Public Act 0893 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0016 Enrolled LRB096 03239 NHT 13256 b

Public Act 096-0893

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3.62, 2-3.105, 3-0.01, 3-1, 3-2.5, 3-12, 3-14.2, 3-15.10, and 3A-6 and by adding Section 4-12 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.62) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.62)

Sec. 2-3.62. Educational Service Centers.

(a) A regional network of educational service centers shall be established by the State Board of Education to coordinate and combine existing services in a manner which is practical and efficient and to provide new services to schools as provided in this Section. Services to be made available by such centers shall include the planning, implementation and evaluation of:

(1) (blank);

(2) computer technology education;

(3) mathematics, science and reading resources for teachers including continuing education, inservice training and staff development.

The centers may provide training, technical assistance, coordination and planning in other program areas such as school improvement, school accountability, financial planning, consultation, and services, career guidance, early childhood education, alcohol/drug education and prevention, family life - sex education, electronic transmission of data from school districts to the State, alternative education and regional special education, and telecommunications systems that provide distance learning. Such telecommunications systems may be obtained through the Department of Central Management Services pursuant to Section 405-270 of the Department of Central Management Services Law (20 ILCS 405/405-270). The programs and services of educational service centers may be offered to private school teachers and private school students within each service center area provided public schools have already been afforded adequate access to such programs and services.

Upon the abolition of the office, removal from office, disqualification for office, resignation from office, or expiration of the current term of office of the regional superintendent of schools, whichever is earlier, centers serving that portion of a Class II county school unit outside of a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants shall have and exercise, in and with respect to each educational service region having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants and in and with respect to each school district located in any such educational service region, all of the rights, powers, duties, and responsibilities theretofore vested by law in and exercised and performed by the regional superintendent of schools for that area under the provisions of this Code or any other laws of this State.

The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this Section. The rules shall include detailed standards which delineate the scope and specific content of programs to be provided by each Educational Service Center, as well as the specific planning, implementation and evaluation services to be provided by each Center relative to its programs. The Board shall also provide the standards by which it will evaluate the programs provided by each Center.

(b) Centers serving Class 1 county school units shall be governed by an 11-member board, 3 members of which shall be public school teachers nominated by the local bargaining representatives to the appropriate regional superintendent for appointment and no more than 3 members of which shall be from each of the following categories, including but not limited to superintendents, regional superintendents, school board members and a representative of an institution of higher education. The members of the board shall be appointed by the regional superintendents whose school districts are served by the educational service center. The composition of the board will reflect the revisions of this amendatory Act of 1989 as the terms of office of current members expire.

(c) The centers shall be of sufficient size and number to assure delivery of services to all local school districts in the State.

(d) From monies appropriated for this program the State Board of Education shall provide grants to qualifying Educational Service Centers applying for such grants in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education to implement this Section.

(e) The governing authority of each of the 18 regional educational service centers shall appoint a family life - sex education advisory board consisting of 2 parents, 2 teachers, 2 school administrators, 2 school board members, 2 health care professionals, one library system representative, and the director of the regional educational service center who shall serve as chairperson of the advisory board so appointed. Members of the family life - sex education advisory boards shall serve without compensation. Each of the advisory boards appointed pursuant to this subsection shall develop a plan for regional teacher-parent family life - sex education training sessions and shall file a written report of such plan with the governing board of their regional educational service center. The directors of each of the regional educational service centers shall thereupon meet, review each of the reports submitted by the advisory boards and combine those reports into a single written report which they shall file with the Citizens Council on School Problems prior to the end of the regular school term of the 1987-1988 school year.

(f) The 14 educational service centers serving Class I county school units shall be disbanded on the first Monday of August, 1995, and their statutory responsibilities and programs shall be assumed by the regional offices of education, subject to rules and regulations developed by the State Board of Education. The regional superintendents of schools elected by the voters residing in all Class I counties shall serve as the chief administrators for these programs and services. By rule of the State Board of Education, the 10 educational service regions of lowest population shall provide such services under cooperative agreements with larger regions.

