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Illinois Compiled Statutes

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Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

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SCHOOLS
(105 ILCS 5/) School Code.

105 ILCS 5/27A-5

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-5)
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-154)
    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3), in all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3).
    (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with their teachers at remote locations and with students participating at different times.
    From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This moratorium does not apply to a charter school with virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter school with virtual-schooling components already approved prior to April 1, 2013.
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. On or before September 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code; and
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. However, a charter school that is established on or after April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and concludes at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or Commission, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3), in all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3).
    (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with their teachers at remote locations and with students participating at different times.
    From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This moratorium does not apply to a charter school with virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter school with virtual-schooling components already approved prior to April 1, 2013.
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. On or before September 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (24) Article 26A of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code; and
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. However, a charter school that is established on or after April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and concludes at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or Commission, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-175)
    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. In all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. This limitation does not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003.
    (b-5) (Blank).
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. A charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. The State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code; and
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is authorized by the State Board, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. In all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. This limitation does not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003.
    (b-5) (Blank).
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. A charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. The State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (24) Article 26A of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code; and
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is authorized by the State Board, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-472)
    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3), in all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3).
    (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with their teachers at remote locations and with students participating at different times.
    From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This moratorium does not apply to a charter school with virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter school with virtual-schooling components already approved prior to April 1, 2013.
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. On or before September 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code;
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code;
        (33) Section 2-3.196 of this Code;
        (34) Section 22-95 of this Code;
        (35) Section 34-18.62 of this Code; and
        (36) the Illinois Human Rights Act.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. However, a charter school that is established on or after April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and concludes at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or Commission, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 101-50, eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-291, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. 8-23-19; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-472, eff. 8-1-24.)
 
    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-466)
    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3), in all new applications to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3).
    (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with their teachers at remote locations and with students participating at different times.
    From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This moratorium does not apply to a charter school with virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter school with virtual-schooling components already approved prior to April 1, 2013.
    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291), a charter school's board of directors or other governing body must include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the charter school or a charter network election, appointment by the charter school's board of directors or other governing body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization or its equivalent.
    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the effective date of Public Act 101-291) or within the first year of his or her first term, every voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity with the board's or governing body's role and responsibilities, including financial oversight and accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act, and compliance with education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of professional development training in these same areas. The training under this subsection may be provided or certified by a statewide charter school membership association or may be provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education.
    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular health and safety requirement" means any health and safety requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain, preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or prevent threats to the health and safety of students and school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety requirement" does not include any course of study or specialized instructional requirement for which the State Board has established goals and learning standards or which is designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois. On or before September 1, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter contract between a charter school and its authorizer must contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d) precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board, including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the authorizing local school board.
    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs, including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school. The contractor shall not be an employee of the charter school or affiliated with the charter school or its authorizer in any way, other than to audit the charter school's finances. To ensure financial accountability for the use of public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form 990 the charter school filed that year with the federal Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for proper financial oversight of the charter school, an authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from each charter school.
    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools that pertain to special education and the instruction of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code governing public schools and local school board policies; however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
    
regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants for employment;
        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
    
34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
    
Tort Immunity Act;
        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
    
Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;
        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
    
subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
    
report cards;
        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
    
prevention;
        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
    
discipline reporting;
        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
        (14) Sections 22-90 and 26-18 of this Code;
        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code;
        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code;
        (17) the Seizure Smart School Act;
        (18) Section 2-3.64a-10 of this Code;
        (19) Sections 10-20.73 and 34-21.9 of this Code;
        (20) Section 10-22.25b of this Code;
        (21) Section 27-9.1a of this Code;
        (22) Section 27-9.1b of this Code;
        (23) Section 34-18.8 of this Code;
        (24) Article 26A of this Code;
        (25) Section 2-3.188 of this Code;
        (26) Section 22-85.5 of this Code;
        (27) subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of
    
Section 10-20.56 of this Code;
        (28) Sections 10-20.83 and 34-18.78 of this Code;
        (29) Section 10-20.13 of this Code;
        (30) Section 28-19.2 of this Code;
        (31) Section 34-21.6 of this Code
        (32) Section 22-85.10 of this Code;
        (33) Section 2-3.196 of this Code;
        (34) Section 22-95 of this Code;
        (35) Section 34-18.62 of this Code; and
        (36) the Illinois Human Rights Act.
    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection (g) is declaratory of existing law.
    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. However, a charter school that is established on or after April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and concludes at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.
    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.
    (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or Commission, then the charter school is its own local education agency.
(Source: P.A. 102-51, eff. 7-9-21; 102-157, eff. 7-1-22; 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-445, eff. 8-20-21; 102-466, eff. 7-1-25; 102-522, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22; 102-702, eff. 7-1-23; 102-805, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-472, eff. 8-1-24.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-5.5

