105 ILCS 5/ School Code.

(105 ILCS 5/15A-25)

Sec. 15A-25. Procedures for selection.

(a) The school district must use a 2-phase procedure for the selection of the successful design-build entity. Phase I of the procedure must evaluate and shortlist the design-build entities based on qualifications, and Phase II must evaluate the technical and cost proposals.

(b) The school district must include in the request for proposal the evaluating factors to be used in Phase I. These factors are in addition to any prequalification requirements of design-build entities that the school district has set forth. Each request for proposal must establish the relative importance assigned to each evaluation factor and subfactor, including any weighting of criteria to be employed by the school district. The school district must maintain a record of the evaluation scoring to be disclosed in event of a protest regarding the solicitation.

The school district must include the following criteria in every Phase I evaluation of design-build entities:

(1) experience of personnel;

(2) successful experience with similar project types;

(3) financial capability;

(4) timeliness of past performance;

(5) experience with similarly sized projects;

(6) successful reference checks of the firm;

(7) commitment to assign personnel for the duration of the project and qualifications of the entity's consultants; and

(8) ability or past performance in meeting or exhausting good faith efforts to meet the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and with Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

The school district may include any additional, relevant criteria in Phase I that it deems necessary for a proper qualification review.

The school district may not consider a design-build entity for evaluation or an award if the entity has any pecuniary interest in the project or has other relationships or circumstances, such as long-term leasehold, mutual performance, or development contracts with the school district, that may give the design-build entity a financial or tangible advantage over other design-build entities in the preparation, evaluation, or performance of the design-build contract or that create the appearance of impropriety. A design-build entity shall not be disqualified under this Section solely due to having previously been awarded a project or projects under any applicable public procurement law of the State. No proposal may be considered that does not include an entity's plan to comply with the requirements established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, for both the design and construction areas of performance, and with Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Upon completion of the qualification evaluation, the school district must create a shortlist of the most highly qualified design-build entities. The school district, in its discretion, is not required to shortlist the maximum number of entities as identified for Phase II evaluation if no less than 2 design-build entities nor more than 6 are selected to submit Phase II proposals. If a school district receives one response to Phase I, nothing herein shall prohibit the school district from proceeding with a Phase II evaluation of the single respondent, if the school district, in its discretion, finds proceeding to be in its best interest.

The school district must notify the entities selected for the shortlist in writing. This notification must commence the period for the preparation of the Phase II technical and cost evaluations. The school district must allow sufficient time for the shortlist entities to prepare their Phase II submittals considering the scope and detail requested by the school district.

(c) The school district must include in the request for proposal the evaluating factors to be used in the technical and cost submission components of Phase II. Each request for proposal must establish, for both the technical and cost submission components of Phase II, the relative importance assigned to each evaluation factor and subfactor, including any weighting of criteria to be employed by the school district. The school district must maintain a record of the evaluation scoring to be disclosed in event of a protest regarding the solicitation.

The school district must include the following criteria in every Phase II technical evaluation of design-build entities:

(1) compliance with objectives of the project;

(2) compliance of proposed services to the request for proposal requirements;

(3) quality of products or materials proposed;

(4) quality of design parameters;

(5) design concepts;

(6) innovation in meeting the scope and performance criteria; and

(7) constructability of the proposed project.

The school district may include any additional relevant technical evaluation factors it deems necessary for proper selection.

The school district must include the following criteria in every Phase II cost evaluation: the total project cost, the construction costs, and the time of completion. The school district may include any additional relevant technical evaluation factors it deems necessary for proper selection. The total project cost criteria weighting factor may not exceed 30%.

The school district must directly employ or retain a licensed design professional or a public art designer to evaluate the technical and cost submissions to determine if the technical submissions are in accordance with generally accepted industry standards. Upon completion of the technical submissions and cost submissions evaluation, the school district may award the design-build contract to the highest overall ranked entity.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-30)

Sec. 15A-30. Small projects. In any case in which the total overall cost of the project is estimated to be $12,000,000 or less, the school district may combine the 2-phase procedure for selection described in Section 15A-25 into one combined step if all the requirements of evaluation are performed in accordance with Section 15A-25.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-35)

Sec. 15A-35. Submission of proposals. Proposals must be properly identified and sealed. Proposals may not be reviewed until after the deadline for submission has passed as set forth in the request for proposal.

Proposals must include a bid bond in the form and security as designated in the request for proposal. Proposals must also contain a separate sealed envelope with the cost information within the overall proposal submission. Proposals must include a list of all design professionals, public art designers, and other entities to which any work may be subcontracted during the performance of the contract.

