Senate Sponsors: CRONIN-WOOLARD. House Sponsors: TURNER,ART-ERWIN-COWLISHAW Short description: CHARTER SCH-NUMBER-PRIORITY Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Removes the limit on the number of charter schools that may operate in a specific region of the State. Provides that a charter school that leases or purchases a building that was used as a school during the immediately prior school year may give priority to pupils who were enrolled in the school the prior year. Effective immediately. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Adds a preamble. Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following change. Restores current law limiting the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time in a specific region of the State but increases the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time in the City of Chicago from 15 to 30. BALANCED BUDGET NOTE (Bureau of the Budget) Since SB 78 is not a supplemental appropriation bill, the Balanced Budget Note Act is inapplicable. FISCAL NOTE (State Board of Education) Local school districts fund charter schools. The State provides temporary transition impact aid to help the school district adjust to this payment. The local subsidy is equal to the per capita tuition charge per pupil unless the district negotiates something different with the charter school. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have negotiated a lesser amount for their exist- ing charter schools. The total cost to CPS this year for char- ter schools is estimated to be $33.4 million ($5,023 per capita tuition times 6,650 students) while the State transition impact aid to CPS is approximately $5 million (CPS also receives $13.0 million in general State aid for these students). While it depends on enrollment, if the number of charter schools in Chicago doubles, it is not unreasonable to predict that the current local and State costs may double as well. STATE MANDATES NOTE (State Board of Education) Sames as SBE fiscal note. JUDICIAL NOTE (Administrative Office of Illinois Courts) SB 78 would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State. PENSION NOTE (Pension Laws Commission) SB 78 would not affect the accrued liabilities or annual cost of any Illinois public pension fund or retirement system. Last action on Bill: SESSION SINE DIE Last action date: JAN-07-2003 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 0 SENATE - 1 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status