(105 ILCS 5/3A-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 3A-13)

Sec. 3A-13. Petition for Consolidation. If a majority of those voting in the disconnection election favor disconnection and requesting consolidation with another educational service region, the regional superintendent shall notify, within 30 days of the declaration of official results, the regional board of school trustees for the educational service region approved by the voters in the election of the official results. When the official results are received, the regional board of school trustees shall conduct a hearing on the petition, after notice of hearing has been published once, not more than 15 nor less than 10 days before the day of the hearing, in one or more newspapers having general circulation in the region and in one or more newspapers having general circulation in the county which is petitioning for the consolidation. The secretary of the regional board of school trustees shall notify the secretary of each school board affected by the proposed consolidation, the chairman of the county board of each county affected thereby and the State Superintendent of Education that the petition has been filed. The notice shall state the prayer of the petition and the date, time and place of the hearing. The State Board of Education shall pay the expenses of the hearing. Evidence admissible at the hearing shall include, but not be limited to, the school needs and conditions in the territory affected by the proposed consolidation, whether or not the area is compact and contiguous; and whether or not the proposed consolidation would be in the best interests of the schools in the area and the educational welfare of the pupils of these schools. A record of the proceedings shall be kept and a competent reporter shall be employed to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all testimony. At the hearing each resident of the region or of the county petitioning for consolidation shall have the rights provided for residents under Section 7-6 and the final order of the regional board of school trustees shall be subject to review as provided in Sections 7-6 and 7-7.

Within 10 days of the hearing the regional board of school trustees shall meet and render a decision with regard to the hearing on the petition. A copy of the final decision of the regional board of school trustees shall be filed with the State Board of Education within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing. If the regional board of school trustees renders a decision approving the consolidation, the region and the county shall be consolidated into a single educational service region and the State Board of Education shall notify all interested parties, including the county clerks of the counties affected thereby and the Secretary of State. The effective date of the consolidation shall be immediately after the time for appeal of the order of consolidation has passed or after the final disposition of any appeal taken from a consolidation order.

If the regional board of school trustees renders a decision denying the consolidation, a majority of the school boards located within the county disconnected, upon the adoption of appropriate resolutions, may petition another educational service region for consolidation. The proceedings on this petition shall be consistent with this Section.

(Source: P.A. 86-1028.)