Proposals must meet all material requirements of the request for proposal, or they may be rejected as nonresponsive. The school district may reject any and all proposals.

The drawings and specifications of the proposal may remain the property of the design-build entity.

The school district must review the proposals for compliance with the performance criteria and evaluation factors.

Proposals may be withdrawn prior to evaluation for any cause. After evaluation begins by the school district, clear and convincing evidence of error is required for withdrawal.

After a response to a request for qualifications or a request for proposal has been submitted under this Section, a design-build entity may not replace, remove, or otherwise modify any firm identified as a member of the proposer's team unless authorized to do so by the school district.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-40)

Sec. 15A-40. Award; performance. The school district may award the contract to the highest overall ranked design-build entity. Notice of award must be made in writing. Unsuccessful design-build entities must also be notified in writing. The school district may not request a best and final offer after the receipt of proposals of all qualified design-build entities. The school district may negotiate with the selected design-build entity after the award, but prior to contract execution, for the purpose of securing better terms than originally proposed if the salient features of the request for proposal are not diminished.

A design-build entity and associated design professionals must conduct themselves in accordance with the relevant laws of this State and the related provisions of the Illinois Administrative Code.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-45)

Sec. 15A-45. Evaluation and report. At the end of every 6-month period following the contract award, and again prior to final contract payout and closure, a selected design-build entity must detail, in a written report submitted to the school district, its efforts and success in implementing the entity's plan to comply with the utilization goals for business enterprises established in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act and the provisions of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-50)

Sec. 15A-50. Exception. Nothing in this Article prevents a school district from using a qualification-based selection process for design professionals or construction managers for design-build projects.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/15A-90)

Sec. 15A-90. Severability. The provisions of this Article are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

(Source: P.A. 103-491, eff. 1-1-24.)

(105 ILCS 5/Art. 16 heading) ARTICLE 16. GIFTS--USE OF SITES--PLAYGROUNDS

(105 ILCS 5/16-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-1)

Sec. 16-1. Gifts - Vested in school board. Whenever any grant, gift, donation or legacy of real or personal property has been or shall be, directly or indirectly, made to or for the use of any public school district or attendance center and the deed, will or other instrument by which such grant, gift, donation, or legacy is made declares in terms or in substance that such property shall be held, managed, improved and invested or otherwise disposed of for the use and benefit of the public schools in such district or an individual attendance center, the title to such property shall be vested in the school board of such district for use in whatever manner the board shall choose and shall be held, managed, improved, invested or disposed of by such board in such manner as the board, in its discretion, sees fit; provided, however, when the person making such a grant, gift, donation, or legacy expresses in the instrument by which it was made an intention that it shall be used for a certain purpose, the school board shall promote and carry into effect such intention until the board determines in its discretion that it is no longer possible, practical or prudent to do so.

This Section does not apply in any case where the deed, will or other instrument effectively vests the title and control of such property in a trustee or grantee named in such instrument unless the trustee or grantee is incapable of taking or administering the trust, or refuses or fails to accept the trust, in which case the title and control thereof shall vest as provided in the preceding paragraph.

This Section does not validate any legacy which but for this enactment would have been invalid.

(Source: P.A. 86-171.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-2)

Sec. 16-2. Joint use of site and building. Whenever the school boards of two or more school districts have agreed upon the joint use of any school site and compensation to be paid therefor, and any such site has been selected in the manner required by law, it is lawful for such districts to use the same school site and after payment of the compensation, the trustees of schools of the township or regional board of school trustees, as the case may be, by proper instrument in writing shall declare that title to such site is held for the joint use of such districts according to the terms of such agreement, and such districts shall be further authorized to construct, maintain and use a building jointly for the benefit of the inhabitants thereof. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section:

(1) If legal title to the selected site is held in the name of the school board of a school district that has agreed to the joint use of the site with any other school districts, and if those other school districts are also districts whose school boards, under subsection (a) of Section 10-22.35B of this Code, are to hold legal title to school buildings and school sites of the district, then upon the execution of the agreement and payment of the compensation in accordance with the terms of the agreement the school boards of the districts shall be deemed to hold legal title to the site as tenants in common, and the required deed or deeds of conveyance shall be executed and delivered by the president and secretary or clerk of the school boards to reflect that legal title to the selected site is held in that manner.