(Source: P.A. 93-21, eff. 7-1-03; 94-1105, eff. 6-1-07.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.105) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.105)

Sec. 2-3.105. Services to educational service regions and school districts. Commencing July 1, 1994 and thereafter, the State Board of Education through the office of the State Superintendent of Education shall have and exercise, in and with respect to an each educational service region located in a city of 500,000 having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, and in and with respect to each school district located in any such educational service region, all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities theretofore vested in and exercised and performed by the regional superintendent of schools in that educational service region under the provisions of this Act or any other law of this State.

(Source: P.A. 87-654; 87-895; 87-1251.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-0.01) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-0.01)

Sec. 3-0.01. "County superintendent of schools" and "regional superintendent of schools" defined - Application of Article.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b), after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1975, the chief administrative officer of an educational service region shall be designated and referred to as the "regional superintendent of schools" or the "regional superintendent" and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993 the office held by the chief administrative officer shall be designated and referred to as the "regional office of education". For purposes of the School Code and except as otherwise provided by subsection (b), any reference to "county superintendent of schools" or "county superintendent" means the regional superintendent of schools.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article, but subject Subject to subsection (b-1), in educational service regions containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, the office of regional superintendent of schools is abolished on July 1, 1994. Subject to Section 2-3.105 of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, On and after that date in each educational service region in which the office of regional superintendent of schools is so abolished all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities theretofore vested by law in, and exercised and performed by the regional superintendent of schools and by any assistant regional superintendents or other assistants or employees in the office of the regional superintendent of schools being so abolished shall be vested in, exercised and performed by educational service centers established pursuant to Section 2-3.62 of this Code for any educational service region containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the State Board of Education through the office of the State Superintendent of Education. Upon abolition of the office of regional superintendent of schools in an educational service region containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants: (i) all books, records, maps, papers and other documents belonging to or subject to the control or disposition of the former regional superintendent of schools by virtue of his office shall be transferred and delivered to the State Board of Education; (ii) possession or control over all moneys, deposits and accounts in the possession or subject to the control or disposition of the former regional superintendent of schools by virtue of his office, including but not limited to undistributed or unexpended moneys drawn from, and all amounts on deposit in, the county, institute and supervisory expense funds, shall be transferred to and placed under the control and disposition of the State Board of Education, excepting only those moneys or accounts, if any, the source of which is the county treasury, for proper redistribution to the educational service centers; and (iii) all other equipment, furnishings, supplies and other personal property belonging to or subject to the control or disposition of the former regional superintendent of schools by virtue of his office, excepting only those items which were provided by the county board, shall be transferred and delivered to the State Board of Education. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly From and after July 1, 1994, any reference in this the School Code or any other law of this State to "regional superintendent of schools" or "regional superintendent", or "county superintendent of schools" or "county superintendent" shall mean, with respect to any educational service region containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants in which the office of regional superintendent of schools is abolished, the educational service centers established pursuant to Section 2-3.62 of this Code for the educational service region State Board of Education serving through the office of the State Superintendent of Education as the chief administrative entity of an educational service region. Upon and after the first Monday of August 1995, references in this Code and elsewhere to educational service regions of 2,000,000 or fewer inhabitants shall exclude any educational service region containing a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants and references in this Code and elsewhere to educational service regions of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants shall mean an educational service region containing a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants regardless of the actual population of the region.

(b-1) References to "regional superintendent" shall also include the educational service centers established under Section 2-3.62 of this Code and regional superintendent of schools in regions serving that portion of a Class II county outside a city of 500,000 or more population elected at the general election in 1994 and every 4 years thereafter.

(c) This Article applies to the regional superintendent of a multicounty educational service region formed under Article 3A as well as to a single county or partial county region, except that in case of conflict between the provisions of this Article and of Article 3A in the case of a multicounty region, the provisions of Article 3A shall apply. Any reference to "county" or to "educational service region" in this Article means a regional office of education.

