State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]


92_SB0078eng

 
SB78 Engrossed                                 LRB9203389NTsb

 1        AN ACT concerning education.

 2        WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes the growing role
 3    of  charter schools in the educational infrastructure of this
 4    State; and

 5        WHEREAS, It is the intent  of  the  General  Assembly  to
 6    increase  the  maximum  number  of  charter schools permitted
 7    within this State based on current usage and need as  of  the
 8    date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly; and

 9        WHEREAS, In so doing, the General Assembly is recognizing
10    current  needs  as  of the date of this amendatory Act of the
11    92nd General Assembly and makes  no  determination  regarding
12    those  regions  of  the  State  that have not yet reached the
13    maximum number of charter schools allowed  under  State  law;
14    and

15        WHEREAS, The General Assembly will address the allocation
16    of  charter  schools  for the remaining regions of this State
17    when those regions reach or approach the  maximum  allocation
18    of charter schools under State law; therefore

19        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
20    represented in the General Assembly:

21        Section 5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
22    Section 27A-4 as follows:

23        (105 ILCS 5/27A-4)
24        Sec. 27A-4.  General Provisions.
25        (a)  The  General  Assembly  does  not intend to alter or
26    amend the provisions of any court-ordered desegregation  plan
27    in effect for any school district.  A charter school shall be
28    subject  to  all  federal  and  State laws and constitutional
29    provisions  prohibiting  discrimination  on  the   basis   of
 
SB78 Engrossed              -2-                LRB9203389NTsb
 1    disability,  race,  creed,  color,  gender,  national origin,
 2    religion, ancestry,  marital  status,  or  need  for  special
 3    education services.
 4        (b)  The  total number of charter schools operating under
 5    this Article at any one time shall not  exceed  60  45.   Not
 6    more than 30 15 charter schools shall operate at any one time
 7    in  any  city having a population exceeding 500,000; not more
 8    than 15 charter schools shall operate at any one time in  the
 9    counties  of  DuPage,  Kane,  Lake,  McHenry,  Will, and that
10    portion of Cook County that is located outside a city  having
11    a  population  exceeding  500,000,  with  not  more  than one
12    charter  school  that  has  been  initiated  by  a  board  of
13    education, or by an intergovernmental  agreement  between  or
14    among  boards  of education, operating at any one time in the
15    school district where the charter school is located; and  not
16    more than 15 charter schools shall operate at any one time in
17    the  remainder  of  the State, with not more than one charter
18    school that has been initiated by a board of education, or by
19    an intergovernmental agreement between  or  among  boards  of
20    education,  operating  at any one time in the school district
21    where the charter school is located.
22        For purposes of  implementing  this  Section,  the  State
23    Board  shall  assign  a  number to each charter submission it
24    receives   under   Section   27A-6   for   its   review   and
25    certification, based on the chronological order in which  the
26    submission is received by it.  The State Board shall promptly
27    notify  local  school  boards  when  the  maximum  numbers of
28    certified charter schools authorized  to  operate  have  been
29    reached.
30        (c)  No  charter shall be granted under this Article that
31    would convert any existing private, parochial, or  non-public
32    school to a charter school.
33        (d)  Enrollment  in a charter school shall be open to any
34    pupil who resides within the  geographic  boundaries  of  the
 
SB78 Engrossed              -3-                LRB9203389NTsb
 1    area served by the local school board.
 2        (e)  Nothing  in  this  Article  shall  prevent 2 or more
 3    local school boards from  jointly  issuing  a  charter  to  a
 4    single  shared  charter  school,  provided  that  all  of the
 5    provisions of this Article are met as to those  local  school
 6    boards.
 7        (f)  No  local school board shall require any employee of
 8    the school district to be employed in a charter school.
 9        (g)  No  local  school  board  shall  require  any  pupil
10    residing within the geographic boundary of  its  district  to
11    enroll in a charter school.
12        (h)  If there are more eligible applicants for enrollment
13    in   a  charter  school  than  there  are  spaces  available,
14    successful applicants shall be selected by lottery.  However,
15    priority shall be given to siblings of pupils enrolled in the
16    charter school and to pupils who were enrolled in the charter
17    school the previous school year, unless expelled  for  cause.
18    A charter school that leases or purchases a building that was
19    used as a school during the immediately prior school year may
20    give  priority  to pupils who were enrolled in the school the
21    prior year.  Dual enrollment at both a charter school  and  a
22    public  school  or non-public school shall not be allowed.  A
23    pupil who is suspended or  expelled  from  a  charter  school
24    shall  be  deemed to be suspended or expelled from the public
25    schools of the school district in which the pupil resides.
26        (i)  (Blank).
27    (Source: P.A. 91-357,  eff.  7-29-99;  91-405,  eff.  8-3-99;
28    91-407, eff. 8-3-99; revised 8-27-99.)

29        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
30    becoming law.




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