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| Public Act 102-0777 | ||||
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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 adding Section | ||||
34-222 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/34-222 new) | ||||
Sec. 34-222. School attendance boundaries. | ||||
(a) At least once every 5 years, the Department of School | ||||
Demographics and Planning ("DSP") shall evaluate the | ||||
enrollment at existing schools in the school district to | ||||
determine if there is a need to revise existing boundaries. | ||||
(1) In reviewing the enrollment at existing schools to | ||||
determine if there is a need to revise existing | ||||
boundaries, DSP shall consider a range of factors, | ||||
including the following: | ||||
(A) capacities of the school being reviewed and | ||||
schools with contiguous boundaries to the school being | ||||
reviewed; | ||||
(B) current and projected racial and ethnic | ||||
composition of the school being reviewed and any | ||||
schools with contiguous boundaries to the school being | ||||
reviewed; | ||||
(C) current and projected income level composition | ||||
of the school being reviewed and any schools with | ||
contiguous boundaries to the school being reviewed; | ||
(D) geographic barriers; | ||
(E) travel time and distance to the school; and | ||
(F) program considerations of the school being | ||
reviewed and any schools with contiguous boundaries to | ||
the school being reviewed. | ||
(2) DSP shall submit a written report of its findings, | ||
conclusions, and recommendations to the chief executive | ||
officer and the Board. The report shall document the | ||
evaluation of the factors of the school being reviewed. | ||
The report shall be made public on the district's website | ||
within 30 days after its completion. | ||
(b) If it is determined that there is a need to revise any | ||
existing boundaries, DSP shall develop and recommend any | ||
proposed changes to the chief executive officer prior to the | ||
beginning of the school year in which the changes are to take | ||
effect. In addition, DSP shall develop and recommend proposed | ||
boundaries for new schools to the chief executive officer | ||
prior to the beginning of the school year in which the new | ||
school boundaries are to take effect. | ||
(1) In developing proposed changes to boundaries for | ||
existing schools and proposing attendance boundaries for | ||
new schools, DSP shall consider a range of factors, | ||
including the following: | ||
(A) DSP shall consider the capacities of each of | ||
the schools involved in the proposed boundary | ||
revisions, including the extent
to which a school is | ||
overcrowded or underutilized. Where feasible, the goal | ||
is for elementary schools to
be utilized at not more | ||
than 80% of design capacity and for high schools at not | ||
more than 100% of program capacity. Schools shall be | ||
considered severely overcrowded if they are
operating | ||
in excess of 100% utilization and significantly | ||
underutilized if they are operating at less than 30% | ||
utilization. DSP shall consider these utilization | ||
rates when proposing revisions to attendance | ||
boundaries for
existing schools and when proposing | ||
attendance boundaries for new schools. | ||
(B) DSP shall consider the current and projected | ||
racial and ethnic composition of the schools affected. | ||
Where feasible, DSP shall propose establishing or | ||
revising attendance boundaries to maintain or promote
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stably desegregated enrollments in each of the | ||
affected schools and to avoid the creation of one-race
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schools. | ||
(C) DSP shall consider geographic barriers so as | ||
to promote safety and minimize transportation burdens, | ||
to the extent feasible. | ||
(D) DSP shall consider travel time and distance | ||
and, to the extent feasible, seek to minimize travel | ||
time and distance. | ||
(E) DSP shall consider the placement of programs | ||
in each of the schools
involved, such as programs for | ||
English learners and for special education students. | ||
In addition, DSP shall consider the impact of magnet | ||
schools and programs and the requirements of the | ||
federal Every Student Succeeds Act and the Illinois | ||
Balanced Accountability Measures. | ||
(2) For each proposed attendance boundary, DSP shall | ||
develop at least 2 alternatives. For each alternative, DSP | ||
shall prepare a report showing 3-year enrollment | ||
projections by racial and ethnic groups for all schools | ||
affected by the proposed change pursuant to each | ||
alternative. The report shall document for each | ||
alternative the impact on the affected schools for the | ||
factors of capacity, geographic barriers, travel time and | ||
distance, and program considerations. In developing | ||
alternatives, DSP shall consider whether any feasible | ||
alternatives would better maintain or promote stably | ||
desegregated enrollments in each of the affected schools | ||
or better avoid the creation of one-race schools. The | ||
report shall be made public on the district's website | ||
within 30 days after its completion. | ||
(c) The chief executive officer shall review the report | ||
from DSP and may suggest additional alternatives. The chief | ||
executive officer shall report to the Board if he or she | ||
recommends any changes to existing boundaries or establishing | ||
boundaries for new schools. If the chief executive officer is | ||
recommending any changes to existing boundaries or | ||
establishing any boundaries for new schools, the chief | ||
executive officer shall provide the Board with a report of the | ||
alternatives considered, including data on the factors of | ||
capacity, current and projected racial and ethnic | ||
considerations, geographic barriers, travel time and distance, | ||
and program considerations. The chief executive officer shall | ||
inform the Board of the alternative that is being recommended. | ||
The report shall be made public on the district's website | ||
within 30 days after its completion. | ||
(d) Prior to taking action on the establishment or | ||
revision of any attendance boundaries, the Board shall conduct | ||
public hearings on the proposed establishment or revision of | ||
attendance boundaries and the chief executive officer's | ||
recommendation. Prior to the public hearing, the Board shall | ||
make available reports and data on the factors of capacity, | ||
current and projected racial and ethnic considerations, | ||
geographic barriers, travel time and distance, and program | ||
considerations. In making its decision, the Board shall | ||
consider the factors of capacity, current and projected racial | ||
and ethnic considerations,
geographic barriers, travel time | ||
and distance, and program considerations.
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