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Illinois House Bill HB3114

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB3114 Compare Versions

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11 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3114 Introduced , by Rep. Blaine Wilhour SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new Creates the Efficient School District 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, 2027, 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, 2028. Effective immediately. LRB104 10071 LNS 20143 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3114 Introduced , by Rep. Blaine Wilhour SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new 105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new Creates the Efficient School District 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, 2027, 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, 2028. Effective immediately. LRB104 10071 LNS 20143 b LRB104 10071 LNS 20143 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR
22 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3114 Introduced , by Rep. Blaine Wilhour SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
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55 Creates the Efficient School District 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, 2027, 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, 2028. Effective immediately.
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1313 1 AN ACT concerning education.
1414 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1515 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1616 4 Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Classrooms
1717 5 First Act.
1818 6 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
1919 7 11E-140 as follows:
2020 8 (105 ILCS 5/11E-140 new)
2121 9 Sec. 11E-140. Efficient School District Commission.
2222 10 (a) The Efficient School District Commission is created.
2323 11 The purpose of the Commission is to provide recommendations to
2424 12 the Governor, the General Assembly, and the electorate
2525 13 regarding the number of school districts in this State and
2626 14 where the reorganization and realignment of school districts
2727 15 into unit districts would be beneficial. The Commission shall
2828 16 consist of all of the following voting members:
2929 17 (1) One member appointed by the Governor, who shall
3030 18 serve as the chairperson.
3131 19 (2) One member appointed by the State Board of
3232 20 Education.
3333 21 (3) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House
3434 22 of Representatives.
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3838 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3114 Introduced , by Rep. Blaine Wilhour SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
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4141 Creates the Efficient School District 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, 2027, 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, 2028. Effective immediately.
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7575 1 (4) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
7676 2 House of Representatives.
7777 3 (5) One member appointed by the President of the
7878 4 Senate.
7979 5 (6) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
8080 6 Senate.
8181 7 (7) A representative appointed by the head of the
8282 8 largest statewide professional teachers' organization, as
8383 9 measured by the number of members reported in its most
8484 10 recent federal Form LM-2 Labor Organization Annual Report.
8585 11 (8) A representative appointed by the head of the
8686 12 second largest statewide professional teachers'
8787 13 organization, as measured by the number of members
8888 14 reported in its most recent federal Form LM-2 Labor
8989 15 Organization Annual Report.
9090 16 (9) A representative appointed by the head of an
9191 17 organization that represents school boards, selected by
9292 18 the State Superintendent of Education.
9393 19 (10) A representative appointed by the head of a
9494 20 statewide organization that represents school principals,
9595 21 selected by the State Superintendent of Education.
9696 22 (11) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
9797 23 administrator employed by a school located in the West
9898 24 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
9999 25 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-B), appointed
100100 26 by the Governor.
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111111 1 (12) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
112112 2 administrator employed by a school located in the South
113113 3 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
114114 4 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-C), appointed
115115 5 by the Governor.
116116 6 (13) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
117117 7 administrator employed by a school located in the North
118118 8 Cook region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
119119 9 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Region 1-B-D), appointed
120120 10 by the Governor.
121121 11 (14) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
122122 12 administrator employed by a school located in the
123123 13 Northeast region of the State Board of Education's
124124 14 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 1-C),
125125 15 appointed by the Governor.
126126 16 (15) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
127127 17 administrator employed by a school located in the
128128 18 Northwest region of the State Board of Education's
129129 19 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 2),
130130 20 appointed by the Governor.
131131 21 (16) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
132132 22 administrator employed by a school located in the West
133133 23 Central region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
134134 24 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 3), appointed by the
135135 25 Governor.
136136 26 (17) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
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147147 1 administrator employed by a school located in the East
148148 2 Central region of the State Board of Education's Statewide
149149 3 System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 4), appointed by the
150150 4 Governor.
151151 5 (18) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
152152 6 administrator employed by a school located in the
153153 7 Southwest region of the State Board of Education's
154154 8 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 5),
155155 9 appointed by the Governor.
156156 10 (19) A parent of a child enrolled in or a teacher or an
157157 11 administrator employed by a school located in the
158158 12 Southeast region of the State Board of Education's
159159 13 Statewide System of Support Fiscal Agents (Area 6),
160160 14 appointed by the Governor.
161161 15 (20) A representative appointed by the head of an
162162 16 association that represents school business officials,
163163 17 selected by the State Superintendent of Education.
164164 18 (21) A representative appointed by the head of an
165165 19 association that represents school administrators,
166166 20 selected by the State Superintendent of Education.
167167 21 (22) A representative appointed by the head of an
168168 22 association that represents administrators of special
169169 23 education, selected by the State Superintendent of
170170 24 Education.
171171 25 (23) A representative appointed by the head of a
172172 26 statewide parent organization, selected by the State
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183183 1 Superintendent of Education.
184184 2 (24) A representative appointed by the head of an
185185 3 organization that represents high school districts,
186186 4 selected by the State Superintendent of Education.
187187 5 (25) A representative appointed by the head of an
188188 6 association that represents regional superintendents of
189189 7 schools, selected by the State Superintendent of
190190 8 Education.
191191 9 Members shall serve without compensation, but shall be
192192 10 reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from
193193 11 funds appropriated for that purpose. Members shall be
194194 12 reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to
195195 13 the State Board of Education made available for that purpose
196196 14 and subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control
197197 15 board.
