SB0224 EngrossedLRB099 03159 NHT 23167 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
57-6 and 7-14 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/7-6)  (from Ch. 122, par. 7-6)
7    Sec. 7-6. Petition filing; Notice; Hearing; Decision.
8    (a) Upon the filing of a petition with the secretary of the
9regional board of school trustees under the provisions of
10Section 7-1 or 7-2 of this Act the secretary shall cause a copy
11of such petition to be given to each board of any district
12involved in the proposed boundary change and shall cause a
13notice thereof to be published once in a newspaper having
14general circulation within the area of the territory described
15in the petition for the proposed change of boundaries.
16    (b) When a joint hearing is required under the provisions
17of Section 7-2, the secretary also shall cause a copy of the
18notice to be sent to the regional board of school trustees of
19each region affected. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions
20of this Section, if the secretary of the regional board of
21school trustees with whom a petition is filed under Section 7-2
22fails, within 30 days after the filing of such petition, to
23cause notice thereof to be published and sent as required by

 

 

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1this Section, then the secretary of the regional board of
2school trustees of any other region affected may cause the
3required notice to be published and sent, and the joint hearing
4may be held in any region affected as provided in the notice so
5published.
6    (b-5) If a petition filed under subsection (a) of Section
77-1 or under Section 7-2 proposes to annex all the territory of
8a school district to another school district, the petition
9shall request the submission of a proposition at a regular
10scheduled election for the purpose of voting for or against the
11annexation of the territory described in the petition to the
12school district proposing to annex that territory. No petition
13filed or election held under this Article shall be null and
14void, invalidated, or deemed in noncompliance with the Election
15Code because of a failure to publish a notice with respect to
16the petition or referendum as required under subsection (g) of
17Section 28-2 of that Code for petitions that are not filed
18under this Article or Article 11E of this Code.
19    (c) When a petition contains more than 10 signatures the
20petition shall designate a committee of 10 of the petitioners
21as attorney in fact for all petitioners, any 7 of whom may make
22binding stipulations on behalf of all petitioners as to any
23question with respect to the petition or hearing or joint
24hearing, and the regional board of school trustees, or regional
25boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing may
26accept such stipulation in lieu of evidence or proof of the

 

 

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1matter stipulated. The committee of petitioners shall have the
2same power to stipulate to accountings or waiver thereof
3between school districts; however, the regional board of school
4trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a
5joint hearing may refuse to accept such stipulation. Those
6designated as the committee of 10 shall serve in that capacity
7until such time as the regional superintendent of schools or
8the committee of 10 determines that, because of death,
9resignation, transfer of residency from the territory, or
10failure to qualify, the office of a particular member of the
11committee of 10 is vacant. Upon determination that a vacancy
12exists, the remaining members shall appoint a petitioner to
13fill the designated vacancy on the committee of 10. The
14appointment of any new members by the committee of 10 shall be
15made by a simple majority vote of the remaining designated
16members.
17    (d) The petition may be amended to withdraw not to exceed a
18total of 10% of the territory in the petition at any time prior
19to the hearing or joint hearing; provided that the petition
20shall after amendment comply with the requirements as to the
21number of signatures required on an original petition.
22    (e) The petitioners shall pay the expenses of publishing
23the notice and of any transcript taken at the hearing or joint
24hearing; and in case of an appeal from the decision of the
25regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school
26trustees in cases of a joint hearing, or State Superintendent

 

 

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1of Education in cases determined under subsection (l) of this
2Section, the appellants shall pay the cost of preparing the
3record for appeal.
4    (f) The notice shall state when the petition was filed, the
5description of the territory, the prayer of the petition and
6the return day on which the hearing or joint hearing upon the
7petition will be held which shall not be more than 15 nor less
8than 10 days after the publication of notice.
9    (g) On such return day or on a day to which the regional
10board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees
11in cases of a joint hearing shall continue the hearing or joint
12hearing the regional board of school trustees, or regional
13boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing shall
14hear the petition but may adjourn the hearing or joint hearing
15from time to time or may continue the matter for want of
16sufficient notice or other good cause.
17    (h) Prior to the hearing or joint hearing the secretary of
18the regional board of school trustees shall submit to the
19regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school
20trustees in cases of a joint hearing maps showing the districts
21involved, a written report of financial and educational
22conditions of districts involved and the probable effect of the
23proposed changes. The reports and maps submitted shall be made
24a part of the record of the proceedings of the regional board
25of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in
26cases of a joint hearing. A copy of the report and maps

 

 

