99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB1591

 

Introduced 2/20/2015, by Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/27A-7

    Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Requires a charter school proposal to include disclosure of any known active criminal or civil investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into the individual or organization submitting the charter school proposal. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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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 Section
527A-7 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27A-7)
7    Sec. 27A-7. Charter submission.
8    (a) A proposal to establish a charter school shall be
9submitted to the local school board and the State Board for
10certification under Section 27A-6 of this Code in the form of a
11proposed contract entered into between the local school board
12and the governing body of a proposed charter school. The
13charter school proposal shall include:
14        (1) The name of the proposed charter school, which must
15    include the words "Charter School".
16        (2) The age or grade range, areas of focus, minimum and
17    maximum numbers of pupils to be enrolled in the charter
18    school, and any other admission criteria that would be
19    legal if used by a school district.
20        (3) A description of and address for the physical plant
21    in which the charter school will be located; provided that
22    nothing in the Article shall be deemed to justify delaying
23    or withholding favorable action on or approval of a charter

 

 

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1    school proposal because the building or buildings in which
2    the charter school is to be located have not been acquired
3    or rented at the time a charter school proposal is
4    submitted or approved or a charter school contract is
5    entered into or submitted for certification or certified,
6    so long as the proposal or submission identifies and names
7    at least 2 sites that are potentially available as a
8    charter school facility by the time the charter school is
9    to open.
10        (4) The mission statement of the charter school, which
11    must be consistent with the General Assembly's declared
12    purposes; provided that nothing in this Article shall be
13    construed to require that, in order to receive favorable
14    consideration and approval, a charter school proposal
15    demonstrate unequivocally that the charter school will be
16    able to meet each of those declared purposes, it being the
17    intention of the Charter Schools Law that those purposes be
18    recognized as goals that charter schools must aspire to
19    attain.
20        (5) The goals, objectives, and pupil performance
21    standards to be achieved by the charter school.
22        (6) In the case of a proposal to establish a charter
23    school by converting an existing public school or
24    attendance center to charter school status, evidence that
25    the proposed formation of the charter school has received
26    the approval of certified teachers, parents and guardians,

 

 

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1    and, if applicable, a local school council as provided in
2    subsection (b) of Section 27A-8.
3        (7) A description of the charter school's educational
4    program, pupil performance standards, curriculum, school
5    year, school days, and hours of operation.
6        (8) A description of the charter school's plan for
7    evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments
8    that will be used to measure pupil progress towards
9    achievement of the school's pupil performance standards,
10    the timeline for achievement of those standards, and the
11    procedures for taking corrective action in the event that
12    pupil performance at the charter school falls below those
13    standards.
14        (9) Evidence that the terms of the charter as proposed
15    are economically sound for both the charter school and the
16    school district, a proposed budget for the term of the
17    charter, a description of the manner in which an annual
18    audit of the financial and administrative operations of the
19    charter school, including any services provided by the
20    school district, are to be conducted, and a plan for the
21    displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who
22    will not attend or be employed in the charter school.
23        (10) A description of the governance and operation of
24    the charter school, including the nature and extent of
25    parental, professional educator, and community involvement
26    in the governance and operation of the charter school.

 

 

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1        (11) An explanation of the relationship that will exist
2    between the charter school and its employees, including
3    evidence that the terms and conditions of employment have
4    been addressed with affected employees and their
5    recognized representative, if any. However, a bargaining
6    unit of charter school employees shall be separate and
7    distinct from any bargaining units formed from employees of
8    a school district in which the charter school is located.
9        (12) An agreement between the parties regarding their
10    respective legal liability and applicable insurance
11    coverage.
12        (13) A description of how the charter school plans to
13    meet the transportation needs of its pupils, and a plan for
14    addressing the transportation needs of low-income and
15    at-risk pupils.
16        (14) The proposed effective date and term of the
17    charter; provided that the first day of the first academic
18    year shall be no earlier than August 15 and no later than
19    September 15 of a calendar year, and the first day of the
20    fiscal year shall be July 1.
21        (14.5) Disclosure of any known active criminal or civil
22    investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement
23    agency into the individual or organization submitting the
24    charter school proposal.
25        (15) Any other information reasonably required by the
26    State Board of Education.

 

 

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1    (b) A proposal to establish a charter school may be
2initiated by individuals or organizations that will have
3majority representation on the board of directors or other
4governing body of the corporation or other discrete legal
5entity that is to be established to operate the proposed
6charter school, by a board of education or an intergovernmental
7agreement between or among boards of education, or by the board
8of directors or other governing body of a discrete legal entity
9already existing or established to operate the proposed charter
10school. The individuals or organizations referred to in this
11subsection may be school teachers, school administrators,
12local school councils, colleges or universities or their
13faculty members, public community colleges or their
14instructors or other representatives, corporations, or other
15entities or their representatives. The proposal shall be
16submitted to the local school board for consideration and, if
17appropriate, for development of a proposed contract to be
18submitted to the State Board for certification under Section
1927A-6.
20    (c) The local school board may not without the consent of
21the governing body of the charter school condition its approval
22of a charter school proposal on acceptance of an agreement to
23operate under State laws and regulations and local school board
24policies from which the charter school is otherwise exempted
25under this Article.
26(Source: P.A. 98-739, eff. 7-16-14; 98-1048, eff. 8-25-14;

 

 

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1revised 10-1-14.)
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.