94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB2372

 

Introduced 2/16/2005, by Rep. Robert S. Molaro

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/34-2.1   from Ch. 122, par. 34-2.1

    Amends the School Code with regard to the Chicago school district. Provides that no fingerprint images shall be required as part of the initial criminal background investigation conducted concerning incoming local school council members. Provides that these local school council members shall be required to submit their full name, sex, race, date of birth, and social security number. Provides that if the initial criminal background investigation indicates that the person has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit certain enumerated offenses, he or she shall be required to provide fingerprint images, and the Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish records of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the school board.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2372 LRB094 05761 RAS 35813 b

1     AN ACT concerning 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 Section
5 34-2.1 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/34-2.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 34-2.1)
7     Sec. 34-2.1. Local School Councils - Composition -
8 Voter-Eligibility - Elections - Terms.
9     (a) A local school council shall be established for each
10 attendance center within the school district. Each local school
11 council shall consist of the following 11 voting members: the
12 principal of the attendance center, 2 teachers employed and
13 assigned to perform the majority of their employment duties at
14 the attendance center, 6 parents of students currently enrolled
15 at the attendance center and 2 community residents. Neither the
16 parents nor the community residents who serve as members of the
17 local school council shall be employees of the Board of
18 Education. In each secondary attendance center, the local
19 school council shall consist of 12 voting members -- the 11
20 voting members described above and one full-time student
21 member, appointed as provided in subsection (m) below. In the
22 event that the chief executive officer of the Chicago School
23 Reform Board of Trustees determines that a local school council
24 is not carrying out its financial duties effectively, the chief
25 executive officer is authorized to appoint a representative of
26 the business community with experience in finance and
27 management to serve as an advisor to the local school council
28 for the purpose of providing advice and assistance to the local
29 school council on fiscal matters. The advisor shall have access
30 to relevant financial records of the local school council. The
31 advisor may attend executive sessions. The chief executive
32 officer shall issue a written policy defining the circumstances

 

 

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1 under which a local school council is not carrying out its
2 financial duties effectively.
3     (b) Within 7 days of January 11, 1991, the Mayor shall
4 appoint the members and officers (a Chairperson who shall be a
5 parent member and a Secretary) of each local school council who
6 shall hold their offices until their successors shall be
7 elected and qualified. Members so appointed shall have all the
8 powers and duties of local school councils as set forth in this
9 amendatory Act of 1991. The Mayor's appointments shall not
10 require approval by the City Council.
11     The membership of each local school council shall be
12 encouraged to be reflective of the racial and ethnic
13 composition of the student population of the attendance center
14 served by the local school council.
15     (c) Beginning with the 1995-1996 school year and in every
16 even-numbered year thereafter, the Board shall set second
17 semester Parent Report Card Pick-up Day for Local School
18 Council elections and may schedule elections at year-round
19 schools for the same dates as the remainder of the school
20 system. Elections shall be conducted as provided herein by the
21 Board of Education in consultation with the local school
22 council at each attendance center.
23     (d) Beginning with the 1995-96 school year, the following
24 procedures shall apply to the election of local school council
25 members at each attendance center:
26         (i) The elected members of each local school council
27     shall consist of the 6 parent members and the 2 community
28     resident members.
29         (ii) Each elected member shall be elected by the
30     eligible voters of that attendance center to serve for a
31     two-year term commencing on July 1 immediately following
32     the election described in subsection (c). Eligible voters
33     for each attendance center shall consist of the parents and
34     community residents for that attendance center.
35         (iii) Each eligible voter shall be entitled to cast one
36     vote for up to a total of 5 candidates, irrespective of

 

 