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1submitted shall be sent by the secretary of the regional board
2of school trustees to each board of the districts involved, not
3less than 5 days prior to the day upon which the hearing or
4joint hearing is to be held.
5    (i) The regional board of school trustees, or regional
6boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing shall
7hear evidence as to the school needs and conditions of the
8territory in the area within and adjacent thereto and the
9effect detachment will have on those needs and conditions and
10as to the ability of the districts affected to meet the
11standards of recognition as prescribed by the State Board of
12Education, and shall take into consideration the division of
13funds and assets which will result from the change of
14boundaries and shall determine whether it is to the best
15interests of the schools of the area and the direct educational
16welfare of the pupils that such change in boundaries be
17granted, and in case non-high school territory is contained in
18the petition the normal high school attendance pattern of the
19children shall be taken into consideration. If the non-high
20school territory overlies an elementary district, a part of
21which is in a high school district, such territory may be
22annexed to such high school district even though not contiguous
23to the high school district. However, upon resolution by the
24regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school
25trustees in cases of a joint hearing the secretary or
26secretaries thereof shall conduct the hearing or joint hearing

 

 

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1upon any boundary petition and present a transcript of such
2hearing to the trustees who shall base their decision upon the
3transcript, maps and information and any presentation of
4counsel. In the instance of a change of boundaries through
5detachment:
6        (1) When considering the effect the detachment will
7    have on the direct educational welfare of the pupils, the
8    regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of
9    school trustees shall consider a comparison of the school
10    report cards for the schools of the affected districts and
11    the school district report cards for the affected districts
12    only if there is no more than a 3% difference in the
13    minority, low socio-economic, and non-English speaking
14    student populations of the relevant schools of the
15    districts.
16        (2) The community of interest of the petitioners and
17    their children and the effect detachment will have on the
18    whole child may be considered only if the regional board of
19    school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees
20    first determine that there would be a significant direct
21    educational benefit to the petitioners' children if the
22    change in boundaries were allowed.
23        (3) The regional board of school trustees or the
24    regional boards of school trustees may consider the
25    difference in the distances from the petitioning area to
26    the current schools and the petitioned-for schools only if

 

 

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1    the difference is no less than 10 miles shorter to one of
2    the petitioned-for grade centers than it is to the
3    corresponding current grade center.
4        (4) The regional board of school trustees or the
5    regional boards of school trustees may not grant a petition
6    if doing so will increase the percentage of minority, low
7    socio-economic, or non-English speaking students at the
8    school or the district from which the petitioning territory
9    will be detached and will decrease the percentage of those
10    students at the school or district to which the territory
11    will be annexed.
12        (5) The regional board of school trustees or the
13    regional boards of school trustees may not consider whether
14    changing the boundaries will increase the property values
15    of the petitioners' property.
16    The factors in subdivisions (1) through (5) of this
17subsection (i) are applicable whether or not there are children
18residing in the petitioning area at the time the hearing is
19conducted.
20    (j) At the hearing or joint hearing any resident of the
21territory described in the petition or any resident in any
22district affected by the proposed change of boundaries may
23appear in person or by an attorney in support of the petition
24or to object to the granting of the petition and may present
25evidence in support of his position.
26    (k) At the conclusion of the hearing, other than a joint

 

 

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1hearing, the regional superintendent of schools as ex officio
2member of the regional board of school trustees shall within 30
3days enter an order either granting or denying the petition and
4shall deliver to the committee of petitioners, if any, and any
5person who has filed his appearance in writing at the hearing
6and any attorney who appears for any person and any objector
7who testifies at the hearing and the regional superintendent of
8schools a certified copy of its order.
9    (l) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
10Section, if within 9 months after a petition is submitted under
11the provisions of Section 7-1 the petition is not approved or
12denied by the regional board of school trustees and the order
13approving or denying that petition entered and a copy thereof
14served as provided in this Section, the school boards or
15registered voters of the districts affected that submitted the
16petition (or the committee of 10, or an attorney acting on its
17behalf, if designated in the petition) may submit a copy of the
18petition directly to the State Superintendent of Education for
19approval or denial. The copy of the petition as so submitted
20shall be accompanied by a record of all proceedings had with
21respect to the petition up to the time the copy of the petition
22is submitted to the State Superintendent of Education
23(including a copy of any notice given or published, any
24certificate or other proof of publication, copies of any maps
25or written report of the financial and educational conditions
26of the school districts affected if furnished by the secretary

 

 

