093_HB3312 LRB093 10298 NHT 10552 b 1 AN ACT regarding schools. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing 5 Section 11A-2 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/11A-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 11A-2) 7 Sec. 11A-2. Organization of community unit districts; 8 territorial requirement. (1) Any contiguous and compact 9 territory of at least $12,000,000 equalized assessed 10 valuation and having a population of not less than 4,000 and 11 not more than 500,000, no part of which is included within 12 any unit district, may be organized into a community unit 13 school district as provided in this Article; (2) the 14 territory of 2 or more entire unit school districts that are 15 contiguous to each other and the territory of which taken as 16 a whole is compact may be organized into a community unit 17 school district as provided in this Article; or (3) the 18 territory of one or more entire unit school districts that 19 are contiguous to each other plus any contiguous and compact 20 territory, no part of which is included within any unit 21 district, and the territory of which taken as a whole is 22 compact may be organized into a community unit school 23 district as provided in this Article; however, a petition or 24 petitions may be filed hereunder proposing to divide a unit 25 school district into 2 or more parts and proposing to include 26 all of such parts in 2 or more community unit districts. As 27 used in this Section, a unit school district includes, but is 28 not limited to, a special charter unit school district. 29 The territory of a high school district and all of the 30 elementary school districts included within the high school 31 district must be organized into a community unit school -2- LRB093 10298 NHT 10552 b 1 district within 3 years after the effective date of this 2 amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. If not, these 3 districts shall no longer be entitled to State reimbursement 4 for categorical programs, except federally mandated 5 categorical programs, notwithstanding any other provision of 6 law. 7 The regional superintendent shall not accept for filing 8 hereunder any petition which includes therein any territory 9 already included as part of the territory described in 10 another petition filed hereunder. Hearings on a petition 11 filed hereunder shall not be commenced so long as any part of 12 the territory described therein shall include territory 13 described, whether by amendment or otherwise, in another 14 petition filed hereunder. A petition may be filed hereunder 15 which contains less than the required minimum equalized 16 assessed valuation or population requirements provided that 17 such a petition shall not be approved by the regional 18 superintendent and State Superintendent unless it is 19 determined: (1) that there is a compelling reason for 20 granting the petition; (2) that the territory involved cannot 21 currently be organized as part of a petition which meets the 22 minimum requirements; (3) that the granting of the petition 23 will not interfere with the ultimate reorganization of the 24 territory into a school district which meets the minimum 25 requirements; (4) that the granting of the petition is in the 26 best educational interests of the pupils affected; and (5) 27 that the granting of the petition is financially beneficial 28 to the affected school districts. 29 (Source: P.A. 88-555, eff. 7-27-94.) 30 Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding 31 Section 8.27 as follows: 32 (30 ILCS 805/8.27 new) -3- LRB093 10298 NHT 10552 b 1 Sec. 8.27. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 2 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required 3 for the implementation of any mandate created by this 4 amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.