following provisions of
this Section two or more contiguous school districts each of
which has an enrollment in grades 9 through 12 of less than 600
students may, when in their judgment the interest of the
districts and of the students therein will be best served,
jointly operate one or more cooperative high schools. Such
action shall be taken for a minimum period of 20 school years,
and may be taken only with the approval of the voters of each
district. A district with 600 or more students enrolled in
grades 9 through 12 may qualify for inclusion with one or more
districts having less than 600 such students by receiving a
size waiver from the State Board of Education based on a
finding that such inclusion would significantly increase the
educational opportunities of the district's students, and by
meeting the other prerequisites of this Section. The board of
each district contemplating such joint operation shall, by
proper resolution, cause the proposition to enter into such
joint operation to be submitted to the voters of the district
at a regularly scheduled election. Notice shall be published at
least 10 days prior to the date of the election at least once
in one or more newspapers published in the district or, if no
newspaper is published in the district, in one or more
newspapers with a general circulation within the district. The
notice shall be substantially in the following form:
NOTICE OF REFERENDUM FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT
NO. ....... AND SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. .......
TO JOINTLY OPERATE (A) COOPERATIVE HIGH
SCHOOL (SCHOOLS)
    Notice is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum
will be held in ....... County (Counties) for the purpose of
voting for or against the proposition for School District No.
....... and School District No. ....... to jointly operate (a)
cooperative high school (schools).
    The polls will be open at ....... o'clock ... m., and close
at ....... o'clock ... m., of the same day.
A ........ B ........
Dated (insert date).
Regional Superintendent of Schools
 
    The proposition shall be in substantially the following
form:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shall the Board of Education of
School District No. ...., .....                 YES
County (Counties), Illinois be
authorized to enter with
into an agreement with School          ----------------------
District No. ...., .... County
(Counties), Illinois to jointly
operate (a) cooperative high                     NO
school (schools)?
-------------------------------------------------------------
If the majority of those voting on the proposition in each
district vote in favor of the proposition, the school boards of
the participating districts may, if they agree on terms,
execute a contract for such joint operation subject to the
following provisions of this Section.
    (b) The agreement for joint operation of any such
cooperative high school shall include, but not be limited to,
provisions for administration, staff, programs, financing,
facilities, and transportation. Such agreements may be
modified, extended, or terminated by approval of each of the
participating districts, provided that a district may withdraw
from the agreement during its initial 20-year term only if the
district is reorganizing with one or more districts under other
provisions of this Code. Even if 2 or more of the participating
district boards approve an extension of the agreement, any
other participating district shall, upon failure of its board
to approve such extension, disengage from such participation at
the end of the then current agreement term.
    (c) A governing board, which shall govern the operation of
any such cooperative high school, shall be composed of an equal
number of board members from each of the participating
districts, except that where all participating district boards
concur, membership on the governing board may be apportioned to
reflect the number of students in each respective district who
attend the cooperative high school. The membership of the
governing board shall be not less than 6 nor more than 10 and
shall be set by the agreement entered into by the participating
districts. The school board of each participating district
shall select, from its membership, its representatives on the
governing board. The governing board shall prepare and adopt a
budget for the cooperative high school. The governing board
shall administer the cooperative high school in accordance with
the agreement of the districts and shall have the power to
hire, supervise, and terminate staff; to enter into contracts;
to adopt policies for the school; and to take all other actions
necessary and proper for the operation of the school. However,
the governing board may not levy taxes or incur any
indebtedness except within the annual budget approved by the
participating districts.
    (d) (Blank).
    (e) Each participating district shall pay its per capita
cost of educating the students residing in its district and
attending any such cooperative high school into the budget for
the maintenance and operation of the cooperative high school.
    The manner of determining per capita cost shall be set
forth in the agreement. Each district shall pay the amount owed
the governing board under the terms of the agreement from the
fund that the district would have used if the district had
incurred the costs directly and may levy taxes and issue bonds
as otherwise authorized for these purposes in order to make
payments to the governing board.
    (f) Additional school districts having an enrollment in
grades 9 through 12 of less than 600 students may be added to
the agreement in accordance with the process described in
subsection (a) of this Section. In the event additional
districts are added, a new contract shall be executed in
accordance with the provisions of this Section.