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1     whether such candidates are parent or community resident
2     candidates.
3         (iv) Each parent voter shall be entitled to vote in the
4     local school council election at each attendance center in
5     which he or she has a child currently enrolled. Each
6     community resident voter shall be entitled to vote in the
7     local school council election at each attendance center for
8     which he or she resides in the applicable attendance area
9     or voting district, as the case may be.
10         (v) Each eligible voter shall be entitled to vote once,
11     but not more than once, in the local school council
12     election at each attendance center at which the voter is
13     eligible to vote.
14         (vi) The 2 teacher members of each local school council
15     shall be appointed as provided in subsection (l) below each
16     to serve for a two-year term coinciding with that of the
17     elected parent and community resident members.
18         (vii) At secondary attendance centers, the voting
19     student member shall be appointed as provided in subsection
20     (m) below to serve for a one-year term coinciding with the
21     beginning of the terms of the elected parent and community
22     members of the local school council.
23     (e) The Council shall publicize the date and place of the
24 election by posting notices at the attendance center, in public
25 places within the attendance boundaries of the attendance
26 center and by distributing notices to the pupils at the
27 attendance center, and shall utilize such other means as it
28 deems necessary to maximize the involvement of all eligible
29 voters.
30     (f) Nomination. The Council shall publicize the opening of
31 nominations by posting notices at the attendance center, in
32 public places within the attendance boundaries of the
33 attendance center and by distributing notices to the pupils at
34 the attendance center, and shall utilize such other means as it
35 deems necessary to maximize the involvement of all eligible
36 voters. Not less than 2 weeks before the election date, persons

 

 

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1 eligible to run for the Council shall submit their name, date
2 of birth, social security number, if available, and some
3 evidence of eligibility to the Council. The Council shall
4 encourage nomination of candidates reflecting the
5 racial/ethnic population of the students at the attendance
6 center. Each person nominated who runs as a candidate shall
7 disclose, in a manner determined by the Board, any economic
8 interest held by such person, by such person's spouse or
9 children, or by each business entity in which such person has
10 an ownership interest, in any contract with the Board, any
11 local school council or any public school in the school
12 district. Each person nominated who runs as a candidate shall
13 also disclose, in a manner determined by the Board, if he or
14 she ever has been convicted of any of the offenses specified in
15 subsection (c) of Section 34-18.5; provided that neither this
16 provision nor any other provision of this Section shall be
17 deemed to require the disclosure of any information that is
18 contained in any law enforcement record or juvenile court
19 record that is confidential or whose accessibility or
20 disclosure is restricted or prohibited under Section 5-901 or
21 5-905 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Failure to make such
22 disclosure shall render a person ineligible for election or to
23 serve on the local school council. The same disclosure shall be
24 required of persons under consideration for appointment to the
25 Council pursuant to subsections (l) and (m) of this Section.
26     (f-5) Notwithstanding disclosure, a person who has been
27 convicted of any of the following offenses at any time shall be
28 ineligible for election or appointment to a local school
29 council and ineligible for appointment to a local school
30 council pursuant to subsections (l) and (m) of this Section:
31 (i) those defined in Section 11-6, 11-9.1, 11-16, 11-17.1,
32 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20.1, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1,
33 12-15, or 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or (ii) any
34 offense committed or attempted in any other state or against
35 the laws of the United States, which, if committed or attempted
36 in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the

 

 

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1 foregoing offenses. Notwithstanding disclosure, a person who
2 has been convicted of any of the following offenses within the
3 10 years previous to the date of nomination or appointment
4 shall be ineligible for election or appointment to a local
5 school council: (i) those defined in Section 401.1, 405.1, or
6 405.2 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or (ii) any
7 offense committed or attempted in any other state or against
8 the laws of the United States, which, if committed or attempted
9 in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the
10 foregoing offenses.
11     Immediately upon election or appointment, incoming local
12 school council members shall be required to undergo a criminal
13 background investigation, to be completed prior to the member
14 taking office, in order to identify any criminal convictions
15 under the offenses enumerated in Section 34-18.5. The
16 investigation shall be conducted by the Department of State
17 Police in the same manner as provided for in Section 34-18.5;
18 however, no fingerprint images shall be required as part of the
19 initial criminal background investigation. Notwithstanding
20 Section 34-18.5, a local school council member or member-elect
21 shall be required to submit his or her full name, sex, race,
22 date of birth, and, if available, social security number.
23 However, notwithstanding Section 34-18.5, the social security
24 number shall be provided only if available. If the
25 investigation indicates that the person has been convicted of
26 committing or attempting to commit any of the offenses
27 enumerated in Section 34-18.5, he or she shall be required to
28 provide fingerprint images, and the Department of State Police
29 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant
30 to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records
31 of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the Board.
32 If it is determined at any time that a local school council
33 member or member-elect has been convicted of any of the
34 offenses enumerated in this Section or failed to disclose a
35 conviction of any of the offenses enumerated in Section
36 34-18.5, the general superintendent shall notify the local

