IL
Illinois Senate Bill SB2225

Illinois 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB2225 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2225 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new Creates the Classrooms First Commission. Provides for the membership and support of the Commission. Requires the Commission to make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the electorate on the number of school districts in this State and where reorganization and realignment of school districts into unit districts would be beneficial. Sets forth what areas the recommendations must focus on, including drafting recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of school districts through the reorganization of school districts into unit districts. Provides that, on or before May 1, 2024, the Commission must vote on its recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Provides that if the Commission adopts the recommendations by an affirmative vote of at least 13 of its members, then the Commission's specific recommendations for reorganization of school districts into unit districts shall be filed with the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. Sets forth the regional superintendent's and State Superintendent of Education's duties with respect to the recommendations. Repeals these provisions on January 31, 2026. Effective immediately. LRB103 30694 RJT 57167 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2225 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new Creates the Classrooms First Commission. Provides for the membership and support of the Commission. Requires the Commission to make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the electorate on the number of school districts in this State and where reorganization and realignment of school districts into unit districts would be beneficial. Sets forth what areas the recommendations must focus on, including drafting recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of school districts through the reorganization of school districts into unit districts. Provides that, on or before May 1, 2024, the Commission must vote on its recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Provides that if the Commission adopts the recommendations by an affirmative vote of at least 13 of its members, then the Commission's specific recommendations for reorganization of school districts into unit districts shall be filed with the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. Sets forth the regional superintendent's and State Superintendent of Education's duties with respect to the recommendations. Repeals these provisions on January 31, 2026. Effective immediately. LRB103 30694 RJT 57167 b LRB103 30694 RJT 57167 b A BILL FOR
22 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2225 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
33 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new
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55 Creates the Classrooms First Commission. Provides for the membership and support of the Commission. Requires the Commission to make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the electorate on the number of school districts in this State and where reorganization and realignment of school districts into unit districts would be beneficial. Sets forth what areas the recommendations must focus on, including drafting recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of school districts through the reorganization of school districts into unit districts. Provides that, on or before May 1, 2024, the Commission must vote on its recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Provides that if the Commission adopts the recommendations by an affirmative vote of at least 13 of its members, then the Commission's specific recommendations for reorganization of school districts into unit districts shall be filed with the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. Sets forth the regional superintendent's and State Superintendent of Education's duties with respect to the recommendations. Repeals these provisions on January 31, 2026. Effective immediately.
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1111 1 AN ACT concerning education.
1212 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1313 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1414 4 Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Classrooms
1515 5 First Act.
1616 6 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
1717 7 11E-140 as follows:
1818 8 (105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new)
1919 9 Sec. 11E-140. Classrooms First Commission.
2020 10 (a) The Classrooms First Commission is created. The
2121 11 Commission shall consist of all of the following voting
2222 12 members:
2323 13 (1) one member appointed by the Governor, who shall
2424 14 serve as the chairperson;
2525 15 (2) one member appointed by the State Board of
2626 16 Education;
2727 17 (3) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House
2828 18 of Representatives;
2929 19 (4) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
3030 20 House of Representatives;
3131 21 (5) one member appointed by the President of the
3232 22 Senate;
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3636 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2225 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
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3939 Creates the Classrooms First Commission. Provides for the membership and support of the Commission. Requires the Commission to make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the electorate on the number of school districts in this State and where reorganization and realignment of school districts into unit districts would be beneficial. Sets forth what areas the recommendations must focus on, including drafting recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of school districts through the reorganization of school districts into unit districts. Provides that, on or before May 1, 2024, the Commission must vote on its recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. Provides that if the Commission adopts the recommendations by an affirmative vote of at least 13 of its members, then the Commission's specific recommendations for reorganization of school districts into unit districts shall be filed with the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. Sets forth the regional superintendent's and State Superintendent of Education's duties with respect to the recommendations. Repeals these provisions on January 31, 2026. Effective immediately.