    (g) Upon formation of the cooperative high school, the
school board of each participating district shall:
        (1) confer and coordinate with each other and the
    governing board, if the governing board is then in
    existence, as to staffing needs for the cooperative high
    school;
        (2) in consultation with any exclusive employee
    representatives and the governing board, if the governing
    board is then in existence, establish a combined list of
    teachers in all participating districts, categorized by
    positions, showing the length of service and the
    contractual continued service status, if any, of each
    teacher in each participating district who is qualified to
    hold any such positions at the cooperative high school, and
    then distribute this list to the exclusive employee
    representatives on or before February 1 of the school year
    prior to the commencement of the operation of the
    cooperative high school or within 30 days after the date of
    the referendum election if the proposition receives a
    majority of those voting in each district, whichever occurs
    first. This list is in addition to and not a substitute for
    the list mandated by Section 24-12 of this Code; and
        (3) transfer to the governing board of the cooperative
    high school the employment and the position of so many of
    the full-time or part-time high school teachers employed by
    a participating district as are jointly determined by the
    school boards of the participating districts and the
    governing board, if the governing board is then in
    existence, to be needed at the cooperative high school,
    provided that these teacher transfers shall be done:
            (A) by categories listed on the seniority list
        mentioned in subdivision (2) of this subsection (g);
            (B) in each category, by having teachers in
        contractual continued service being transferred before
        any teachers who are not in contractual continued
        service; and
            (C) in order from greatest seniority first through
        lesser amounts of seniority.
    A teacher who is not in contractual continued service shall
not be transferred if there is a teacher in contractual
continued service in the same category who is qualified to hold
the position that is to be filled.
    If there are more teachers who have entered upon
contractual continued service than there are available
positions at the cooperative high school or within other
assignments in the district, a school board shall first remove
or dismiss all teachers who have not entered upon contractual
continued service before removing or dismissing any teacher who
has entered upon contractual continued service and who is
legally qualified (i) to hold a position at the cooperative
high school planned to be held by a teacher who has not entered
upon contractual continued service or (ii) to hold another
position in the participating district. As between teachers who
have entered upon contractual continued service, the teacher or
teachers with the shorter length of continuing service in any
of the participating districts shall be dismissed first. Any
teacher dismissed as a result of such a decrease shall be paid
all earned compensation on or before the third business day
following the last day of pupil attendance in the regular
school term. If the school board that has dismissed a teacher
or the governing board has any vacancies for the following
school term or within one calendar year from the beginning of
the following school term, the positions thereby becoming
available shall be tendered to the teachers so removed or
dismissed so far as they are legally qualified to hold such
positions. However, if the number of honorable dismissal
notices in all participating districts exceeds 15% of full-time
equivalent positions filled by certified employees (excluding
principals and administrative personnel) during the preceding
school year in all participating districts and if the school
board that has dismissed a teacher or the governing board has
any vacancies for the following school term or within 2
calendar years from the beginning of the following school term,
the positions so becoming available shall be tendered to the
teachers who were so notified, removed, or dismissed whenever
these teachers are legally qualified to hold such positions.
    The provisions of Section 24-12 of this Code concerning
teachers whose positions are transferred from one board to the
control of a different board shall apply to the teachers who
are transferred. The contractual continued service of any
transferred teacher is not lost and the governing board is
subject to this Code with respect to the teacher in the same
manner as if the teacher had been the governing board's
employee during the time the teacher was actually employed by
the board of the district from which the position and the
teacher's employment were transferred. The time spent in
employment with a participating district by any teacher who has
not yet entered upon contractual continued service and who is
transferred to the governing board is not lost when computing
the time necessary for the teacher to enter upon contractual
continued service, and the governing board is subject to this
Code with respect to the teacher in the same manner as if the
teacher had been the governing board's employee during the time
the teacher was actually employed by the school board from
which the position and the teacher's employment were
transferred.
    If the cooperative high school is dissolved, any teacher
who was transferred from a participating district shall be
transferred back to the district and Section 24-12 of this Code
shall apply. In that case, a district is subject to this Code
in the same manner as if the teacher transferred back had been
continuously in the service of the receiving district.