 

 

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1 school council member or member-elect of such determination and
2 the local school council member or member-elect shall be
3 removed from the local school council by the Board, subject to
4 a hearing, convened pursuant to Board rule, prior to removal.
5     (g) At least one week before the election date, the Council
6 shall publicize, in the manner provided in subsection (e), the
7 names of persons nominated for election.
8     (h) Voting shall be in person by secret ballot at the
9 attendance center between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
10     (i) Candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall
11 be declared elected by the Council. In cases of a tie, the
12 Council shall determine the winner by lot.
13     (j) The Council shall certify the results of the election
14 and shall publish the results in the minutes of the Council.
15     (k) The general superintendent shall resolve any disputes
16 concerning election procedure or results and shall ensure that,
17 except as provided in subsections (e) and (g), no resources of
18 any attendance center shall be used to endorse or promote any
19 candidate.
20     (l) Beginning with the 1995-1996 school year and in every
21 even numbered year thereafter, the Board shall appoint 2
22 teacher members to each local school council. These
23 appointments shall be made in the following manner:
24         (i) The Board shall appoint 2 teachers who are employed
25     and assigned to perform the majority of their employment
26     duties at the attendance center to serve on the local
27     school council of the attendance center for a two-year term
28     coinciding with the terms of the elected parent and
29     community members of that local school council. These
30     appointments shall be made from among those teachers who
31     are nominated in accordance with subsection (f).
32         (ii) A non-binding, advisory poll to ascertain the
33     preferences of the school staff regarding appointments of
34     teachers to the local school council for that attendance
35     center shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures
36     used to elect parent and community Council

 

 

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1     representatives. At such poll, each member of the school
2     staff shall be entitled to indicate his or her preference
3     for up to 2 candidates from among those who submitted
4     statements of candidacy as described above. These
5     preferences shall be advisory only and the Board shall
6     maintain absolute discretion to appoint teacher members to
7     local school councils, irrespective of the preferences
8     expressed in any such poll.
9         (iii) In the event that a teacher representative is
10     unable to perform his or her employment duties at the
11     school due to illness, disability, leave of absence,
12     disciplinary action, or any other reason, the Board shall
13     declare a temporary vacancy and appoint a replacement
14     teacher representative to serve on the local school council
15     until such time as the teacher member originally appointed
16     pursuant to this subsection (l) resumes service at the
17     attendance center or for the remainder of the term. The
18     replacement teacher representative shall be appointed in
19     the same manner and by the same procedures as teacher
20     representatives are appointed in subdivisions (i) and (ii)
21     of this subsection (l).
22     (m) Beginning with the 1995-1996 school year, and in every
23 year thereafter, the Board shall appoint one student member to
24 each secondary attendance center. These appointments shall be
25 made in the following manner:
26         (i) Appointments shall be made from among those
27     students who submit statements of candidacy to the
28     principal of the attendance center, such statements to be
29     submitted commencing on the first day of the twentieth week
30     of school and continuing for 2 weeks thereafter. The form
31     and manner of such candidacy statements shall be determined
32     by the Board.
33         (ii) During the twenty-second week of school in every
34     year, the principal of each attendance center shall conduct
35     a non-binding, advisory poll to ascertain the preferences
36     of the school students regarding the appointment of a

 

 