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6767 1 (6) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
6868 2 Senate;
6969 3 (7) a representative appointed by the head of the
7070 4 largest statewide professional teachers' organization, as
7171 5 measured by the number of members reported in its most
7272 6 recent federal Form LM-2 Labor Organization Annual Report;
7373 7 (8) a representative appointed by the head of the
7474 8 second largest statewide professional teachers'
7575 9 organization, as measured by the number of members
7676 10 reported in its most recent federal Form LM-2 Labor
7777 11 Organization Annual Report;
7878 12 (9) a representative appointed by the head of an
7979 13 organization that represents school boards, appointed by
8080 14 the head of that organization;
8181 15 (10) a representative appointed by the head of a
8282 16 statewide organization that represents school principals,
8383 17 appointed by the head of that organization;
8484 18 (11) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
8585 19 administrator employed by a school located in the West
8686 20 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
8787 21 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-B), appointed
8888 22 by the chairperson of the Commission;
8989 23 (12) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
9090 24 administrator employed by a school located in the South
9191 25 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
9292 26 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-C), appointed
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103103 1 by the chairperson of the Commission;
104104 2 (13) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
105105 3 administrator employed by a school located in the North
106106 4 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
107107 5 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-D), appointed
108108 6 by the chairperson of the Commission;
109109 7 (14) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
110110 8 administrator employed by a school located in the
111111 9 Northeast region of the State Board of Education's
112112 10 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 1-C),
113113 11 appointed by the chairperson of the Commission;
114114 12 (15) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
115115 13 administrator employed by a school located in the
116116 14 Northwest region of the State Board of Education's
117117 15 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 2),
118118 16 appointed by the chairperson of the Commission;
119119 17 (16) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
120120 18 administrator employed by a school located in the West
121121 19 Central region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
122122 20 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 3), appointed by the
123123 21 chairperson of the Commission;
124124 22 (17) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
125125 23 administrator employed by a school located in the East
126126 24 Central region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
127127 25 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 4), appointed by the
128128 26 chairperson of the Commission;
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139139 1 (18) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
140140 2 administrator employed by a school located in the
141141 3 Southwest region of the State Board of Education's
142142 4 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 5),
143143 5 appointed by the chairperson of the Commission;
144144 6 (19) a parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
145145 7 administrator employed by a school located in the
146146 8 Southeast region of the State Board of Education's
147147 9 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 6),
148148 10 appointed by the chairperson of the Commission;
149149 11 (20) a representative appointed by the head of an
150150 12 association that represents school business officials;
151151 13 (21) a representative appointed by the head of an
152152 14 association that represents school administrators;
153153 15 (22) a representative appointed by the head of an
154154 16 association that represents administrators of special
155155 17 education;
156156 18 (23) a representative appointed by the head of a
157157 19 statewide parent organization;
158158 20 (24) a representative appointed by the head of an
159159 21 organization that represents high school districts; and
160160 22 (25) a representative appointed by the head of an
161161 23 association that represents regional superintendents of
162162 24 schools.
163163 25 Members shall serve without compensation, but shall be
164164 26 reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from
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175175 1 funds appropriated for that purpose. Members shall be
176176 2 reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to
177177 3 the State Board of Education available for that purpose and
178178 4 subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control board.
179179 5 The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson, with
180180 6 the initial meeting of the Commission being held within 90
181181 7 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
182182 8 103rd General Assembly, and shall hold public hearings
183183 9 throughout this State, including at least one hearing in each
184184 10 of the nine school district support regions that do not
185185 11 include Chicago (Region 1-A). The State Board of Education
186186 12 shall provide assistance and necessary staff support services
187187 13 to the Commission.
188188 14 (b) The purpose of the Commission is to make
189189 15 recommendations to the electorate, the Governor, and the
190190 16 General Assembly on whether the number of school districts in
191191 17 this State is appropriate and whether reorganization and
192192 18 realignment of those districts would be beneficial. The
193193 19 Commission's recommendations must take into consideration the
194194 20 school needs and conditions of the affected districts and in
195195 21 the area adjacent to the district, the division of funds and
196196 22 assets that will result from the action described in the
197197 23 petition, the best interests of the schools of the area, and
198198 24 the best interests and the educational welfare of the pupils
199199 25 residing in the district, and shall focus on all of the
200200 26 following areas:
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211211 1 (1) reducing the money spent on the duplication of
212212 2 efforts;
213213 3 (2) improving the education of students by having
214214 4 fewer obstacles between qualified teachers and their
215215 5 students;
216216 6 (3) lowering the property tax burden;
217217 7 (4) providing recommendations on what the net cost
218218 8 savings of realignment is to this State;
219219 9 (5) with a view toward reducing unnecessary
220220 10 administrative costs, improving the education of students
221221 11 and lowering the property tax burden, drafting specific
222222 12 recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of
223223 13 school districts by no less than 25% through the
224224 14 reorganization of school districts into unit districts as
225225 15 provided by Section 11E-25. Each recommendation under this
226226 16 paragraph (5) must include all of the following:
227227 17 (A) a request to submit a proposition at the next
228228 18 general election for the purpose of voting for or
229229 19 against the establishment of a combined unit district;
230230 20 (B) a description of the territory comprising the
231231 21 districts proposed to be dissolved and those to be
232232 22 consolidated into unit districts, which, for an entire
233233 23 district, may be a general reference to all of the
234234 24 territory included within that district; and
235235 25 (C) a specification of the maximum tax rates the
236236 26 proposed unit district or districts are authorized to
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247247 1 levy for various purposes and, if applicable, the
248248 2 specifications related to the Property Tax Extension
249249 3 Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80.
