(105 ILCS 5/11E-55)

Sec. 11E-55. Holding of elections.

(a) Elections provided by this Article shall be conducted in accordance with the general election law. The regional superintendent of schools shall perform the election duties assigned by law to the secretary of a school board for the election and shall certify the officers and candidates therefore pursuant to the general election law.

(b) Nomination papers filed under this Article are not valid unless the candidate named therein files with the regional superintendent of schools a receipt from the county clerk showing that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. This receipt shall be so filed either previously during the calendar year in which his or her nomination papers were filed or within the period for the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general election law.

(c)(1) If the petition requests the election of school board members of the school district proposed to be created at the same election at which the proposition to establish that district is to be submitted to voters or if the regional superintendent of schools finds it to be in the best interest of the districts involved to elect school board members of the school district proposed to be created at a consolidated election or general primary election, then that fact shall be included in the notice of referendum.

(2) If the members of the school board of the school district proposed to be created are not to be elected at the same election at which the proposition to establish that district is to be submitted to the voters, then the regional superintendent of schools shall order an election to be held on the next regularly scheduled election date for the purpose of electing a school board for that district.

(3) In either event, the school board elected for a new school district or districts created under this Article shall consist of 7 members who shall have the terms and the powers and duties of school boards as provided by statute.

(d) All notices regarding propositions for reorganization or creation of new school districts under this Article shall be given in accordance with the general election law in substantially the following form:

(1) Notice in high school - unit conversion or unit to dual conversion:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO DISSOLVE CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ESTABLISH CERTAIN NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to dissolve (here identify the school districts to be dissolved by name and number) and to establish new school districts for the following described territory: A new (here specify elementary, high school, or unit) district shall be formed from (here describe the territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). (Here repeat the territory information for each new school district.)

The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in each of the affected districts voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes of the new districts shall be as follows: For the new (here specify elementary, high school, or unit) district formed from the territory of (here describe territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular district), the tax rates for various purposes shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed school district is authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80 of this Code). (Here repeat the tax rate information for each new school district.)

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(2) Notice for combined school district formation:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO ESTABLISH COMBINED SCHOOL DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to establish a combined (here insert elementary, high school, or unit) school district for the following described territory: (here describe the territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in each of the affected school districts voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes of the proposed combined school district shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed combined school district is authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80 of this Code).

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(3) Notice for unit district formation (other than a partial elementary unit district):

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY UNIT DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to establish a unit district for the following described territory: (here describe the territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in each of the affected school districts voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes for the proposed unit district shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed unit district shall be authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80 of this Code).

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(4) Notice for combined high school - unit district formation:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO ESTABLISH COMBINED HIGH SCHOOL - UNIT DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to establish a combined high school - unit district for the following described territory: (here describe the territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). The following described territory shall be included in the combined high school - unit district for high school purposes only: (here describe the territory that will be included only for high school purposes, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in each of the affected school districts voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes for the proposed combined high school - unit district shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed combined high school - unit district shall be authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Sections 11E-80 and 11E-90 of this Code).

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(5) Notice for multi-unit conversion:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO DISSOLVE CERTAIN UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ESTABLISH CERTAIN NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to dissolve (here identify the districts to be dissolved by name and number) and to establish new school districts for the following described territory: A new (here specify elementary or combined high school - unit) district shall be formed from (here describe the territory, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district). (Here repeat the territory information for each new school district.) The following described territory shall be included in the proposed combined high school - unit district only for high school purposes: (here describe the territory that will only be included for high school purposes, which, for territory currently included in an entire school district, may be a general reference to all of the territory included within that particular school district).

The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in each of the affected districts voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes of the new districts shall be as follows: For the new elementary district formed from the territory of (here identify the unit district by name and number) the tax rates for various purposes shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed elementary district is authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Section 11E-80 of this Code). (Here repeat the tax rate and Property Tax Extension Limitation Law information for each new elementary district.) For the new combined high school - unit district, the tax rates for various purposes shall be (here specify the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed combined high school - unit district shall be authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Sections 11E-80 and 11E-90 of this Code).

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(6) Notice for optional elementary unit district formation:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO ESTABLISH AN OPTIONAL ELEMENTARY UNIT DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to establish an optional elementary unit district for the following described territory: (here describe the elementary and high school district territory by name and number). If a majority of the voters in one or more of the affected elementary districts and in the affected high school district voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, all of the territory included within the affected high school district shall be included in the optional elementary unit district for high school purposes. However, only the territory of elementary districts in which a majority of the voters voting in the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof shall be included in the optional elementary unit district for elementary purposes. The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in one or more of the affected elementary districts and in the affected high school district voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes for the proposed optional elementary unit district shall be (here list the maximum tax rates for various purposes the proposed optional elementary unit district is authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Sections 11E-80 and 11E-95 of this Code).

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ..................

(7) Notice for an elementary district to opt into a partial elementary unit district:

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM TO JOIN AN OPTIONAL ELEMENTARY UNIT DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held in part(s) of ....... county (counties) for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to dissolve an elementary district and join an optional elementary unit district for kindergarten through 12 grade-level purposes for all of the territory included within (here identify the elementary district by name and number). The election is called and will be held pursuant to an order of the Regional Superintendent dated on (insert date), which order states that if a majority of the voters in the elementary school district voting on the proposition at the referendum vote in favor thereof, the tax rates for various purposes for the optional elementary unit district shall be (here list the maximum tax rates for various purposes the optional elementary unit district is authorized to levy and, if applicable, the specifications related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, in accordance with Sections 11E-80 and 11E-95 of this Code) and the elementary district, prior to dissolution, shall issue funding bonds pursuant to Sections 19-8 and 19-9 of the School Code to liquidate any operational deficit or debt incurred or accumulated since the date of the election in which the proposition to form the optional elementary unit district passed.

Dated (insert date).

Regional Superintendent of Schools ....................

(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)