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1of the regional board of school trustees, copies of any
2amendments to the petition and stipulations made, accepted or
3refused, a transcript of any hearing or part of a hearing held,
4continued or adjourned on the petition, and any orders entered
5with respect to the petition or any hearing held thereon). The
6school boards, registered voters or committee of 10 submitting
7the petition and record of proceedings to the State
8Superintendent of Education shall give written notice by
9certified mail, return receipt requested to the regional board
10of school trustees and to the secretary of that board that the
11petition has been submitted to the State Superintendent of
12Education for approval or denial, and shall furnish a copy of
13the notice so given to the State Superintendent of Education.
14The cost of assembling the record of proceedings for submission
15to the State Superintendent of Education shall be the
16responsibility of the school boards, registered voters or
17committee of 10 that submits the petition and record of
18proceedings to the State Superintendent of Education. When a
19petition is submitted to the State Superintendent of Education
20in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph:
21        (1) The regional board of school trustees loses all
22    jurisdiction over the petition and shall have no further
23    authority to hear, approve, deny or otherwise act with
24    respect to the petition.
25        (2) All jurisdiction over the petition and the right
26    and duty to hear, approve, deny or otherwise act with

 

 

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1    respect to the petition is transferred to and shall be
2    assumed and exercised by the State Superintendent of
3    Education.
4        (3) The State Superintendent of Education shall not be
5    required to repeat any proceedings that were conducted in
6    accordance with the provisions of this Section prior to the
7    time jurisdiction over the petition is transferred to him,
8    but the State Superintendent of Education shall be required
9    to give and publish any notices and hold or complete any
10    hearings that were not given, held or completed by the
11    regional board of school trustees or its secretary as
12    required by this Section prior to the time jurisdiction
13    over the petition is transferred to the State
14    Superintendent of Education.
15        (4) If so directed by the State Superintendent of
16    Education, the regional superintendent of schools shall
17    submit to the State Superintendent of Education and to such
18    school boards as the State Superintendent of Education
19    shall prescribe accurate maps and a written report of the
20    financial and educational conditions of the districts
21    affected and the probable effect of the proposed boundary
22    changes.
23        (5) The State Superintendent is authorized to conduct
24    further hearings, or appoint a hearing officer to conduct
25    further hearings, on the petition even though a hearing
26    thereon was held as provided in this Section prior to the

 

 

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1    time jurisdiction over the petition is transferred to the
2    State Superintendent of Education.
3        (6) The State Superintendent of Education or the
4    hearing officer shall hear evidence and approve or deny the
5    petition and shall enter an order to that effect and
6    deliver and serve the same as required in other cases to be
7    done by the regional board of school trustees and the
8    regional superintendent of schools as an ex officio member
9    of that board.
10    (m) Within 10 days after the conclusion of a joint hearing
11required under the provisions of Section 7-2, each regional
12board of school trustees shall meet together and render a
13decision with regard to the joint hearing on the petition. If
14the regional boards of school trustees fail to enter a joint
15order either granting or denying the petition, the regional
16superintendent of schools for the educational service region in
17which the joint hearing is held shall enter an order denying
18the petition, and within 30 days after the conclusion of the
19joint hearing shall deliver a copy of the order denying the
20petition to the regional boards of school trustees of each
21region affected, to the committee of petitioners, if any, to
22any person who has filed his appearance in writing at the
23hearing and to any attorney who appears for any person at the
24joint hearing. If the regional boards of school trustees enter
25a joint order either granting or denying the petition, the
26regional superintendent of schools for the educational service

 

 