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-5.5)
    Sec. 27A-5.5. Charter school truancy.
    (a) A charter school shall comply with all applicable absenteeism and truancy policies and requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois.
    (b) A charter school shall define a truant as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for a school day or portion thereof.
    (c) A charter school shall define a chronic or habitual truant as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days.
    (d) A charter school shall define a truant minor as a chronic truant to whom supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic, intervention, and remedial services, alternative programs, and other school and community resources have been provided and have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy or have been offered and refused.
    (e) A charter school shall define a dropout as any child enrolled in grades 9 through 12 whose name has been removed from the charter school enrollment roster for any reason other than the student's death, extended illness, removal for medical non-compliance, expulsion, aging out, graduation, or completion of a program of studies and who has not transferred to another public or private school and is not known to be home-schooled by his or her parents or guardians or continuing school in another country.
(Source: P.A. 99-596, eff. 6-22-16.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-6

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-6)
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-175)
    Sec. 27A-6. Contract contents; applicability of laws and regulations.
    (a) A certified charter shall constitute a binding contract and agreement between the charter school and a local school board under the terms of which the local school board authorizes the governing body of the charter school to operate the charter school on the terms specified in the contract.
    (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the certified charter may not waive or release the charter school from the State goals, standards, and assessments established pursuant to Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code. The certified charter for a charter school operating in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 shall require the charter school to administer any other nationally recognized standardized tests to its students that the chartering entity administers to other students, and the results on such tests shall be included in the chartering entity's assessment reports.
    (c) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e), a material revision to a previously certified contract or a renewal shall be made with the approval of both the local school board and the governing body of the charter school.
    (c-5) The proposed contract shall include a provision on how both parties will address minor violations of the contract.
    (d) The proposed contract between the governing body of a proposed charter school and the local school board as described in Section 27A-7 must be submitted to and certified by the State Board before it can take effect. If the State Board recommends that the proposed contract be modified for consistency with this Article before it can be certified, the modifications must be consented to by both the governing body of the charter school and the local school board, and resubmitted to the State Board for its certification. If the proposed contract is resubmitted in a form that is not consistent with this Article, the State Board may refuse to certify the charter.
    The State Board shall assign a number to each submission or resubmission in chronological order of receipt, and shall determine whether the proposed contract is consistent with the provisions of this Article. If the proposed contract complies, the State Board shall so certify.
    (e) No renewal of a previously certified contract is effective unless and until the State Board certifies that the renewal is consistent with the provisions of this Article. A material revision to a previously certified contract may go into effect immediately upon approval of both the local school board and the governing body of the charter school, unless either party requests in writing that the State Board certify that the material revision is consistent with the provisions of this Article. If such a request is made, the proposed material revision is not effective unless and until the State Board so certifies.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-416)
    Sec. 27A-6. Contract contents; applicability of laws and regulations.
    (a) A certified charter shall constitute a binding contract and agreement between the charter school and a local school board under the terms of which the local school board authorizes the governing body of the charter school to operate the charter school on the terms specified in the contract.
    (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the certified charter may not waive or release the charter school from the State goals, standards, and assessments established pursuant to Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code. Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, the certified charter for a charter school operating in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 shall require the charter school to administer any other nationally recognized standardized tests to its students that the chartering entity administers to other students, and the results on such tests shall be included in the chartering entity's assessment reports.
    (c) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e), a material revision to a previously certified contract or a renewal shall be made with the approval of both the local school board and the governing body of the charter school.
    (c-5) The proposed contract shall include a provision on how both parties will address minor violations of the contract.
    (c-10) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, any renewal of a certified charter must include a union neutrality clause.
    (d) The proposed contract between the governing body of a proposed charter school and the local school board as described in Section 27A-7 must be submitted to and certified by the State Board before it can take effect. If the State Board recommends that the proposed contract be modified for consistency with this Article before it can be certified, the modifications must be consented to by both the governing body of the charter school and the local school board, and resubmitted to the State Board for its certification. If the proposed contract is resubmitted in a form that is not consistent with this Article, the State Board may refuse to certify the charter.
    The State Board shall assign a number to each submission or resubmission in chronological order of receipt, and shall determine whether the proposed contract is consistent with the provisions of this Article. If the proposed contract complies, the State Board shall so certify.
    (e) No renewal of a previously certified contract is effective unless and until the State Board certifies that the renewal is consistent with the provisions of this Article. A material revision to a previously certified contract may go into effect immediately upon approval of both the local school board and the governing body of the charter school, unless either party requests in writing that the State Board certify that the material revision is consistent with the provisions of this Article. If such a request is made, the proposed material revision is not effective unless and until the State Board so certifies.
(Source: P.A. 103-416, eff. 8-4-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-6.5

