Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

Filed: 3/19/2015

 

 


 

 


 
09900SB1591sam001LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1591

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1591 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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

 

 

09900SB1591sam001- 2 -LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1    maximum numbers of pupils to be enrolled in the charter
2    school, and any other admission criteria that would be
3    legal if used by a school district.
4        (3) A description of and address for the physical plant
5    in which the charter school will be located; provided that
6    nothing in the Article shall be deemed to justify delaying
7    or withholding favorable action on or approval of a charter
8    school proposal because the building or buildings in which
9    the charter school is to be located have not been acquired
10    or rented at the time a charter school proposal is
11    submitted or approved or a charter school contract is
12    entered into or submitted for certification or certified,
13    so long as the proposal or submission identifies and names
14    at least 2 sites that are potentially available as a
15    charter school facility by the time the charter school is
16    to open.
17        (4) The mission statement of the charter school, which
18    must be consistent with the General Assembly's declared
19    purposes; provided that nothing in this Article shall be
20    construed to require that, in order to receive favorable
21    consideration and approval, a charter school proposal
22    demonstrate unequivocally that the charter school will be
23    able to meet each of those declared purposes, it being the
24    intention of the Charter Schools Law that those purposes be
25    recognized as goals that charter schools must aspire to
26    attain.

 

 

09900SB1591sam001- 3 -LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1        (5) The goals, objectives, and pupil performance
2    standards to be achieved by the charter school.
3        (6) In the case of a proposal to establish a charter
4    school by converting an existing public school or
5    attendance center to charter school status, evidence that
6    the proposed formation of the charter school has received
7    the approval of certified teachers, parents and guardians,
8    and, if applicable, a local school council as provided in
9    subsection (b) of Section 27A-8.
10        (7) A description of the charter school's educational
11    program, pupil performance standards, curriculum, school
12    year, school days, and hours of operation.
13        (8) A description of the charter school's plan for
14    evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments
15    that will be used to measure pupil progress towards
16    achievement of the school's pupil performance standards,
17    the timeline for achievement of those standards, and the
18    procedures for taking corrective action in the event that
19    pupil performance at the charter school falls below those
20    standards.
21        (9) Evidence that the terms of the charter as proposed
22    are economically sound for both the charter school and the
23    school district, a proposed budget for the term of the
24    charter, a description of the manner in which an annual
25    audit of the financial and administrative operations of the
26    charter school, including any services provided by the

 

 

09900SB1591sam001- 4 -LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1    school district, are to be conducted, and a plan for the
2    displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who
3    will not attend or be employed in the charter school.
4        (10) A description of the governance and operation of
5    the charter school, including the nature and extent of
6    parental, professional educator, and community involvement
7    in the governance and operation of the charter school.
8        (11) An explanation of the relationship that will exist
9    between the charter school and its employees, including
10    evidence that the terms and conditions of employment have
11    been addressed with affected employees and their
12    recognized representative, if any. However, a bargaining
13    unit of charter school employees shall be separate and
14    distinct from any bargaining units formed from employees of
15    a school district in which the charter school is located.
16        (12) An agreement between the parties regarding their
17    respective legal liability and applicable insurance
18    coverage.
19        (13) A description of how the charter school plans to
20    meet the transportation needs of its pupils, and a plan for
21    addressing the transportation needs of low-income and
22    at-risk pupils.
23        (14) The proposed effective date and term of the
24    charter; provided that the first day of the first academic
25    year shall be no earlier than August 15 and no later than
26    September 15 of a calendar year, and the first day of the

 

 

09900SB1591sam001- 5 -LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1    fiscal year shall be July 1.
2        (14.5) Disclosure of any known active civil or criminal
3    investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement
4    agency into an organization submitting the charter school
5    proposal or a criminal investigation by a local, state, or
6    federal law enforcement agency into any member of the
7    governing body of that organization. For the purposes of
8    this subdivision (14.5), a known investigation means a
9    request for an interview by a law enforcement agency, a
10    subpoena, an arrest, or an indictment. Such disclosure is
11    required for a period from the initial application
12    submission through 10 business days prior to the
13    authorizer's scheduled decision date.
14        (15) Any other information reasonably required by the
15    State Board of Education.
16    (b) A proposal to establish a charter school may be
17initiated by individuals or organizations that will have
18majority representation on the board of directors or other
19governing body of the corporation or other discrete legal
20entity that is to be established to operate the proposed
21charter school, by a board of education or an intergovernmental
22agreement between or among boards of education, or by the board
23of directors or other governing body of a discrete legal entity
24already existing or established to operate the proposed charter
25school. The individuals or organizations referred to in this
26subsection may be school teachers, school administrators,

 

 

09900SB1591sam001- 6 -LRB099 08451 NHT 33038 a

1local school councils, colleges or universities or their
2faculty members, public community colleges or their
3instructors or other representatives, corporations, or other
4entities or their representatives. The proposal shall be
5submitted to the local school board for consideration and, if
6appropriate, for development of a proposed contract to be
7submitted to the State Board for certification under Section
827A-6.
9    (c) The local school board may not without the consent of
10the governing body of the charter school condition its approval
11of a charter school proposal on acceptance of an agreement to
12operate under State laws and regulations and local school board
13policies from which the charter school is otherwise exempted
14under this Article.
15(Source: P.A. 98-739, eff. 7-16-14; 98-1048, eff. 8-25-14;
16revised 10-1-14.)
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18becoming law.".