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1region in which the joint hearing is held shall, within 30 days
2of the conclusion of the hearing, deliver a copy of the joint
3order to those same committees and persons as are entitled to
4receive copies of the regional superintendent's order in cases
5where the regional boards of school trustees have failed to
6enter a joint order.
7    (n) Within 10 days after service of a copy of the order
8granting or denying the petition, any person so served may
9petition for a rehearing and, upon sufficient cause being
10shown, a rehearing may be granted. The filing of a petition for
11rehearing shall operate as a stay of enforcement until the
12regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school
13trustees in cases of a joint hearing, or State Superintendent
14of Education in cases determined under subsection (l) of this
15Section enter the final order on such petition for rehearing.
16    (o) If a petition filed under subsection (a) of Section 7-1
17or under Section 7-2 is required under the provisions of
18subsection (b-5) of this Section 7-6 to request submission of a
19proposition at a regular scheduled election for the purpose of
20voting for or against the annexation of the territory described
21in the petition to the school district proposing to annex that
22territory, and if the petition is granted or approved by the
23regional board or regional boards of school trustees or by the
24State Superintendent of Education, the proposition shall be
25placed on the ballot at the next regular scheduled election.
26(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/7-14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 7-14)
2    Sec. 7-14. Bonded indebtedness-Tax rate.
3    (a) Beginning on January 1, 2015, whenever the boundaries
4of any school district are changed by the attachment or
5detachment of territory, the territory that is detached shall
6remain liable for its proportionate share of the bonded
7indebtedness and financial obligations to the Capital
8Development Board of the school district from which the
9territory is detached. The annexing district shall not, except
10pursuant to the approval of a resolution by the school board of
11the annexing district prior to the effective date of the change
12of boundaries, assume or be responsible for any of the bonded
13indebtedness or financial obligations to the Capital
14Development Board of the district from which the territory is
15detached. If the annexing district does not assume the
16detaching territory's proportionate share of the bonded
17indebtedness of the district from which the territory is
18detaching, a tax rate for that bonded indebtedness shall be
19determined in the manner provided in Section 19-7 of this Code,
20and the county clerk or clerks shall annually extend taxes for
21each bond outstanding on the effective date of the change of
22boundaries against all of the taxable property situated within
23the territory that is detached and within the detaching
24district. After the effective date of the change of boundaries,
25all of the property situated within the annexing school

 

 

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1district, including the detaching territory, shall be liable
2for the bonded indebtedness and financial obligations to the
3Capital Development Board of that district as it exists on the
4effective date of the change of boundaries and any date
5thereafter. Except as provided in subsection (b), whenever the
6boundaries of any school district are changed by the annexation
7or detachment of territory, each such district as it exists on
8and after such action shall assume the bonded indebtedness, as
9well as financial obligations to the Capital Development Board
10pursuant to Section 35-15 (now repealed) of this Code, of all
11the territory included therein after such change. The tax rate
12for bonded indebtedness shall be determined in the manner
13provided in Section 19-7 of this Act, except the County Clerk
14shall annually extend taxes against all the taxable property
15situated in the county and contained in each such district as
16it exists after the action. Notwithstanding the provisions of
17this subsection, if the boundaries of a school district are
18changed by annexation or detachment of territory after June 30,
191987, and prior to September 15, 1987, and if the school
20district to which territory is being annexed has no outstanding
21bonded indebtedness on the date such annexation occurs, then
22the annexing school district shall not be liable for any bonded
23indebtedness of the district from which the territory is
24detached, and the school district from which the territory is
25detached shall remain liable for all of its bonded
26indebtedness.

 

 

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1    (b) Whenever a school district with bonded indebtedness has
2become dissolved under this Article and its territory annexed
3to another district, the annexing district or districts shall
4not, except by action pursuant to resolution of the school
5board of the annexing district prior to the effective date of
6the annexation, assume the bonded indebtedness of the dissolved
7district; nor, except by action pursuant to resolution of the
8school board of the dissolving district, shall the territory of
9the dissolved district assume the bonded indebtedness of the
10annexing district or districts. If the annexing district or
11districts do not assume the bonded indebtedness of the
12dissolved district, a tax rate for the bonded indebtedness
13shall be determined in the manner provided in Section 19-7, and
14the county clerk or clerks shall annually extend taxes for each
15outstanding bond issue against all the taxable property that
16was situated within the boundaries of the district as the
17boundaries existed at the time of the issuance of each bond
18issue regardless of whether the property is still contained in
19that same district at the time of the extension of the taxes by
20the county clerk or clerks.
21    (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 19-18 of this
22Code, upon resolution of the school board, the county clerk
23must extend taxes to pay the principal of and interest on any
24bonds issued exclusively to refund any bonded indebtedness of
25the annexing school district against all of the taxable
26property that was situated within the boundaries of the

 

 

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1annexing district as the boundaries existed at the time of the
2issuance of the bonded indebtedness being refunded and not
3against any of the taxable property in the dissolved school
4district, provided that (i) the net interest rate on the
5refunding bonds may not exceed the net interest rate on the
6refunded bonds, (ii) the final maturity date of the refunding
7bonds may not extend beyond the final maturity date of the
8refunded bonds, and (iii) the tax levy to pay the refunding
9bonds in any levy year may not exceed the tax levy that would
10have been required to pay the refunded bonds for that levy
11year. The provisions of this subsection (c) are applicable to
12school districts that were dissolved and their territory
13annexed to another school district pursuant to a referendum
14held in April of 2003. The provisions of this subsection (c),
15other than this sentence, are inoperative 2 years after the
16effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General
17Assembly.
18(Source: P.A. 94-1105, eff. 6-1-07; 95-1025, eff. 1-6-09.)