    (h) Upon formation of the cooperative high school, the
school board of each participating district shall:
        (1) confer and coordinate with each other and the
    governing board, if the governing board is then in
    existence, as to needs for educational support personnel
    for the cooperative high school;
        (2) in consultation with any exclusive employee
    representative or bargaining agent and the governing
    board, if the governing board is then in existence,
    establish a combined list of educational support personnel
    in participating districts, categorized by positions,
    showing the length of continuing service of each full-time
    educational support personnel employee who is qualified to
    hold any such position at the cooperative high school, and
    then distribute this list to the exclusive employee
    representative or bargaining agent on or before February 1
    of the school year prior to the commencement of the
    operation of the cooperative high school or within 30 days
    after the date of the referendum election if the
    proposition receives a majority of those voting in each
    district, whichever occurs first; and
        (3) transfer to the governing board of the cooperative
    high school the employment and the positions of so many of
    the full-time educational support personnel employees
    employed by a participating district as are jointly
    determined by the school boards of the participating
    districts and the governing board, if the governing board
    is then in existence, to be needed at the cooperative high
    school, provided that the full-time educational personnel
    employee transfers shall be done by categories on the
    seniority list mentioned in subdivision (2) of this
    subsection (h) and done in order from greatest seniority
    first through lesser amounts of seniority.
    If there are more full-time educational support personnel
employees than there are available positions at the cooperative
high school or in the participating district, a school board
shall first remove or dismiss those educational support
personnel employees with the shorter length of continuing
service in any of the participating districts, within the
respective category of position. The governing board is subject
to this Code with respect to the educational support personnel
employee as if the educational support personnel employee had
been the governing board's employee during the time the
educational support personnel employee was actually employed
by the school board of the district from which the employment
and position were transferred. Any educational support
personnel employee dismissed as a result of such a decrease
shall be paid all earned compensation on or before the third
business day following his or her last day of employment. If
the school board that has dismissed the educational support
personnel employee or the governing board has any vacancies for
the following school term or within one calendar year from the
beginning of the following school term, the positions thereby
becoming available within a specific category of position shall
be tendered to the employees so removed or dismissed from that
category of position so far as they are legally qualified to
hold such positions. If the cooperative high school is
dissolved, any educational support personnel employee who was
transferred from a participating district shall be transferred
back to the district and Section 10-23.5 of this Code shall
apply. In that case, a district is subject to this Code in the
same manner as if the educational support personnel employee
transferred back had been continuously in the service of the
receiving district.
    (i) Two or more school districts not contiguous to each
other, each of which has an enrollment in grades 9 through 12
of less than 600 students, may jointly operate one or more
cooperative high schools if the following requirements are met
and documented within 2 calendar years prior to the proposition
filing date, pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section:
        (1) the distance between each district administrative
    office is documented as no more than 30 miles;
        (2) every district contiguous to the district wishing
    to operate one or more cooperative high schools under the
    provisions of this Section determines that it is not
    interested in participating in such joint operation,
    through a vote of its school board, and documents that
    non-interest in a letter to the districts wishing to form
    the cooperative high school containing approved minutes
    that record the school board vote;
        (3) documentation of meeting these requirements is
    attached to the board resolution required under subsection
    (a) of this Section; and
        (4) all other provisions of this Section are followed.
(Source: P.A. 91-63, eff. 1-1-00; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/11E-20)
    Sec. 11E-20. Combined school district formation.
    (a)(1) The territory of 2 or more entire contiguous
elementary districts may be organized into a combined
elementary district under the provisions of this Article.
        (2) Any 2 or more entire elementary districts that
    collectively are within or substantially coterminous with
    the boundaries of a high school district, regardless of
    whether the districts are compact and contiguous with each
    other, may be organized into a combined school district in
    accordance with this Article.
        (3) Any 2 or more entire elementary districts that are
    not contiguous may be organized into a combined school
    district in accordance with this Article if the following
    requirements are met and documented within 2 calendar years
    prior to the petition filing date:
            (A) the distance between each district
        administrative office is documented as no more than 30
        miles; and
            (B) every district contiguous to a district
        wishing to organize into a combined school district
        under the provisions of this paragraph (3) determines
        that it is not interested in participating in a
        petition for a combined school district filed in
        accordance with this Article, through a vote of its
        school board, and documents that non-interest in a
        letter to the regional superintendent of schools
        containing approved minutes that record the school
        board vote.