198198 16 The Commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson,
199199 17 with the initial meeting to occur within 90 days after the
200200 18 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
201201 19 Assembly. The Commission shall hold public hearings throughout
202202 20 the State with at least one public hearing in each of the 9
203203 21 regions of the State Board of Education's Statewide System of
204204 22 Support Fiscal Agents that do not include the Chicago region
205205 23 (Region 1-A).
206206 24 The State Board shall provide administrative assistance
207207 25 and necessary staff support services to the Commission.
208208 26 (b) The Efficient School District Commission's
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219219 1 recommendations must take into consideration the school needs
220220 2 and conditions in the affected districts and the surrounding
221221 3 area, the division of funds and assets that will result from
222222 4 the action described in the petition, the best interests of
223223 5 the schools in the area, and the best interests and the
224224 6 educational welfare of pupils residing in the area and must
225225 7 focus on all of the following areas:
226226 8 (1) Reducing the money spent on the duplication of
227227 9 efforts.
228228 10 (2) Improving the education of students by having
229229 11 fewer obstacles between qualified teachers and their
230230 12 students.
231231 13 (3) Lowering the property tax burden.
232232 14 (4) Providing recommendations on what the net cost
233233 15 savings of realignment is to this State.
234234 16 (5) With a view toward reducing unnecessary
235235 17 administrative costs, improving the education of students,
236236 18 and lowering the property tax burden, drafting specific
237237 19 recommendations to reduce the statewide total number of
238238 20 school districts through the reorganization of school
239239 21 districts into unit districts under Section 11E-25. Each
240240 22 recommendation under this paragraph (5) must include all
241241 23 of the following:
242242 24 (A) A request to submit a proposition at the next
243243 25 general election for the purpose of voting for or
244244 26 against the establishment of a combined unit district.
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255255 1 (B) A description of the territory comprising the
256256 2 districts proposed to be dissolved and those to be
257257 3 created into unit districts, which, for an entire
258258 4 district, may be a general reference to all of the
259259 5 territory included within that district.
260260 6 (C) A specification of the maximum tax rates the
261261 7 proposed unit district or districts are authorized to
262262 8 levy for various purposes and, if applicable, the
263263 9 specifications related to the Property Tax Extension
264264 10 Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80.
265265 11 The Commission may not make any recommendations under this
266266 12 subsection that would provide for the consolidation of
267267 13 individual schools or that would result in the consolidation
268268 14 of current unit districts.
269269 15 (c) On or before May 1, 2027, the Efficient School
270270 16 District Commission must vote on its recommendations and file
271271 17 a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. If the
272272 18 Commission adopts the report recommendations by an affirmative
273273 19 vote of at least 13 of its members, then the Commission's
274274 20 specific recommendations for reorganization of school
275275 21 districts into unit districts under paragraph (5) of
276276 22 subsection (b) shall be filed with the appropriate regional
277277 23 superintendent of schools in the same form as petitions filed
278278 24 under Section 11E-35. A copy of the Commission's specific
279279 25 recommendations shall be provided to the regional
280280 26 superintendent of schools of each educational service region
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291291 1 situated in the territory described in the specific
292292 2 recommendation or that part of the territory in which the
293293 3 greater percentage of equalized assessed valuation is
294294 4 situated. Petitions submitted by the Commission under this
295295 5 Section are not subject to the requirements under subsection
296296 6 (a) of Section 11E-35.
297297 7 (d) Upon receiving the filed petition as provided in
298298 8 subsection (c) from the regional superintendent of schools,
299299 9 each school board of the affected school districts shall
300300 10 publish a copy of the petition on its official Internet
301301 11 website, if available, with a link to the recommendation shown
302302 12 prominently on the homepage of the website until the date of
303303 13 the next upcoming general election.
304304 14 (e) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of Section 11E-50,
305305 15 within 14 days after the conclusion of the hearing under
306306 16 Section 11E-45 regarding a petition filed by the Efficient
307307 17 School District Commission, the regional superintendent shall,
308308 18 upon determining that the petition is in compliance with all
309309 19 applicable requirements set forth in the Election Code,
310310 20 through a written order, approve the petition, or, if the
311311 21 regional superintendent determines that the amended petition
312312 22 is not in compliance with the Election Code, the regional
313313 23 superintendent shall deny the petition.
314314 24 (f) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of Section 11E-50,
315315 25 within 21 days after the receipt of the regional
316316 26 superintendent's decision regarding a petition filed by the
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327327 1 Efficient School District Commission under this Section, the
328328 2 State Superintendent of Education shall, upon determining that
329329 3 the petition is in compliance with all applicable requirements
330330 4 set forth in the Election Code, through a written order,
331331 5 approve the petition, or, if the State Superintendent
332332 6 determines that the amended petition is not in compliance with
333333 7 the Election Code, the State Superintendent shall deny the
334334 8 petition.
335335 9 (g) The Efficient School District Commission shall serve
336336 10 as and take on the responsibilities of the designated
337337 11 Committee of Ten for the purposes of petitions filed under
338338 12 this Section, except that notwithstanding paragraph (10) of
339339 13 subsection (a) of Section 11E-35, any amendments to petitions
340340 14 filed by the Commission and any binding stipulations made to
341341 15 any question with respect to a petition under this Section
342342 16 shall be made by at least 13 members of the Commission.
343343 17 (h) Incentive payments required under Section 11E-135
344344 18 shall be made for the purposes of this Section, subject to
345345 19 appropriation by the General Assembly. The failure of the
346346 20 General Assembly to appropriate incentive payment funds under
347347 21 Section 11E-135 shall not be a bar to reorganization under
348348 22 this Section.
349349 23 (i) This Section is repealed on January 31, 2028.
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