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-6.5)
    Sec. 27A-6.5. Charter school referendum.
    (a) No charter shall go into effect under this Section that would convert any existing private, parochial, or non-public school to a charter school or whose proposal has not been certified by the State Board.
    (b) A local school board shall, whenever petitioned to do so by 5% or more of the voters of a school district or districts identified in a charter school proposal, order submitted to the voters thereof at a regularly scheduled election the question of whether a new charter school shall be established, which proposal has been found by the State Board to be in compliance with the provisions of this Article, and the secretary shall certify the proposition to the proper election authorities for submission in accordance with the general election law. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:
        "FOR the establishment of (name of proposed charter
    
school) under charter school proposal (charter school proposal number).
        AGAINST the establishment of (name of proposed
    
charter school) under charter school proposal (charter school proposal number)".
    (c) Before circulating a petition to submit the question of whether to establish a charter school to the voters under subsection (b) of this Section, the governing body of a proposed charter school that desires to establish a new charter school by referendum shall submit the charter school proposal to the State Board in the form of a proposed contract to be entered into between the State Board and the governing body of the proposed charter school, together with written notice of the intent to have a new charter school established by referendum. The contract shall comply with the provisions of this Article.
    If the State Board finds that the proposed contract complies with the provisions of this Article, it shall immediately direct the local school board to notify the proper election authorities that the question of whether to establish a new charter school shall be submitted for referendum.
    (d) If the State Board finds that the proposal fails to comply with the provisions of this Article, it shall provide written explanation, detailing its reasons for refusal, to the local school board and to the individuals or organizations submitting the proposal. The State Board shall also notify the local school board and the individuals or organizations submitting the proposal that the proposal may be amended and resubmitted under the same provisions required for an original submission.
    (e) If a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition in each school district designated in the charter school proposal is in favor of establishing a charter school, the local school board shall notify the State Board of the passage of the proposition in favor of establishing a charter school and the State Board shall approve the charter within 7 days after the State Board of Elections has certified that a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition is in favor of establishing a charter school. The State Board shall be the chartering entity for charter schools established by referendum under this Section.
    (f) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 101-543, eff. 8-23-19.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-7

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-7)
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-175)
    Sec. 27A-7. Charter submission.
    (a) A proposal to establish a charter school shall be submitted to the local school board and the State Board for certification under Section 27A-6 of this Code in the form of a proposed contract entered into between the local school board and the governing body of a proposed charter school. The charter school proposal shall include:
        (1) The name of the proposed charter school, which
    
must include the words "Charter School".
        (2) The age or grade range, areas of focus, minimum
    
and maximum numbers of pupils to be enrolled in the charter school, and any other admission criteria that would be legal if used by a school district.
        (3) A description of and address for the physical
    
plant in which the charter school will be located; provided that nothing in the Article shall be deemed to justify delaying or withholding favorable action on or approval of a charter school proposal because the building or buildings in which the charter school is to be located have not been acquired or rented at the time a charter school proposal is submitted or approved or a charter school contract is entered into or submitted for certification or certified, so long as the proposal or submission identifies and names at least 2 sites that are potentially available as a charter school facility by the time the charter school is to open.
        (4) The mission statement of the charter school,
    
which must be consistent with the General Assembly's declared purposes; provided that nothing in this Article shall be construed to require that, in order to receive favorable consideration and approval, a charter school proposal demonstrate unequivocally that the charter school will be able to meet each of those declared purposes, it being the intention of the Charter Schools Law that those purposes be recognized as goals that charter schools must aspire to attain.
        (5) The goals, objectives, and pupil performance
    
standards to be achieved by the charter school.
        (6) In the case of a proposal to establish a charter
    
school by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status, evidence that the proposed formation of the charter school has received the approval of certified teachers, parents and guardians, and, if applicable, a local school council as provided in subsection (b) of Section 27A-8.
        (7) A description of the charter school's educational
    
program, pupil performance standards, curriculum, school year, school days, and hours of operation.
        (8) A description of the charter school's plan for
    
evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments that will be used to measure pupil progress towards achievement of the school's pupil performance standards, the timeline for achievement of those standards, and the procedures for taking corrective action in the event that pupil performance at the charter school falls below those standards.
        (9) Evidence that the terms of the charter as
    