(Source: P.A. 87-654; 87-895; 87-1251; 88-89.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-1)

Sec. 3-1. Election; eligibility. Quadrennially there shall be elected in every county, except those which have been consolidated into a multicounty educational service region under Article 3A and except those having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, and beginning in 1994 in that portion of a Class II county outside a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants and constituting an educational service region, a regional superintendent of schools, who shall enter upon the discharge of his duties on the first Monday of August next after his election; provided, however, that the term of office of each regional superintendent of schools in office on June 30, 2003 is terminated on July 1, 2003, except that an incumbent regional superintendent of schools shall continue to serve until his successor is elected and qualified, and each regional superintendent of schools elected at the general election in 2002 and every four years thereafter shall assume office on the first day of July next after his election. No one is eligible to file his petition at any primary election for the nomination as candidate for the office of regional superintendent of schools nor to enter upon the duties of such office either by election or appointment unless he possesses the following qualifications: (1) he is of good character, (2) he has a master's degree, (3) he has earned at least 20 semester hours of credit in professional education at the graduate level, (4) he holds a valid all grade supervisory certificate or a valid state limited supervisory certificate, or a valid state life supervisory certificate, or a valid administrative certificate, (5) he has had at least 4 years experience in teaching, and (6) he was engaged for at least 2 years of the 4 previous years in full time teaching or supervising in the common public schools or serving as a county superintendent of schools or regional superintendent of schools for an educational service region in the State of Illinois.

No petition of any candidate for nomination for the office of regional superintendent of schools may be filed and no such candidate's name may be placed on a primary or general election ballot, unless such candidate files as part of his petition a certificate from the State Board of Education certifying that from the records of its office such candidate has the qualifications required by this Section; however, any incumbent filing his petition for nomination for a succeeding term of office shall not be required to attach such certificate to his petition of candidacy.

Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid unless the candidate named therein files with the county clerk or State Board of Elections a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such receipt shall be so filed either previously during the calendar year in which his nomination papers were filed or within the period for the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general election law.

The changes in qualifications made by Public Act 76-1563 do not affect the right of an incumbent to seek reelection.

On and after July 1, 1994, the provisions of this Section shall have no application in any educational service region having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants; provided further that no election shall be held in November of 1994 or at any other time after July 1, 1992 for the office of regional superintendent of schools in any county or educational service region having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants.

(Source: P.A. 89-383, eff. 8-18-95; 90-280, eff. 7-31-97.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-2.5)

Sec. 3-2.5. Salaries.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the regional superintendents of schools shall receive for their services an annual salary according to the population, as determined by the last preceding federal census, of the region they serve, as set out in the following schedule:

The changes made by Public Act 86-98 in the annual salary that the regional superintendents of schools shall receive for their services shall apply to the annual salary received by the regional superintendents of schools during each of their elected terms of office that commence after July 26, 1989 and before the first Monday of August, 1995.

The changes made by Public Act 89-225 in the annual salary that regional superintendents of schools shall receive for their services shall apply to the annual salary received by the regional superintendents of schools during their elected terms of office that commence after August 4, 1995 and end on August 1, 1999.

The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly in the annual salary that the regional superintendents of schools shall receive for their services shall apply to the annual salary received by the regional superintendents of schools during each of their elected terms of office that commence on or after August 2, 1999.

Beginning July 1, 2000, the salary that the regional superintendent of schools receives for his or her services shall be adjusted annually to reflect the percentage increase, if any, in the most recent Consumer Price Index, as defined and officially reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, except that no annual increment may exceed 2.9%. If the percentage of change in the Consumer Price Index is a percentage decrease, the salary that the regional superintendent of schools receives shall not be adjusted for that year.

When regional superintendents are authorized by the School Code to appoint assistant regional superintendents, the assistant regional superintendent shall receive an annual salary based on his or her qualifications and computed as a percentage of the salary of the regional superintendent to whom he or she is assistant, as set out in the following schedule:

However, in any region in which the appointment of more than one assistant regional superintendent is authorized, whether by Section 3-15.10 of this Code or otherwise, not more than one assistant may be compensated at the 90% rate and any other assistant shall be paid at not exceeding the 75% rate, in each case depending on the qualifications of the assistant.

The salaries provided in this Section for regional superintendents and assistant regional superintendents are payable monthly from the Common School Fund. The State Comptroller in making his or her warrant to any county for the amount due it from the Common School Fund shall deduct from it the several amounts for which warrants have been issued to the regional superintendent, and any assistant regional superintendent, of the educational service region encompassing the county since the preceding apportionment of the Common School Fund.

