093_SB0527 LRB093 07349 NHT 07511 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 any high school district and fewer than 30 all of the elementary school districts included within the 31 high school district may be organized into a community unit -2- LRB093 07349 NHT 07511 b 1 school district. Any such elementary school district not 2 participating in the reorganization shall remain an 3 elementary school district, and the territory of that 4 elementary school district shall be designated a non-high 5 school district pursuant to Article 12 of this Code. 6 The regional superintendent shall not accept for filing 7 hereunder any petition which includes therein any territory 8 already included as part of the territory described in 9 another petition filed hereunder. Hearings on a petition 10 filed hereunder shall not be commenced so long as any part of 11 the territory described therein shall include territory 12 described, whether by amendment or otherwise, in another 13 petition filed hereunder. A petition may be filed hereunder 14 which contains less than the required minimum equalized 15 assessed valuation or population requirements provided that 16 such a petition shall not be approved by the regional 17 superintendent and State Superintendent unless it is 18 determined: (1) that there is a compelling reason for 19 granting the petition; (2) that the territory involved cannot 20 currently be organized as part of a petition which meets the 21 minimum requirements; (3) that the granting of the petition 22 will not interfere with the ultimate reorganization of the 23 territory into a school district which meets the minimum 24 requirements; (4) that the granting of the petition is in the 25 best educational interests of the pupils affected; and (5) 26 that the granting of the petition is financially beneficial 27 to the affected school districts. 28 (Source: P.A. 88-555, eff. 7-27-94.) 29 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on July 30 1, 2003.