proposed are economically sound for both the charter school and the school district, a proposed budget for the term of the charter, a description of the manner in which an annual audit of the financial and administrative operations of the charter school, including any services provided by the school district, are to be conducted, and a plan for the displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who will not attend or be employed in the charter school.
        (10) A description of the governance and operation of
    
the charter school, including the nature and extent of parental, professional educator, and community involvement in the governance and operation of the charter school.
        (11) An explanation of the relationship that will
    
exist between the charter school and its employees, including evidence that the terms and conditions of employment have been addressed with affected employees and their recognized representative, if any. However, a bargaining unit of charter school employees shall be separate and distinct from any bargaining units formed from employees of a school district in which the charter school is located.
        (12) An agreement between the parties regarding their
    
respective legal liability and applicable insurance coverage.
        (13) A description of how the charter school plans to
    
meet the transportation needs of its pupils, and a plan for addressing the transportation needs of low-income and at-risk pupils.
        (14) The proposed effective date and term of the
    
charter; provided that the first day of the first academic year shall be no earlier than August 15 and no later than September 15 of a calendar year, and the first day of the fiscal year shall be July 1.
        (14.5) Disclosure of any known active civil or
    
criminal investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into an organization submitting the charter school proposal or a criminal investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into any member of the governing body of that organization. For the purposes of this subdivision (14.5), a known investigation means a request for an interview by a law enforcement agency, a subpoena, an arrest, or an indictment. Such disclosure is required for a period from the initial application submission through 10 business days prior to the authorizer's scheduled decision date.
        (15) Any other information reasonably required by the
    
State Board.
    (b) A proposal to establish a charter school may be initiated by individuals or organizations that will have majority representation on the board of directors or other governing body of the corporation or other discrete legal entity that is to be established to operate the proposed charter school, by a board of education or an intergovernmental agreement between or among boards of education, or by the board of directors or other governing body of a discrete legal entity already existing or established to operate the proposed charter school. The individuals or organizations referred to in this subsection may be school teachers, school administrators, local school councils, colleges or universities or their faculty members, public community colleges or their instructors or other representatives, corporations, or other entities or their representatives. The proposal shall be submitted to the local school board for consideration and, if appropriate, for development of a proposed contract to be submitted to the State Board for certification under Section 27A-6.
    (c) The local school board may not without the consent of the governing body of the charter school condition its approval of a charter school proposal on acceptance of an agreement to operate under State laws and regulations and local school board policies from which the charter school is otherwise exempted under this Article.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
 
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-416)
    Sec. 27A-7. Charter submission.
    (a) A proposal to establish a charter school shall be submitted to the local school board and the State Board for certification under Section 27A-6 of this Code in the form of a proposed contract entered into between the local school board and the governing body of a proposed charter school. The charter school proposal shall include:
        (1) The name of the proposed charter school, which
    
must include the words "Charter School".
        (2) The age or grade range, areas of focus, minimum
    
and maximum numbers of pupils to be enrolled in the charter school, and any other admission criteria that would be legal if used by a school district.
        (3) A description of and address for the physical
    
plant in which the charter school will be located; provided that nothing in the Article shall be deemed to justify delaying or withholding favorable action on or approval of a charter school proposal because the building or buildings in which the charter school is to be located have not been acquired or rented at the time a charter school proposal is submitted or approved or a charter school contract is entered into or submitted for certification or certified, so long as the proposal or submission identifies and names at least 2 sites that are potentially available as a charter school facility by the time the charter school is to open.
        (4) The mission statement of the charter school,
    
which must be consistent with the General Assembly's declared purposes; provided that nothing in this Article shall be construed to require that, in order to receive favorable consideration and approval, a charter school proposal demonstrate unequivocally that the charter school will be able to meet each of those declared purposes, it being the intention of the Charter Schools Law that those purposes be recognized as goals that charter schools must aspire to attain.
        (5) The goals, objectives, and pupil performance
    
standards to be achieved by the charter school.
        (6) In the case of a proposal to establish a charter
    
school by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status, evidence that the proposed formation of the charter school has received the approval of certified teachers, parents and guardians, and, if applicable, a local school council as provided in subsection (b) of Section 27A-8.
        (7) A description of the charter school's educational
    
program, pupil performance standards, curriculum, school year, school days, and hours of operation.
        (8) A description of the charter school's plan for
    
evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments that will be used to measure pupil progress towards achievement of the school's pupil performance standards, the timeline for achievement of those standards, and the procedures for taking corrective action in the event that pupil performance at the charter school falls below those standards.
        (9) Evidence that the terms of the charter as
    