County boards may provide for additional compensation for the regional superintendent or the assistant regional superintendents, or for each of them, to be paid quarterly from the county treasury.

(b) Upon abolition on July 1, 1994, of the office of regional superintendent of schools in educational service regions containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants as provided in Section 3-0.01 of this Code, the funds provided under provisions of subsection (a) of this Section shall continue to be appropriated and reallocated, as provided for pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 3-0.01 of this Code, to the educational service centers established pursuant to Section 2-3.62 of this Code for an educational service region containing 2,000,000 or more inhabitants shall no longer apply in any educational service region in which the office of regional superintendent of schools is so abolished, and no salary or other compensation shall be payable under that subsection (a) or under any other provision of this Section with respect to the office so abolished or with respect to any assistant position to the office so abolished.

(c) If the State pays all or any portion of the employee contributions required under Section 16-152 of the Illinois Pension Code for employees of the State Board of Education, it shall also pay the employee contributions required of regional superintendents of schools and assistant regional superintendents of schools on the same basis, but excluding any contributions based on compensation that is paid by the county rather than the State.

This subsection (c) applies to contributions based on payments of salary earned after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, except that in the case of an elected regional superintendent of schools, this subsection does not apply to contributions based on payments of salary earned during a term of office that commenced before the effective date of this amendatory Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-276, eff. 7-23-99.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-12) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-12)

Sec. 3-12. Institute fund.

(a) All certificate registration fees and a portion of renewal and duplicate fees shall be kept by the regional superintendent as described in Section 21-16 of this Code, together with a record of the names of the persons paying them. Such fees shall be deposited into the institute fund and shall be used by the regional superintendent to defray expenses associated with the work of the regional professional development review committees established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of Section 21-14 of this Code to advise the regional superintendent, upon his or her request, and to hear appeals relating to the renewal of teaching certificates, in accordance with Section 21-14 of this Code; to defray expenses connected with improving the technology necessary for the efficient processing of certificates; to defray all costs associated with the administration of teaching certificates; to defray expenses incidental to teachers' institutes, workshops or meetings of a professional nature that are designed to promote the professional growth of teachers or for the purpose of defraying the expense of any general or special meeting of teachers or school personnel of the region, which has been approved by the regional superintendent.

(b) In addition to the use of moneys in the institute fund to defray expenses under subsection (a) of this Section, the State Superintendent of Education, as authorized under Section 2-3.105 of this Code, shall use moneys in the institute fund to defray all costs associated with the administration of teaching certificates within a city having a population exceeding 500,000.

(c) The regional superintendent shall on or before January 1 of each year publish in a newspaper of general circulation published in the region or shall post in each school building under his jurisdiction an accounting of (1) the balance on hand in the Institute fund at the beginning of the previous year; (2) all receipts within the previous year deposited in the fund, with the sources from which they were derived; (3) the amount distributed from the fund and the purposes for which such distributions were made; and (4) the balance on hand in the fund.

(Source: P.A. 94-839, eff. 6-6-06.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-14.2) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-14.2)

Sec. 3-14.2. Supervision and control of school districts. Except in regions established within that portion of a Class II county school unit outside of a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants, the The county superintendent of schools shall exercise supervision and control over all school districts within the county. If a district is divided by a county line or lines the county superintendent in the county where the majority of the children attend school at the time the district is organized shall exercise supervision and control over all aspects of supervision, reports, and financial accounting of the district until it has been determined by the State Superintendent of Education that 60 per cent of the children attend school in another county or that a majority of the children have attended a school in another county for three consecutive years and the school board has adopted a resolution requesting the supervision and control be transferred to the county superintendent in the county in which the majority of children attend school. The county superintendent under whose direction a school district has been established shall retain supervision and control until July 1 following the date of the election establishing the district. Whenever a change in supervision and control shall result from a change in school district boundaries, population shifts, or other cause, such change in supervision and control shall not be effective until July 1 following the date of its determination. All references to the county superintendent of schools, in relation to school districts, in this Act shall be interpreted to mean the county superintendent of schools having supervision and control of the district or districts as defined in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 81-1146.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-15.10) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.10)

