SB3418 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 18809 AXK 34049 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB3418

Introduced 2/16/2018, by Sen. Sue Rezin

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-21.4

from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.4

Amends the School Code. Provide that a school board may, by resolution, enter into a joint agreement with other school boards to share the services of a superintendent or other administrators. Provides that the question of whether a school board shall enter into a joint agreement with other school boards for shared services of a superintendent or other administrators shall be submitted to the voters of each affected school district at the next consolidated election only upon submission of a petition signed by no less than 10% of the registered voters in each affected school district. Provides that a school district wishing to withdraw from a joint agreement may obtain from its school board a written resolution approving the withdrawal and shall present the petition for withdrawal to the other member school districts within the timelines designated by the joint agreement. Specifies procedures if a school district's petition for withdrawal is not approved and the school district is part of a Class II county school unit outside of a city with 500,000 or more inhabitants.

A BILL FOR

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 Section 10-21.4 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-21.4) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.4)

Sec. 10-21.4. Superintendent - Duties.

(a) Except in districts in which there is only one school with fewer than 4 teachers, to employ a superintendent or share the services of a superintendent as otherwise provided in this Section, who shall have charge of the administration of the schools under the direction of the board of education. However, in any school district that has boundaries that lie in 3 counties, one county of which has a population exceeding 1,000,000 inhabitants, that has an enrollment of more than 35,000 students, and that has on staff properly licensed assistant superintendents or directors in the areas of instruction, finance, special education, assessments, and career and technology education, the school board may instead, by a vote of a majority of its full membership, appoint a chief executive officer to serve as its superintendent, who shall be a person of recognized administrative ability and management experience, hold a master's degree, have been employed with the school district for a minimum of 5 years in an administrative capacity, be responsible for the management of the district, and have all other powers and duties of a superintendent as set forth in this Code, but who shall be exempt from the provisions and requirements of Section 21B-15 of this Code for a period of 5 years.

(b) A school board may, by resolution, enter into a joint agreement with other school boards to share the services of a superintendent or other administrators. Each school board involved in the joint agreement must agree by resolution to the joint agreement. The agreement must include the amount that each school board shall contribute to the salary of the superintendent or administrator. The superintendent or other administrators may be employed by one school board, which shall be reimbursed on a mutually agreed to basis with other school boards that are parties to the joint agreement. The agreement may be amended at any time as provided in the joint agreement or, if the joint agreement does not so provide, the agreement may be amended at any time upon the adoption of concurring resolutions by the school boards of all member school districts. A fully executed copy of the joint agreement shall be filed with the State Board of Education.

(c) The question of whether a school board shall enter into a joint agreement under subsection (b) of this Section with other school boards for shared services of a superintendent or other administrators shall be submitted to the voters of each affected school district at the next consolidated election only upon submission of a petition signed by no less than 10% of the registered voters in each affected school district. The petition shall be filed with the applicable election authority, as defined in Section 1-3 of the Election Code or, in the case of multiple election authorities, with the State Board of Elections no more than 10 months and no less than 6 months prior to the election at which the question is to be submitted to the voters, and its validity shall be determined as provided by Article 28 of the Election Code. The election authority or Board, as applicable, shall certify the question and the proper election authority or authorities shall submit the question to the voters. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, this referendum shall be subject to all other general election law requirements. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall the (school district) enter into a joint agreement with (other school district) to share the services of a (superintendent or other administrator)?

Votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

If a majority of all votes in all affected school districts cast on the proposition are in favor of the proposition, the school boards shall enter into a joint agreement.

(d) A school district wishing to withdraw from a joint agreement under this Section may obtain from its school board a written resolution approving the withdrawal. The withdrawing school district must present a written petition for withdrawal from the joint agreement to the other member school districts within the timelines designated by the joint agreement. Upon approval of the resolution by all of the remaining member school districts, the petitioning member school district shall be withdrawn from the joint agreement effective the following July 1 and shall provide the State Board of Education written notification of the approved withdrawal. If the petition for withdrawal is not approved and the petitioning school district is a part of a Class II county school unit outside of a city with 500,000 or more inhabitants, the petitioning school district may appeal the disapproval decision to the regional board of school trustees of the township that has jurisdiction and authority over the withdrawing school district. If a withdrawing school district is not under the jurisdiction and authority of the regional board of school trustees of a township, a hearing panel shall be established by the chief administrative officer of the intermediate service center having jurisdiction over the withdrawing school district. The hearing panel shall be made up of 3 members who have a demonstrated interest and background in education. Hearing panel members shall not reside within the withdrawing school district and may not be a current school board member or employee of the withdrawing school district or hold any county office. None of the hearing panel members may reside within the same school district. The hearing panel shall serve without remuneration; however, the necessary expenses, including travel, attendant upon any meeting or hearing in relation to these proceedings must be paid. If the regional board of school trustees of the township having jurisdiction and authority over the withdrawing school district or the hearing panel established by the chief administrative officer of the intermediate service center having jurisdiction over the withdrawing school district approves the petition for withdrawal, then the petitioning school district shall be withdrawn from the joint agreement effective the following July 1 and shall notify the State Board of Education of the approved withdrawal in writing.

(e) In addition to the administrative duties, the superintendent shall make recommendations to the board concerning the budget, building plans, the locations of sites, the selection, retention and dismissal of teachers and all other employees, the selection of textbooks, instructional material and courses of study. However, in districts under a Financial Oversight Panel pursuant to Section 1A-8 for violating a financial plan, the duties and responsibilities of the superintendent in relation to the financial and business operations of the district shall be approved by the Panel. In the event the Board refuses or fails to follow a directive or comply with an information request of the Panel, the performance of those duties shall be subject to the direction of the Panel. The superintendent shall also notify the State Board of Education, the board and the chief administrative official, other than the alleged perpetrator himself, in the school where the alleged perpetrator serves, that any person who is employed in a school or otherwise comes into frequent contact with children in the school has been named as a perpetrator in an indicated report filed pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, approved June 26, 1975, as amended. The superintendent shall keep or cause to be kept the records and accounts as directed and required by the board, aid in making reports required by the board, and perform such other duties as the board may delegate to him.

In addition, each year at a time designated by the State Superintendent of Education, each superintendent shall report to the State Board of Education the number of high school students in the district who are enrolled in accredited courses (for which high school credit will be awarded upon successful completion of the courses) at any community college, together with the name and number of the course or courses which each such student is taking.

(f) The provisions of this Section shall also apply to board of director districts.

(g) Notice of intent not to renew a contract must be given in writing stating the specific reason therefor by April 1 of the contract year unless the contract specifically provides otherwise. Failure to do so will automatically extend the contract for an additional year. Within 10 days after receipt of notice of intent not to renew a contract, the superintendent may request a closed session hearing on the dismissal. At the hearing the superintendent has the privilege of presenting evidence, witnesses and defenses on the grounds for dismissal. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to a district under a Financial Oversight Panel pursuant to Section 1A-8 for violating a financial plan.

(Source: P.A. 99-846, eff. 6-1-17.)