proposed are economically sound for both the charter school and the school district, a proposed budget for the term of the charter, a description of the manner in which an annual audit of the financial and administrative operations of the charter school, including any services provided by the school district, are to be conducted, and a plan for the displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who will not attend or be employed in the charter school.
        (10) A description of the governance and operation of
    
the charter school, including the nature and extent of parental, professional educator, and community involvement in the governance and operation of the charter school.
        (11) An explanation of the relationship that will
    
exist between the charter school and its employees, including evidence that the terms and conditions of employment have been addressed with affected employees and their recognized representative, if any. However, a bargaining unit of charter school employees shall be separate and distinct from any bargaining units formed from employees of a school district in which the charter school is located.
        (12) An agreement between the parties regarding their
    
respective legal liability and applicable insurance coverage.
        (13) A description of how the charter school plans to
    
meet the transportation needs of its pupils, and a plan for addressing the transportation needs of low-income and at-risk pupils.
        (14) The proposed effective date and term of the
    
charter; provided that the first day of the first academic year shall be no earlier than August 15 and no later than September 15 of a calendar year, and the first day of the fiscal year shall be July 1.
        (14.5) Disclosure of any known active civil or
    
criminal investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into an organization submitting the charter school proposal or a criminal investigation by a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency into any member of the governing body of that organization. For the purposes of this subdivision (14.5), a known investigation means a request for an interview by a law enforcement agency, a subpoena, an arrest, or an indictment. Such disclosure is required for a period from the initial application submission through 10 business days prior to the authorizer's scheduled decision date.
        (14.7) A union neutrality clause.
        (15) Any other information reasonably required by the
    
State Board of Education.
    (b) A proposal to establish a charter school may be initiated by individuals or organizations that will have majority representation on the board of directors or other governing body of the corporation or other discrete legal entity that is to be established to operate the proposed charter school, by a board of education or an intergovernmental agreement between or among boards of education, or by the board of directors or other governing body of a discrete legal entity already existing or established to operate the proposed charter school. The individuals or organizations referred to in this subsection may be school teachers, school administrators, local school councils, colleges or universities or their faculty members, public community colleges or their instructors or other representatives, corporations, or other entities or their representatives. The proposal shall be submitted to the local school board for consideration and, if appropriate, for development of a proposed contract to be submitted to the State Board for certification under Section 27A-6.
    (c) The local school board may not without the consent of the governing body of the charter school condition its approval of a charter school proposal on acceptance of an agreement to operate under State laws and regulations and local school board policies from which the charter school is otherwise exempted under this Article.
(Source: P.A. 103-416, eff. 8-4-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-7.5

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-7.5)
    Sec. 27A-7.5. State Charter School Commission; abolition and transfer to State Board; fee.
    (a) (Blank).
    (a-5) (Blank).
    (b) (Blank).
    (c) (Blank).
    (d) (Blank).
    (e) (Blank).
    (f) (Blank).
    (g) (Blank).
    (g-5) (Blank).
    (h) (Blank).
    (i) (Blank).
    (j) The State Board may charge a charter school that it authorizes a fee not to exceed 3% of the revenue provided to the school to be used exclusively for covering the cost of authorizing activities. Authorizing activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) soliciting, reviewing, and taking action on charter school proposals; (ii) hiring, training, and supervising staff engaged in authorizing activities; (iii) developing and conducting oversight, including regular monitoring, of authorized charter schools; (iv) reporting on best practices and performances of charter schools; (v) applying for, managing, and distributing grants and funds appropriated for charter schools and authorizing activities; (vi) training members of the State Board on their authorizing roles; and (vii) training other employees of the State Board on how to work with charter schools as their own local education agencies.
    (k) On July 1, 2020, the State Charter School Commission or "Commission" (established by Public Act 97-152 as an independent State agency with statewide chartering jurisdiction and authority) is abolished and the terms of all members end. On that date, all of the powers, duties, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and pending business of the Commission are transferred to the State Board. For purposes of the Successor Agency Act and Section 9b of the State Finance Act, the State Board is declared to be the successor agency of the Commission. Beginning on July 1, 2020, references in statutes, rules, forms, and other documents to the Commission shall, in appropriate contexts, be deemed to refer to the State Board. Standards and procedures of the Commission in effect on July 1, 2020 shall be deemed standards and procedures of the State Board and shall remain in effect until amended or repealed by the State Board.
    On July 1, 2020, any charter school authorized by the Commission prior to July 1, 2020 shall have its authorization transferred to the State Board, which shall then become the school's authorizer for all purposes under this Article. On July 1, 2020, all of the powers, duties, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and pending business of the Commission as the school's authorizer must be transferred to the State Board. At the end of its charter term, a charter school may reapply to the board or boards for authorization.
    On July 1, 2020, all rules of the State Board applicable to matters falling within the responsibility of the Commission shall be applicable to the actions of the State Board.
    (l) In any appeal filed with the State Board under this Article, both the applicant and the authorizing school district of the charter school shall have the right to request a hearing before the State Board. If more than one entity requests a hearing, then the State Board may hold only one hearing, wherein the applicant and the school district shall have an equal opportunity to present their respective positions.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-7.10