    (b)(1) The territory of Any 2 or more entire contiguous
high school districts may be organized into a combined high
school district under the provisions of this Article.
        (2) Any 2 or more entire high school districts that are
    not contiguous may be organized into a combined school
    district in accordance with this Article if the following
    requirements are met and documented within 2 calendar years
    prior to the petition filing date:
            (A) the distance between each district
        administrative office is documented as no more than 30
        miles; and
            (B) every district contiguous to a district
        wishing to organize into a combined school district
        under the provisions of this paragraph (2) determines
        that it is not interested in participating in a
        petition for a combined school district filed in
        accordance with this Article, through a vote of its
        school board, and documents that non-interest in a
        letter to the regional superintendent of schools
        containing approved minutes that record the school
        board vote.
    (c)(1) The territory of Any 2 or more entire contiguous
unit districts may be organized into a combined unit district
under the provisions of this Article.
        (2) Any 2 or more entire unit districts that are not
    contiguous may be organized into a combined school district
    in accordance with this Article if the following
    requirements are met and documented within 2 calendar years
    prior to the petition filing date:
            (A) the distance between each district
        administrative office is documented as no more than 30
        miles; and
            (B) every district contiguous to the district
        wishing to organize into a combined school district
        under the provisions of this paragraph (2) determines
        that it is not interested in participating in a
        petition for a combined school district filed in
        accordance with this Article, through a vote of its
        school board, and documents that non-interest in a
        letter to the regional superintendent of schools
        containing approved minutes that record the school
        board vote.
(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/11E-45)
    Sec. 11E-45. Hearing.
    (a) No more than 15 days after the last date on which the
required notice under Section 11E-40 of this Code is published,
the regional superintendent of schools with whom the petition
is required to be filed shall hold a hearing on the petition.
Prior to the hearing, the Committee of Ten shall submit to the
regional superintendent maps showing the districts involved
and any other information deemed pertinent by the Committee of
Ten to the proposed action. The regional superintendent of
schools may adjourn the hearing from time to time or may
continue the matter for want of sufficient notice or other good
cause.
    (b) At the hearing, the regional superintendent of schools
shall allow public testimony on the action proposed in the
petition. The Committee of Ten shall present, or arrange for
the presentation of all of the following:
        (1) Evidence as to the school needs and conditions in
    the territory described in the petition and the area
    adjacent thereto.
        (2) Evidence with respect to the ability of the
    proposed district or districts to meet standards of
    recognition as prescribed by the State Board of Education.
        (3) A consideration of the division of funds and assets
    that will occur if the petition is approved.
        (4) A description of the maximum tax rates the proposed
    district or districts is authorized to levy for various
    purposes and, if applicable, the specifications related to
    the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance
    with Section 11E-80 of this Code.
        (5) For a non-contiguous combined school district, as
    specified in paragraph (3) of subsection (a), paragraph (2)
    of subsection (b), or paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of
    Section 11E-20 of this Code, evidence that the action
    proposed in the petition meets the requirements of the
    respective paragraph.
    (c) Any regional superintendent of schools entitled under
the provisions of this Article to be given a copy of the
petition and any resident or representative of a school
district in which any territory described in the petition is
situated may appear in person or by an attorney at law to
provide oral or written testimony or both in relation to the
action proposed in the petition.
    (d) The regional superintendent of schools shall arrange
for a written transcript of the hearing. The expense of the
written transcript shall be borne by the petitioners and paid
on behalf of the petitioners by the Committee of Ten.
(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06; 95-903, eff. 8-25-08.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/11E-70)
    Sec. 11E-70. Effective date of change.
    (a) Except as provided in subsections subsection (a-5) and
(a-10) of this Section, if a petition is filed under the
authority of this Article, the change is granted and approved
at election, and no appeal is taken, then the change shall
become effective after the time for appeal has run for the
purpose of all elections; however, the change shall not affect
the administration of the schools until July 1 following the
date that the school board election is held for the new
district or districts and the school boards of the districts as
they existed prior to the change shall exercise the same power
and authority over the territory until that date.