Sec. 3-15.10. Assistant Regional Superintendent. To employ, in counties or regions of 2,000,000 inhabitants or less, in addition to any assistants authorized to be employed with the approval of the county board, an assistant regional superintendent of schools who shall be a person of good attainment, versed in the principles and methods of education, and qualified to teach and supervise schools under Article 21 of this Act; to fix the term of such assistant and direct his work and define his duties. On the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, in In regions established within that portion of a Class II county school unit outside of a city of 500,000 or more inhabitants, the employment of all persons serving as assistant county or regional superintendents of schools is terminated, the position of assistant regional superintendent of schools in each such region is abolished, and this Section shall, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, have no further application in the educational service region the regional superintendent may employ, in addition to any assistants authorized to be employed with the approval of the county board, 3 assistant regional superintendents of schools. Until July 1, 1994, in counties or regions having a population of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants the regional superintendent may employ, in addition to any assistants authorized to be employed with the approval of the county board, 11 assistant regional superintendents of schools. Assistant regional superintendents shall each be a person of good attainment, versed in the principles and methods of education, and qualified to teach and supervise schools under Article 21 of this Act. The work of such assistant regional superintendent shall be so arranged and directed that the county or regional superintendent and assistant superintendent, together, shall devote an amount of time during the school year, equal to at least the full time of one individual, to the supervision of schools and of teaching in the schools of the county.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Section, any person who, on July 1, 1955, was employed as an assistant county superintendent of schools shall be qualified for that position if he holds a state certificate valid for teaching and supervising.

On July 1, 1994, the employment of all persons serving as assistant county or regional superintendents in any county or educational service region having a population of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants is terminated, the office of assistant county or regional superintendent in each such county or educational service region is abolished, and this Section shall, from and after July 1, 1994, have no further application in any such county or educational service region.

A regional superintendent of schools shall not employ his or her spouse, child, stepchild, or relative as an assistant regional superintendent of schools. By September 1 each year, a regional superintendent shall certify to the State Board of Education that he or she has complied with this paragraph. If the State Board of Education becomes aware of the fact that a regional superintendent is employing his or her spouse, child, stepchild, or relative as an assistant regional superintendent, the State Board of Education shall not request for payment from the State Comptroller any warrants for the payment of the assistant regional superintendent's salary. In this paragraph, "relative" means a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, sibling, first cousin, nephew, niece, grandchild, or spouse of one of these persons. This paragraph applies only to contracts for employment entered into on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 91-764, eff. 6-9-00.)

(105 ILCS 5/3A-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 3A-6)

Sec. 3A-6. Election of Superintendent for consolidated region - Bond - Vacancies in any educational service region.

(a) The regional superintendent to be elected under Section 3A-5 shall be elected at the time provided in the general election law and must possess the qualifications described in Section 3-1 of this Act.

(b) The bond required under Section 3-2 shall be filed in the office of the county clerk in the county where the regional office is situated, and a certified copy of that bond shall be filed in the office of the county clerk in each of the other counties in the region.

(c) When a vacancy occurs in the office of regional superintendent of schools of any educational service region which is not located in a county which is a home rule unit, such vacancy shall be filled within 60 days (i) by appointment of the chairman of the county board, with the advice and consent of the county board, when such vacancy occurs in a single county educational service region; or (ii) by appointment of a committee composed of the chairmen of the county boards of those counties comprising the affected educational service region when such vacancy occurs in a multicounty educational service region, each committeeman to be entitled to one vote for each vote that was received in the county represented by such committeeman on the committee by the regional superintendent of schools whose office is vacant at the last election at which a regional superintendent was elected to such office, and the person receiving the highest number of affirmative votes from the committeemen for such vacant office to be deemed the person appointed by such committee to fill the vacancy. The appointee shall be a member of the same political party as the regional superintendent of schools the appointee succeeds was at the time such regional superintendent of schools last was elected. The appointee shall serve for the remainder of the term. However, if more than 28 months remain in that term, the appointment shall be until the next general election, at which time the vacated office shall be filled by election for the remainder of the term. Nominations shall be made and any vacancy in nomination shall be filled as follows:

(1) If the vacancy in office occurs before the first date provided in Section 7-12 of the Election Code for filing nomination papers for county offices for the primary in the next even-numbered year following commencement of the term of office in which the vacancy occurs, nominations for the election for filling the vacancy shall be made pursuant to Article 7 of the Election Code.