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-7.10)
    Sec. 27A-7.10. Authorizer powers and duties; immunity; principles and standards.
    (a) Authorizers are responsible for executing, in accordance with this Article, all of the following powers and duties:
        (1) Soliciting and evaluating charter applications.
        (2) Approving quality charter applications that meet
    
identified educational needs and promote a diversity of educational choices.
        (3) Declining to approve weak or inadequate charter
    
applications.
        (4) Negotiating and executing sound charter contracts
    
with each approved charter school.
        (5) Monitoring, in accordance with charter contract
    
terms, the performance and legal compliance of charter schools.
        (6) Determining whether each charter contract merits
    
renewal, nonrenewal, or revocation.
    (b) An authorizing entity may delegate its duties to officers, employees, and contractors.
    (c) Regulation by authorizers is limited to the powers and duties set forth in subsection (a) of this Section and must be consistent with the spirit and intent of this Article.
    (d) An authorizing entity, members of the local school board, the State Board, in its official capacity, and employees of an authorizer are immune from civil and criminal liability with respect to all activities related to a charter school that they authorize, except for willful or wanton misconduct.
    (e) The State Board and all local school boards that have a charter school operating are required to develop and maintain chartering policies and practices consistent with recognized principles and standards for quality charter authorizing in all major areas of authorizing responsibility, including all of the following:
        (1) Organizational capacity and infrastructure.
        (2) Soliciting and evaluating charter applications
    
if applicable.
        (3) Performance contracting.
        (4) Ongoing charter school oversight and evaluation.
        (5) Charter renewal decision-making.
    Authorizers shall carry out all their duties under this Article in a manner consistent with nationally recognized principles and standards and with the spirit and intent of this Article.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-8

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-8)
    Sec. 27A-8. Evaluation of charter proposals.
    (a) This Section does not apply to a charter school established by referendum under Section 27A-6.5. In evaluating any charter school proposal submitted to it, the local school board shall give preference to proposals that:
        (1) demonstrate a high level of local pupil,
    
parental, community, business, and school personnel support;
        (2) set rigorous levels of expected pupil achievement
    
and demonstrate feasible plans for attaining those levels of achievement; and
        (3) are designed to enroll and serve a substantial
    
proportion of at-risk children; provided that nothing in the Charter Schools Law shall be construed as intended to limit the establishment of charter schools to those that serve a substantial portion of at-risk children or to in any manner restrict, limit, or discourage the establishment of charter schools that enroll and serve other pupil populations under a nonexclusive, nondiscriminatory admissions policy.
    (b) In the case of a proposal to establish a charter school by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status, evidence that the proposed formation of the charter school has received majority support from certified teachers and from parents and guardians in the school or attendance center affected by the proposed charter, and, if applicable, from a local school council, shall be demonstrated by a petition in support of the charter school signed by certified teachers and a petition in support of the charter school signed by parents and guardians and, if applicable, by a vote of the local school council held at a public meeting. In the case of all other proposals to establish a charter school, evidence of sufficient support to fill the number of pupil seats set forth in the proposal may be demonstrated by a petition in support of the charter school signed by parents and guardians of students eligible to attend the charter school. In all cases, the individuals, organizations, or entities who initiate the proposal to establish a charter school may elect, in lieu of including any petition referred to in this subsection as a part of the proposal submitted to the local school board, to demonstrate that the charter school has received the support referred to in this subsection by other evidence and information presented at the public meeting that the local school board is required to convene under this Section.
    (c) Within 45 days of receipt of a charter school proposal, the local school board shall convene a public meeting to obtain information to assist the board in its decision to grant or deny the charter school proposal. A local school board may develop its own process for receiving charter school proposals on an annual basis that follows the same timeframes as set forth in this Article. Final decisions of a local school board are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.
    (d) Notice of the public meeting required by this Section shall be published in a community newspaper published in the school district in which the proposed charter is located and, if there is no such newspaper, then in a newspaper published in the county and having circulation in the school district. The notices shall be published not more than 10 days nor less than 5 days before the meeting and shall state that information regarding a charter school proposal will be heard at the meeting. Copies of the notice shall also be posted at appropriate locations in the school or attendance center proposed to be established as a charter school, the public schools in the school district, and the local school board office.
    (e) Within 30 days of the public meeting, the local school board shall vote, in a public meeting, to either grant or deny the charter school proposal.
    (f) Within 7 days of the public meeting required under subsection (e) of this Section, the local school board shall file a report with the State Board granting or denying the proposal. If the local school board has approved the proposal, within 30 days of receipt of the local school board's report, the State Board shall determine whether the approved charter proposal is consistent with the provisions of this Article and, if the approved proposal complies, certify the proposal pursuant to Section 27A-6.
    (g) (Blank).
    (h) (Blank).
    (i) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 101-543, eff. 8-23-19.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-9