    (a-5) If a petition is filed under the authority of this
Article for the consolidation of Christopher Unit School
District 99 and Zeigler-Royalton Community Unit School
District 188, the change is granted and approved at election,
and no appeal is taken, then the change shall become effective
after one or both of the school districts have been awarded
school construction grants under the School Construction Law.
    (a-10) If (i) a petition is filed under the authority of
this Article for the reorganization of 2 or more school
districts that requires a new school building to effectively
educate students, (ii) the change is granted and approved at an
election, and (iii) no appeal is taken, then, with the approval
of the regional superintendent of schools, the change may
become effective after one or more of the school districts have
been awarded school construction grants, in accordance with the
School Construction Law. The intent to postpone the
reorganization's effective date must be documented in the
petition, and the petition is void if it does not take effect
within 5 years after being filed. After the referendum approval
and before the effective date of the reorganization, the
petition becomes void if the following requirements are met:
        (1) the board of each affected district, by proper
    resolution, causes the proposition to void the petition to
    be submitted to the voters of each affected district at a
    regularly scheduled election; and
        (2) a majority of the electors voting at the election
    in each affected district votes in favor of voiding the
    petition.
    (b) If any school district is dissolved in accordance with
this Article, upon the close of the then current school year,
the terms of office of the school board of the dissolved
district shall terminate.
    (c) New districts shall be permitted to organize and elect
officers within the time prescribed by the general election
law. Additionally, between the date of the organization and the
election of officers and the date on which the new district
takes effect for all purposes, the new district shall also be
permitted, with the stipulation of the districts from which the
new district is formed and the approval of the regional
superintendent of schools, to take all action necessary or
appropriate to do the following:
        (1) Establish the tax levy for the new district, in
    lieu of the levies by the districts from which the new
    district is formed, within the time generally provided by
    law and in accordance with this Article. The funds produced
    by the levy shall be transferred to the new district as
    generally provided by law at such time as they are received
    by the county collector.
        (2) Enter into agreements with depositories and direct
    the deposit and investment of any funds received from the
    county collector or any other source, all as generally
    provided by law.
        (3) Conduct a search for the superintendent of the new
    district and enter into a contract with the person selected
    to serve as the superintendent of the new district in
    accordance with the provisions of this Code generally
    applicable to the employment of a superintendent.
        (4) Conduct a search for other administrators and staff
    of the new district and enter into a contract with these
    persons in accordance with the provisions of this Code
    generally applicable to the employment of administrators
    and other staff.
        (5) Engage the services of accountants, architects,
    attorneys, and other consultants, including but not
    limited to consultants to assist in the search for the
    superintendent.
        (6) Plan for the transition from the administration of
    the schools by the districts from which the new district is
    formed.
        (7) Bargain collectively, pursuant to the Illinois
    Educational Labor Relations Act, with the certified
    exclusive bargaining representative or certified exclusive
    bargaining representatives of the new district's
    employees.
        (8) Expend the funds received from the levy and any
    funds received from the districts from which the new
    district is formed to meet payroll and other essential
    operating expenses or otherwise in the exercise of the
    foregoing powers until the new district takes effect for
    all purposes.
        (9) Issue bonds authorized in the proposition to form
    the new district or bonds pursuant to and in accordance
    with all of the requirements of Section 17-2.11 of this
    Code, levy taxes upon all of the taxable property within
    the new district to pay the principal of and interest on
    those bonds as provided by statute, expend the proceeds of
    the bonds and enter into any necessary contracts for the
    work financed therewith as authorized by statute, and avail
    itself of the provisions of other applicable law, including
    the Omnibus Bond Acts, in connection with the issuance of
    those bonds.
    (d) After the granting of a petition has become final and
approved at election, the date when the change becomes
effective for purposes of administration and attendance may be
accelerated or postponed by stipulation of the school board of
each district affected and approval by the regional
superintendent of schools with which the original petition is
required to be filed.
(Source: P.A. 97-925, eff. 8-10-12.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.