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| Public Act 097-0357 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
3-15.14 and by adding Sections 3-15.14a and 17-1.1 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/3-15.14) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.14)
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Sec. 3-15.14. Cooperative Educational and Operational | ||||
Programs. To administer and direct a cooperative or joint | ||||
educational or operational program
or project when 2 or more | ||||
districts request and authorize him or her to provide
and | ||||
administer these services. Each regional superintendent of | ||||
schools is encouraged to offer school districts the opportunity | ||||
to share in joint educational or operational programs and to | ||||
urge school districts to participate in such programs when the | ||||
school district determines that such participation is fiscally | ||||
prudent. The regional superintendent of schools He may provide | ||||
and contract for the
staff, space, necessary materials, | ||||
supplies, books and apparatus for
such agreements. The school | ||||
boards of the respective districts shall pay
to the regional | ||||
superintendent the pro rata share of the expenses of the
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operation of such programs, and the regional superintendent | ||||
shall use
such funds in payment of such operational expenses. | ||||
The regional
superintendent shall collect and remit the | ||||
required pension contributions
from the participating | ||
districts if the board of control of the program
participates | ||
in Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code.
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A board of control composed of one member from each | ||
cooperating
district and one member from the office of the | ||
regional superintendent
will set policy for the cooperative. | ||
The agreement establishing the
cooperative may provide that the | ||
cooperative shall act as its own
administrative district and | ||
shall be an entity separate and apart from the
Educational | ||
Service Region.
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Each regional superintendent that is the administrator of a | ||
joint
agreement shall cause an annual financial statement to be | ||
submitted on
forms prescribed by the State Board of Education | ||
exhibiting
the financial condition of the program established | ||
pursuant to the joint
agreement for the fiscal year ending on | ||
the immediately preceding June
30.
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The regional superintendent may also administer, direct | ||
and account
for educational programs of single or multi-county | ||
educational service
region, or of multi-regional design which | ||
are sponsored and financed by
State or federal educational | ||
agencies, or by both such agencies.
In cases where funding for | ||
any such approved program is delayed, the
regional | ||
superintendent may borrow the funds required to begin operation | ||
of
the program in accordance with the terms of the grant; and | ||
the principal
amount so borrowed, together with the interest | ||
due thereon, shall be paid
from the grant moneys when received.
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(Source: P.A. 83-815; 86-1332.)
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(105 ILCS 5/3-15.14a new) | ||
Sec. 3-15.14a. Shared services. The regional | ||
superintendent of schools may, at the request of a school | ||
district, present to the school district possible services and | ||
functions that multiple schools may share or consolidate. Such | ||
services and functions may include, but are not limited to, | ||
bidding and purchasing, office functions such as payroll and | ||
accounting, information technology, professional development, | ||
grant writing, food service management, or administrative | ||
positions. Regional superintendents of schools may share best | ||
financial practices with school districts that are exploring | ||
new methods to become more financially efficient. | ||
(105 ILCS 5/17-1.1 new) | ||
Sec. 17-1.1. Shared service reporting and fiscal | ||
efficiency. | ||
(a) Annually, each school district shall complete a report | ||
developed by the State Board of Education, to accompany the | ||
annual financial report and to be published on the State Board | ||
of Education's Internet website, that summarizes district | ||
attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services | ||
or outsourcing in the prior fiscal year. The report must be | ||
primarily in checklist form and approximately one page in | ||
length. It shall include, but shall not be limited to, the | ||
incidence of the following shared service options: insurance; | ||
employee benefits; transportation; personnel recruitment; | ||
shared personnel; technology services; energy purchasing; | ||
supply and equipment purchasing; food services; legal | ||
services; investment pools; special education cooperatives, | ||
vocational cooperatives, and other shared educational | ||
programs; curriculum planning; professional development; | ||
custodial services; maintenance services; grounds maintenance | ||
services; food services; grant writing; and science, | ||
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program | ||
offerings. The report shall also include a list of potential | ||
shared services or outsourcing the district may consider or | ||
investigate for the next fiscal year and any anticipated | ||
barriers to implementation. This report must be approved by the | ||
school board and published on the Internet website of the | ||
school district, if any. | ||
(b) Based on data supplied by school districts through the | ||
annual financial report, regional superintendents of schools | ||
shall publish annually a regional report summarizing district | ||
attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services | ||
or outsourcing within the educational service region. This | ||
report shall include a list of all joint purchasing | ||
initiatives, joint agreements between districts, attempts to | ||
reduce or eliminate duplication of services and duplicative | ||
expenditures, and identification of any overlapping regional | ||
service delivery systems. | ||
(c) For school districts required to develop and submit to | ||
the State Board of Education a deficit reduction plan under | ||
Section 17-1 of this Code, the regional superintendent of | ||
schools and the school district shall jointly prepare a shared | ||
services and outsourcing plan that considers actions that may | ||
improve the district's fiscal efficiency and how future savings | ||
associated with shared services or outsourcing are to be | ||
utilized.
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