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-9)
    Sec. 27A-9. Term of charter; renewal.
    (a) An initial charter shall be granted for a period of 5 school years. A charter may be renewed in incremental periods not to exceed 10 school years. Authorizers shall ensure that every charter granted on or after January 1, 2017 includes standards and goals for academic, organizational, and financial performance. A charter must meet all standards and goals for academic, organizational, and financial performance set forth by the authorizer in order to be renewed for a term in excess of 5 years but not more than 10 years. If an authorizer fails to establish standards and goals, a charter shall not be renewed for a term in excess of 5 years. Nothing contained in this Section shall require an authorizer to grant a full 10-year renewal term to any particular charter school, but an authorizer may award a full 10-year renewal term to charter schools that have a demonstrated track record of improving student performance.
    (b) A charter school renewal proposal submitted to the local school board or the State Board, as the chartering entity, shall contain:
        (1) a report on the progress of the charter school in
    
achieving the goals, objectives, pupil performance standards, content standards, and other terms of the initial approved charter proposal; and
        (2) a financial statement that discloses the costs of
    
administration, instruction, and other spending categories for the charter school that is understandable to the general public and that will allow comparison of those costs to other schools or other comparable organizations, in a format required by the State Board.
    (c) A charter may be revoked or not renewed if the local school board or the State Board, as the chartering entity, clearly demonstrates that the charter school did any of the following, or otherwise failed to comply with the requirements of this law:
        (1) Committed a material violation of any of the
    
conditions, standards, or procedures set forth in the charter.
        (2) Failed to meet or make reasonable progress toward
    
achievement of the content standards or pupil performance standards identified in the charter.
        (3) Failed to meet generally accepted standards of
    
fiscal management.
        (4) Violated any provision of law from which the
    
charter school was not exempted.
    In the case of revocation, the local school board or the State Board, as the chartering entity, shall notify the charter school in writing of the reason why the charter is subject to revocation. The charter school shall submit a written plan to the local school board or the State Board, whichever is applicable, to rectify the problem. The plan shall include a timeline for implementation, which shall not exceed 2 years or the date of the charter's expiration, whichever is earlier. If the local school board or the State Board, as the chartering entity, finds that the charter school has failed to implement the plan of remediation and adhere to the timeline, then the chartering entity shall revoke the charter. Except in situations of an emergency where the health, safety, or education of the charter school's students is at risk, the revocation shall take place at the end of a school year. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit an implementation timetable that is less than 2 years in duration. No local school board may arbitrarily or capriciously revoke or not renew a charter. Except for extenuating circumstances outlined in this Section, if a local school board revokes or does not renew a charter, it must ensure that all students currently enrolled in the charter school are placed in schools that are higher performing than that charter school, as defined in the State's federal Every Student Succeeds Act accountability plan. In determining whether extenuating circumstances exist, a local school board must detail, by clear and convincing evidence, that factors unrelated to the charter school's accountability designation outweigh the charter school's academic performance.
    (d) (Blank).
    (e) Notice of a local school board's decision to deny, revoke, or not renew a charter shall be provided to the State Board.
    The State Board may reverse a local board's decision to revoke or not renew a charter if the State Board finds that the charter school or charter school proposal (i) is in compliance with this Article and (ii) is in the best interests of the students it is designed to serve. The State Board may condition the granting of an appeal on the acceptance by the charter school of funding in an amount less than that requested in the proposal submitted to the local school board. The State Board must appoint and utilize a hearing officer for any appeals conducted under this subsection. Final decisions of the State Board are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.
    (f) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Article, if the State Board on appeal reverses a local board's decision or if a charter school is approved by referendum, the State Board shall act as the authorized chartering entity for the charter school and shall perform all functions under this Article otherwise performed by the local school board. The State Board shall report the aggregate number of charter school pupils resident in a school district to that district and shall notify the district of the amount of funding to be paid by the State Board to the charter school enrolling such students. The charter school shall maintain accurate records of daily attendance and student enrollment and shall enter data on the students served, their characteristics, their particular needs, the programs in which they participate, and their academic achievement into the statewide student information system established by the State Board. The State Board shall withhold from funds otherwise due the district the funds authorized by this Article to be paid to the charter school and shall pay such amounts to the charter school in quarterly installments, calculated as follows:
        (1) The amount of the first quarterly payment shall
    