(2) If the vacancy in office occurs during the time provided in Section 7-12 of the Election Code for filing nomination papers for county offices for the primary in the next even-numbered year following commencement of the term of office in which the vacancy occurs, the time for filing nomination papers for the primary shall not be more than 91 days nor less than 85 days prior to the date of the primary.

(3) If the vacancy in office occurs after the last day provided in Section 7-12 of the Election Code for filing nomination papers for county offices for the primary in the next even-numbered year following commencement of the term of office in which the vacancy occurs, a vacancy in nomination shall be deemed to have occurred and the county central committee of each established political party (if the vacancy occurs in a single county educational service region) or the multi-county educational service region committee of each established political party (if the vacancy occurs in a multi-county educational service region) shall nominate, by resolution, a candidate to fill the vacancy in nomination for election to the office at the general election. In the nomination proceedings to fill the vacancy in nomination, each member of the county central committee or the multi-county educational service region committee, whichever applies, shall have the voting strength as set forth in Section 7-8 or 7-8.02 of the Election Code, respectively. The name of the candidate so nominated shall not appear on the ballot at the general primary election. The vacancy in nomination shall be filled prior to the date of certification of candidates for the general election.

(4) The resolution to fill the vacancy shall be duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to take acknowledgments of deeds and shall include, upon its face, the following information: (A) the name of the original nominee and the office vacated; (B) the date on which the vacancy occurred; and (C) the name and address of the nominee selected to fill the vacancy and the date of selection. The resolution to fill the vacancy shall be accompanied by a statement of candidacy, as prescribed in Section 7-10 of the Election Code, completed by the selected nominee, a certificate from the State Board of Education, as prescribed in Section 3-1 of this Code, and a receipt indicating that the nominee has filed a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act.

The provisions of Sections 10-8 through 10-10.1 of the Election Code relating to objections to nomination papers, hearings on objections, and judicial review shall also apply to and govern objections to nomination papers and resolutions for filling vacancies in nomination filed pursuant to this Section. Unless otherwise specified in this Section, the nomination and election provided for in this Section is governed by the general election law.

Except as otherwise provided by applicable county ordinance or by law, if a vacancy occurs in the office of regional superintendent of schools of an educational service region that is located in a county that is a home rule unit and that has a population of less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, that vacancy shall be filled by the county board of such home rule county.

Until July 1, 2003 or until the regional superintendent of schools elected in 2002 takes office, whichever occurs first, if a vacancy exists in the office of regional superintendent of schools of an educational service region that is located in a county that is a home rule unit and that has a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, then that vacancy shall be filled by the first assistant superintendent/deputy superintendent until the end of the term to which the regional superintendent was elected.

Any person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of regional superintendent of schools of any educational service region must possess the qualifications required to be elected to the position of regional superintendent of schools, and shall obtain a certificate of eligibility from the State Superintendent of Education and file same with the county clerk of the county in which the regional superintendent's office is located.

If the regional superintendent of schools is called into the active military service of the United States, his office shall not be deemed to be vacant, but a temporary appointment shall be made as in the case of a vacancy. The appointee shall perform all the duties of the regional superintendent of schools during the time the regional superintendent of schools is in the active military service of the United States, and shall be paid the same compensation apportioned as to the time of service, and such appointment and all authority thereunder shall cease upon the discharge of the regional superintendent of schools from such active military service. The appointee shall give the same bond as is required of a regularly elected regional superintendent of schools.

(Source: P.A. 92-277, eff. 8-7-01; 92-869, eff. 1-3-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/4-12 new)

Sec. 4-12. Educational service center support. Notwithstanding Sections 4-2, 4-4, 4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9, and 4-10 of this Code, a county having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants may provide financial or in-kind support to the educational service centers serving that county.

(105 ILCS 5/3A-17 rep.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by repealing Section 3A-17.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2010.