250250 4 The Commission may not make any recommendations under this
251251 5 subsection that would provide for the consolidation of
252252 6 individual schools.
253253 7 (c) On or before May 1, 2024, Commission must vote on its
254254 8 recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the
255255 9 General Assembly. If the Commission adopts the report by an
256256 10 affirmative vote of at least 13 of its members, then the
257257 11 Commission's specific recommendations for reorganization of
258258 12 school districts into unit districts under paragraph (5) of
259259 13 subsection (b) shall be filed with the appropriate regional
260260 14 superintendent of schools in the same form as petitions filed
261261 15 under Section 11E-35. A copy of the Commission's specific
262262 16 recommendations shall be provided to the regional
263263 17 superintendent of schools of each educational service region
264264 18 situated in the territory described in the specific
265265 19 recommendation or that part of the territory in which the
266266 20 greater percentage of equalized assessed valuation is
267267 21 situated. Petitions submitted by the Commission under this
268268 22 Section shall be treated as properly filed petitions under
269269 23 Section 11E-35, but the petitions submitted are not subject to
270270 24 the requirements under subsection (a) of Section 11E-35.
271271 25 (d) Upon receiving the filed petition as provided in
272272 26 subsection (c) from the regional superintendent of schools,
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283283 1 each school board of the affected school districts shall
284284 2 publish a copy of the petition on its official Internet
285285 3 website, if available, with a link to the recommendation shown
286286 4 prominently on the homepage of the website until the date of
287287 5 the next upcoming general election.
288288 6 (e) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of Section 11E-50,
289289 7 within 14 days after the conclusion of the hearing under
290290 8 Section 11E-45 regarding a petition filed by the Classrooms
291291 9 First Commission, the regional superintendent shall, upon
292292 10 determining that the petition is in compliance with all
293293 11 applicable requirements set forth in the Election Code,
294294 12 through a written order, approve the petition, or, if the
295295 13 regional superintendent determines that the amended petition
296296 14 is not in compliance with the Election Code, the regional
297297 15 superintendent shall deny the petition.
298298 16 (f) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of Section 11E-50,
299299 17 within 21 days after the receipt of the regional
300300 18 superintendent's decision regarding a petition filed by the
301301 19 Classrooms First Commission under this Section, the State
302302 20 Superintendent of Education shall, upon determining that the
303303 21 petition is in compliance with all applicable requirements set
304304 22 forth in the Election Code, through a written order, approve
305305 23 the petition, or, if the State Superintendent determines that
306306 24 the amended petition is not in compliance with the Election
307307 25 Code, the State Superintendent shall deny the petition.
308308 26 (g) The Classrooms First Commission shall serve as and
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319319 1 take on the responsibilities of the designated Committee of
320320 2 Ten for the purposes of petitions filed under this Section,
321321 3 except that notwithstanding paragraph (10) of subsection (a)
322322 4 of Section 11E-35, any amendments to petitions filed by the
323323 5 Commission and any binding stipulations made to any question
324324 6 with respect to a petition under this Section shall be made by
325325 7 at least 13 members of the Commission.
326326 8 (h) Incentive payments required under Section 11E-135
327327 9 shall be made for the purposes of this Section, subject to
328328 10 appropriation by the General Assembly. The failure of the
329329 11 General Assembly to appropriate incentive payment funds under
330330 12 Section 11E-135 shall not be a bar to reorganization under
331331 13 this Section.
332332 14 (i) This Section is repealed on January 31, 2026.
333333 15 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
334334 16 becoming law.
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