be based on the projected number of students who will be enrolled in the charter school in the upcoming school year, multiplied by one-fourth of the resident district's per capita tuition amount. Each charter school shall submit its projected enrollment by no later than August 1 of each year on a form provided by the State Board for this purpose.
        (2) The amount of the second quarterly payment shall
    
be calculated such that the aggregate amount of the first and second quarterly installments is equal to the number of students reported as enrolled at the charter school on October 1 in the State Board's student information system, multiplied by one-half of the resident district's per capita tuition amount.
        (3) The amount of the third quarterly payment shall
    
be based on the number of students enrolled in the charter school on January 1, multiplied by one-fourth of the resident district's per capita tuition amount. Each charter school shall submit its January 1 enrollment by no later than January 5 of each year on a form provided by the State Board for this purpose.
        (4) The amount of the fourth quarterly payment shall
    
be calculated such that the aggregate amount of the third and fourth installments is equal to the number of students reported as enrolled at the charter school on March 1 in the State Board's student information system, multiplied by one-half of the resident district's per capita tuition amount.
    (g) (Blank).
    (h) The State Board shall pay directly to a charter school it authorizes any federal or State funding attributable to a student with a disability attending the school.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-10

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-10)
    Sec. 27A-10. Employees.
    (a) A person shall be deemed to be employed by a charter school unless a collective bargaining agreement or the charter school contract otherwise provides.
    (b) In all school districts, including special charter districts and districts located in cities having a population exceeding 500,000, the local school board shall determine by policy or by negotiated agreement, if one exists, the employment status of any school district employees who are employed by a charter school and who seek to return to employment in the public schools of the district. Each local school board shall grant, for a period of up to 5 years, a leave of absence to those of its teachers who accept employment with a charter school. At the end of the authorized leave of absence, the teacher must return to the school district or resign; provided that if the teacher chooses to return to the school district, the teacher must be assigned to a position that requires the teacher's licensure and legal qualifications. The contractual continued service status and retirement benefits of a teacher of the district who is granted a leave of absence to accept employment with a charter school shall not be affected by that leave of absence.
    (c) Charter schools shall employ in instructional positions, as defined in the charter, individuals who are licensed under Article 21B of this Code or who possess the following qualifications:
        (i) graduated with a bachelor's degree from an
    
accredited institution of higher learning;
        (ii) been employed for a period of at least 5 years
    
in an area requiring application of the individual's education;
        (iii) passed a content area knowledge test required
    
under Section 21B-30 of this Code; and
        (iv) demonstrate continuing evidence of professional
    
growth, which shall include, but not be limited to, successful teaching experience, attendance at professional meetings, membership in professional organizations, additional credits earned at institutions of higher learning, travel specifically for educational purposes, and reading of professional books and periodicals.
    (c-5) Charter schools employing individuals without licensure in instructional positions shall provide such mentoring, training, and staff development for those individuals as the charter schools determine necessary for satisfactory performance in the classroom.
    (c-10) At least 75% of the individuals employed in instructional positions by the charter school shall hold teaching licenses issued under Article 21B of this Code. Charter schools may employ non-licensed staff in all other positions.
    (c-15) Charter schools are exempt from any annual cap on new participants in an alternative educator licensure program. The second and third phases of the program may be conducted and completed at the charter school, and the alternative provisional educator endorsement is valid for 4 years or the length of the charter (or any extension of the charter), whichever is longer.
    (d) A teacher at a charter school may resign his or her position only if the teacher gives notice of resignation to the charter school's governing body at least 60 days before the end of the school term, and the resignation must take effect immediately upon the end of the school term.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)

105 ILCS 5/27A-10.5

    (105 ILCS 5/27A-10.5)
    Sec. 27A-10.5. Educational or charter management organization.
    (a) In this Section:
    "CMO" means a charter management organization.
    "EMO" means an educational management organization.
    (b) All authorizers shall ensure that any charter school established on or after January 1, 2015 has a governing body that is separate and distinct from the governing body of any CMO or EMO. In reviewing charter applications and charter renewal applications, authorizers shall review the governance model proposed by the applicant to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest.
    (c) No charter school may employ a staff person who is simultaneously employed by an EMO or CMO.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)