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| [ Introduced ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
92_SB0078eng SB78 Engrossed LRB9203389NTsb 1 AN ACT concerning education. 2 WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes the growing role 3 of charter schools in the educational infrastructure of this 4 State; and 5 WHEREAS, It is the intent of the General Assembly to 6 increase the maximum number of charter schools permitted 7 within this State based on current usage and need as of the 8 date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly; and 9 WHEREAS, In so doing, the General Assembly is recognizing 10 current needs as of the date of this amendatory Act of the 11 92nd General Assembly and makes no determination regarding 12 those regions of the State that have not yet reached the 13 maximum number of charter schools allowed under State law; 14 and 15 WHEREAS, The General Assembly will address the allocation 16 of charter schools for the remaining regions of this State 17 when those regions reach or approach the maximum allocation 18 of charter schools under State law; therefore 19 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 20 represented in the General Assembly: 21 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing 22 Section 27A-4 as follows: 23 (105 ILCS 5/27A-4) 24 Sec. 27A-4. General Provisions. 25 (a) The General Assembly does not intend to alter or 26 amend the provisions of any court-ordered desegregation plan 27 in effect for any school district. A charter school shall be 28 subject to all federal and State laws and constitutional 29 provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of SB78 Engrossed -2- LRB9203389NTsb 1 disability, race, creed, color, gender, national origin, 2 religion, ancestry, marital status, or need for special 3 education services. 4 (b) The total number of charter schools operating under 5 this Article at any one time shall not exceed 6045. Not 6 more than 3015charter schools shall operate at any one time 7 in any city having a population exceeding 500,000; not more 8 than 15 charter schools shall operate at any one time in the 9 counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, and that 10 portion of Cook County that is located outside a city having 11 a population exceeding 500,000, with not more than one 12 charter school that has been initiated by a board of 13 education, or by an intergovernmental agreement between or 14 among boards of education, operating at any one time in the 15 school district where the charter school is located; and not 16 more than 15 charter schools shall operate at any one time in 17 the remainder of the State, with not more than one charter 18 school that has been initiated by a board of education, or by 19 an intergovernmental agreement between or among boards of 20 education, operating at any one time in the school district 21 where the charter school is located. 22 For purposes of implementing this Section, the State 23 Board shall assign a number to each charter submission it 24 receives under Section 27A-6 for its review and 25 certification, based on the chronological order in which the 26 submission is received by it. The State Board shall promptly 27 notify local school boards when the maximum numbers of 28 certified charter schools authorized to operate have been 29 reached. 30 (c) No charter shall be granted under this Article that 31 would convert any existing private, parochial, or non-public 32 school to a charter school. 33 (d) Enrollment in a charter school shall be open to any 34 pupil who resides within the geographic boundaries of the SB78 Engrossed -3- LRB9203389NTsb 1 area served by the local school board. 2 (e) Nothing in this Article shall prevent 2 or more 3 local school boards from jointly issuing a charter to a 4 single shared charter school, provided that all of the 5 provisions of this Article are met as to those local school 6 boards. 7 (f) No local school board shall require any employee of 8 the school district to be employed in a charter school. 9 (g) No local school board shall require any pupil 10 residing within the geographic boundary of its district to 11 enroll in a charter school. 12 (h) If there are more eligible applicants for enrollment 13 in a charter school than there are spaces available, 14 successful applicants shall be selected by lottery. However, 15 priority shall be given to siblings of pupils enrolled in the 16 charter school and to pupils who were enrolled in the charter 17 school the previous school year, unless expelled for cause. 18 A charter school that leases or purchases a building that was 19 used as a school during the immediately prior school year may 20 give priority to pupils who were enrolled in the school the 21 prior year. Dual enrollment at both a charter school and a 22 public school or non-public school shall not be allowed. A 23 pupil who is suspended or expelled from a charter school 24 shall be deemed to be suspended or expelled from the public 25 schools of the school district in which the pupil resides. 26 (i) (Blank). 27 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 91-405, eff. 8-3-99; 28 91-407, eff. 8-3-99; revised 8-27-99.) 29 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 30 becoming law.