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1 | AN ACT concerning schools.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 29-3 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/29-3) (from Ch. 122, par. 29-3)
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7 | Sec. 29-3. Transportation in school districts. School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | boards
of community consolidated districts, community unit
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9 | districts, consolidated districts, and consolidated high | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | school
districts, and combined school districts if the combined | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | district
includes any district which was previously required to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | provide
transportation, shall provide free transportation
for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | pupils residing at a distance of one and one-half miles or more | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | from
any school to which they are assigned for attendance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | maintained within the
district except for those pupils for whom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | the school board shall certify to
the State Board of Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | that adequate transportation for the public is
available.
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18 | For the purpose of this Act 1 1/2 miles distance shall be | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | from the exit
of the property where the pupil resides to the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | point where pupils are normally
unloaded at the school | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | attended; such distance shall be measured by determining
the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | shortest distance on normally traveled roads or streets.
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23 | Such school board may comply with the provisions of this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Section by
providing free transportation for pupils to and from | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | an assigned school
and a pick-up point located not more than | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | one and one-half miles from
the home of each pupil assigned to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | such point.
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28 | For the purposes of this Act "adequate transportation for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | the public"
shall be assumed to exist for such pupils as can | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | reach school by
walking, one way, along normally traveled roads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | or streets
less than 1
1/2 miles irrespective of the distance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | the
pupil is transported by public transportation.
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1 | In addition to the other requirements of this Section, each | ||||||
2 | school board may
provide free transportation for any pupil | ||||||
3 | residing within 1 1/2 miles from the
school attended where | ||||||
4 | conditions are such that walking, either to or from the
school | ||||||
5 | to which a pupil is assigned for attendance or to or from a | ||||||
6 | pick-up
point or bus stop, constitutes a serious hazard to the | ||||||
7 | safety of the pupil
due to vehicular traffic or rail crossings | ||||||
8 | or due to other hazards . Such
transportation shall not
be | ||||||
9 | provided if adequate transportation for the public is | ||||||
10 | available.
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11 | The determination as to what constitutes a serious safety | ||||||
12 | hazard shall
be made by the school board, in accordance with | ||||||
13 | guidelines promulgated by
the regional superintendent of | ||||||
14 | schools
Illinois Department of
Transportation , in consultation | ||||||
15 | with the Department of Transportation
with regard to vehicular | ||||||
16 | traffic or rail crossings
State
Superintendent of Education . A | ||||||
17 | school board, on written petition of the
parent or guardian of | ||||||
18 | a pupil for whom adequate transportation for the public
is | ||||||
19 | alleged not to exist because the pupil is required to walk | ||||||
20 | along normally
traveled roads or streets where walking is | ||||||
21 | alleged to constitute a serious
safety hazard due to vehicular | ||||||
22 | traffic or rail crossings , or who is
required to
walk between | ||||||
23 | the
pupil's home and assigned school or between the pupil's | ||||||
24 | home or assigned school
and a pick-up point or bus stop along | ||||||
25 | roads or streets where walking is alleged
to constitute a | ||||||
26 | serious safety hazard due to vehicular traffic or rail
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27 | crossings , shall conduct a
study and make findings, which the | ||||||
28 | regional superintendent of schools, in
consultation with the
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29 | Department of Transportation
with regard to vehicular traffic | ||||||
30 | or rail crossings,
shall review
and approve
or disapprove as | ||||||
31 | provided in this Section, to determine whether a serious
safety | ||||||
32 | hazard exists as alleged in the petition. The regional | ||||||
33 | superintendent
of
schools, in consultation with the
Department | ||||||
34 | of Transportation
with regard to vehicular traffic or rail | ||||||
35 | crossings,
shall review
the findings of the school board and | ||||||
36 | shall approve or disapprove the school
board's determination |
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1 | that a serious safety hazard exists within 30 days
after the | ||||||
2 | school board submits its findings to the regional | ||||||
3 | superintendent of
schools
Department . The school board
shall | ||||||
4 | annually review the conditions and certify to the regional
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5 | State
superintendent
of schools
Education whether or not the | ||||||
6 | hazardous conditions remain
unchanged. The
regional
State
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7 | superintendent of schools
Education may request
that the | ||||||
8 | Illinois Department
of Transportation verify that the
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9 | conditions with regard to vehicular
traffic or rail crossings
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10 | have not changed. No action
shall lie against the school board,
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11 | the regional superintendent of schools,
the State | ||||||
12 | Superintendent of Education
or the Illinois Department of | ||||||
13 | Transportation for decisions made in
accordance
with this | ||||||
14 | Section. The provisions of the Administrative Review Law and | ||||||
15 | all
amendments and modifications thereof and the rules adopted | ||||||
16 | pursuant thereto
shall apply to and govern all proceedings | ||||||
17 | instituted for the judicial
review of final administrative | ||||||
18 | decisions of the regional superintendent of
schools
Department | ||||||
19 | of
Transportation under this Section.
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20 | (Source: P.A. 90-223, eff. 1-1-98.)
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