HB6936 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 16594 NHT 42243 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB6936

Introduced 02/09/04, by Lou Lang

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.62	from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.62
105 ILCS 5/2-3.43 rep.

Amends the School Code. Repeals a Section concerning computer literacy grants. Changes a reference from the repealed Section to a Section concerning the School Technology Program. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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 Section 2-3.62 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.62) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.62)

Sec. 2-3.62. Educational Service Centers.

(a) A regional network of educational service centers shall be established by the State Board of Education to coordinate and combine existing services in a manner which is practical and efficient and to provide new services to schools as provided in this Section. Services to be made available by such centers shall include the planning, implementation and evaluation of:

(1) (blank);

(2) computer technology education including the evaluation, use and application of state-of-the-art technology in computer software as provided in Section 2-3.117 2-3.43;

(3) mathematics, science and reading resources for teachers including continuing education, inservice training and staff development.

The centers may provide training, technical assistance, coordination and planning in other program areas such as school improvement, school accountability, career guidance, early childhood education, alcohol/drug education and prevention, family life - sex education, electronic transmission of data from school districts to the State, alternative education and regional special education, and telecommunications systems that provide distance learning. Such telecommunications systems may be obtained through the Department of Central Management Services pursuant to Section 405-270 of the Department of Central Management Services Law (20 ILCS 405/405-270). The programs and services of educational service centers may be offered to private school teachers and private school students within each service center area provided public schools have already been afforded adequate access to such programs and services.

The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this Section. The rules shall include detailed standards which delineate the scope and specific content of programs to be provided by each Educational Service Center, as well as the specific planning, implementation and evaluation services to be provided by each Center relative to its programs. The Board shall also provide the standards by which it will evaluate the programs provided by each Center.

(b) Centers serving Class 1 county school units shall be governed by an 11-member board, 3 members of which shall be public school teachers nominated by the local bargaining representatives to the appropriate regional superintendent for appointment and no more than 3 members of which shall be from each of the following categories, including but not limited to superintendents, regional superintendents, school board members and a representative of an institution of higher education. The members of the board shall be appointed by the regional superintendents whose school districts are served by the educational service center. The composition of the board will reflect the revisions of this amendatory Act of 1989 as the terms of office of current members expire.

(c) The centers shall be of sufficient size and number to assure delivery of services to all local school districts in the State.

(d) From monies appropriated for this program the State Board of Education shall provide grants to qualifying Educational Service Centers applying for such grants in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education to implement this Section.

(e) The governing authority of each of the 18 regional educational service centers shall appoint a family life - sex education advisory board consisting of 2 parents, 2 teachers, 2 school administrators, 2 school board members, 2 health care professionals, one library system representative, and the director of the regional educational service center who shall serve as chairperson of the advisory board so appointed. Members of the family life - sex education advisory boards shall serve without compensation. Each of the advisory boards appointed pursuant to this subsection shall develop a plan for regional teacher-parent family life - sex education training sessions and shall file a written report of such plan with the governing board of their regional educational service center. The directors of each of the regional educational service centers shall thereupon meet, review each of the reports submitted by the advisory boards and combine those reports into a single written report which they shall file with the Citizens Council on School Problems prior to the end of the regular school term of the 1987-1988 school year.

(f) The 14 educational service centers serving Class I county school units shall be disbanded on the first Monday of August, 1995, and their statutory responsibilities and programs shall be assumed by the regional offices of education, subject to rules and regulations developed by the State Board of Education. The regional superintendents of schools elected by the voters residing in all Class I counties shall serve as the chief administrators for these programs and services. By rule of the State Board of Education, the 10 educational service regions of lowest population shall provide such services under cooperative agreements with larger regions.

(Source: P.A. 93-21, eff. 7-1-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.43 rep.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by repealing Section 2-3.43.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.