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1     student to the local school council for that attendance
2     center. At such poll, each student shall be entitled to
3     indicate his or her preference for up to one candidate from
4     among those who submitted statements of candidacy as
5     described above. The Board shall promulgate rules to ensure
6     that these non-binding, advisory polls are conducted in a
7     fair and equitable manner and maximize the involvement of
8     all school students. The preferences expressed in these
9     non-binding, advisory polls shall be transmitted by the
10     principal to the Board. However, these preferences shall be
11     advisory only and the Board shall maintain absolute
12     discretion to appoint student members to local school
13     councils, irrespective of the preferences expressed in any
14     such poll.
15         (iii) For the 1995-96 school year only, appointments
16     shall be made from among those students who submitted
17     statements of candidacy to the principal of the attendance
18     center during the first 2 weeks of the school year. The
19     principal shall communicate the results of any nonbinding,
20     advisory poll to the Board. These results shall be advisory
21     only, and the Board shall maintain absolute discretion to
22     appoint student members to local school councils,
23     irrespective of the preferences expressed in any such poll.
24     (n) The Board may promulgate such other rules and
25 regulations for election procedures as may be deemed necessary
26 to ensure fair elections.
27     (o) In the event that a vacancy occurs during a member's
28 term, the Council shall appoint a person eligible to serve on
29 the Council, to fill the unexpired term created by the vacancy,
30 except that any teacher vacancy shall be filled by the Board
31 after considering the preferences of the school staff as
32 ascertained through a non-binding advisory poll of school
33 staff.
34     (p) If less than the specified number of persons is elected
35 within each candidate category, the newly elected local school
36 council shall appoint eligible persons to serve as members of

 

 

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1 the Council for two-year terms.
2     (q) The Board shall promulgate rules regarding conflicts of
3 interest and disclosure of economic interests which shall apply
4 to local school council members and which shall require reports
5 or statements to be filed by Council members at regular
6 intervals with the Secretary of the Board. Failure to comply
7 with such rules or intentionally falsifying such reports shall
8 be grounds for disqualification from local school council
9 membership. A vacancy on the Council for disqualification may
10 be so declared by the Secretary of the Board. Rules regarding
11 conflicts of interest and disclosure of economic interests
12 promulgated by the Board shall apply to local school council
13 members. No less than 45 days prior to the deadline, the
14 general superintendent shall provide notice, by mail, to each
15 local school council member of all requirements and forms for
16 compliance with economic interest statements.
17     (r) (1) If a parent member of a local school council ceases
18 to have any child enrolled in the attendance center governed by
19 the Local School Council due to the graduation or voluntary
20 transfer of a child or children from the attendance center, the
21 parent's membership on the Local School Council and all voting
22 rights are terminated immediately as of the date of the child's
23 graduation or voluntary transfer. Further, a local school
24 council member may be removed from the Council by a majority
25 vote of the Council as provided in subsection (c) of Section
26 34-2.2 if the Council member has missed 3 consecutive regular
27 meetings, not including committee meetings, or 5 regular
28 meetings in a 12 month period, not including committee
29 meetings. If a parent member of a local school council ceases
30 to be eligible to serve on the Council for any other reason, he
31 or she shall be removed by the Board subject to a hearing,
32 convened pursuant to Board rule, prior to removal. A vote to
33 remove a Council member by the local school council shall only
34 be valid if the Council member has been notified personally or
35 by certified mail, mailed to the person's last known address,
36 of the Council's intent to vote on the Council member's removal

 

 

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1 at least 7 days prior to the vote. The Council member in
2 question shall have the right to explain his or her actions and
3 shall be eligible to vote on the question of his or her removal
4 from the Council. The provisions of this subsection shall be
5 contained within the petitions used to nominate Council
6 candidates.
7     (2) A person may continue to serve as a community resident
8 member of a local school council as long as he or she resides
9 in the attendance area served by the school and is not employed
10 by the Board nor is a parent of a student enrolled at the
11 school. If a community resident member ceases to be eligible to
12 serve on the Council, he or she shall be removed by the Board
13 subject to a hearing, convened pursuant to Board rule, prior to
14 removal.
15     (3) A person may continue to serve as a teacher member of a
16 local school council as long as he or she is employed and
17 assigned to perform a majority of his or her duties at the
18 school, provided that if the teacher representative resigns
19 from employment with the Board or voluntarily transfers to
20 another school, the teacher's membership on the local school
21 council and all voting rights are terminated immediately as of
22 the date of the teacher's resignation or upon the date of the
23 teacher's voluntary transfer to another school. If a teacher
24 member of a local school council ceases to be eligible to serve
25 on a local school council for any other reason, that member
26 shall be removed by the Board subject to a hearing, convened
27 pursuant to Board rule, prior to removal.
28 (Source: P.A. 90-378, eff. 8-14-97; 90-590, eff. 1-1-00;
29 91-622, eff. 8-19-99; 91-728, eff. 6-2-00.)