(2) If one more but not all of the school boards that are party to the agreement are school boards that, under subsection (a) of Section 10-22.35B of this Code, are to hold legal title to the school buildings and school sites of the district, the interest in the selected site of each school board that is to hold legal title to the school buildings and school sites of the district shall be that of a tenant in common; and the required deed or deeds of conveyance shall be executed and delivered by the president and secretary or clerk of the trustees of schools of the township, regional board of school trustees, township land commissioners, or school boards, as the case may be, to reflect that tenancy in common interest of the appropriate school board or school boards with the trustees of schools of the township, regional board of school trustees or township land commissioners, as the case may be, in the legal title to the selected site.

(Source: P.A. 100-374, eff. 8-25-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-3) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-3)

Sec. 16-3. Transfer of site to purchasing district. Whenever the school board of any school district determines that any schoolhouse site with or without a building thereon is of no further use to the district and agrees with the school board of any other school district, within or adjacent to the boundaries of which the site is situated, upon the sale thereof to such district and the price to be paid therefor, and such sites are selected by the purchasing district in the manner prescribed by law, after the payment of the compensation the trustees of schools of the township, regional board of school trustees, township land commissioners, or school board having legal title to the site shall, by proper deed of conveyance or instrument in writing, convey legal title to, or transfer the use of the site to, the purchasing district in accordance with applicable provisions of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 88-155.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-4) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-4)

Sec. 16-4. Building jointly used - Sale of interest - Additions and enlargements. Whenever two school districts situated adjacent to one another or comprising the same or partly the same territory have a school site with buildings thereon, owned by one of the districts but used under agreement by both, the district owning the site and buildings may sell to the other, and the other district has the right to purchase, an equal or any other interest in the site and buildings under an agreement between the two; and upon the execution of the agreement and the acquiring the title to the interest by the purchasing district, the two districts shall be deemed to hold title to the premises as tenants in common; and thereafter the school districts, or either of them, may, under appropriate terms in the first agreement, or under a new agreement entered into by them, add to and enlarge any parts of the buildings, if deemed necessary for the uses of the districts or either of them, and by such sole or mutual expenditure of funds as may be nominated by the terms of the agreement between the districts, and the expenditures shall in no way change the individual interests of the districts in the premises unless otherwise expressly so provided by the terms of the agreement.

(Source: P.A. 81-1541.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-5) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-5)

Sec. 16-5. Agreement for joint use of property.

Prior to the third Saturday of August of any year the school board of any district which does not by itself maintain a high school may enter into an agreement with any township high school board of education or the school board of any other high school district, by which agreement grade school or high school property, real or personal, owned by or held for the use of either district within territory included in both districts may be used jointly for school purposes by both such districts in the manner provided in the agreement. If such school district has a population of 1000 or more, and if legal title to any real property affected by the agreement is not held by the school board of a school district that is party to the agreement, the agreement shall be invalid unless prior to such third Saturday of August the written consent of the trustees of schools of the township or townships, regional board of school trustees, or township land commissioners holding legal title to the property affected by the agreement is first obtained.

(Source: P.A. 88-155.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-6)

Sec. 16-6. Compensation determined under eminent domain.

Whenever any lot or parcel of land is needed by any university, college, township high school or other educational institution established and supported by this State or by a township therein, or by a school district, as a site for a building or for any educational purpose, including sites purchased under authority of Section 10-22.31b, and compensation for the lot or parcel of land cannot be agreed upon between the owners thereof and the trustees, board of education, or other corporate authority of the educational institution, or school district, the corporate authority of the educational institution or school district may have the compensation determined in the manner provided by law for the exercise of the right of eminent domain. In Class I counties and in any school district which is situated in a Class II county school unit but which no longer is subject to the jurisdiction and authority of a township treasurer or trustees of schools of a township because the district has withdrawn from the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools of the township or because those offices have been abolished as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of Section 5-1, the school board shall engage counsel, pay all expenses and institute suit without any authorization by the regional board of school trustees; and the proceedings shall be in the name of the school board for the use of the school district. But no tract of land outside the limits of any incorporated city or village and within 40 rods of the dwelling of the owner of the land shall be taken by the board of directors created in Section 10-1 of this Act without the owner's consent: provided, however, that a tract of land outside the limits of any incorporated city or village lying not less than 200 feet from the dwelling of the owner of the land which adjoins and is adjacent to a school site being used for school purposes may be taken by the board in the manner provided by law for the exercise of the right of eminent domain for the purpose of enlarging such school site for educational and recreational purposes.

(Source: P.A. 87-473; 88-155.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-7) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-7)

Sec. 16-7. Playgrounds, recreation grounds and athletic fields. Any school district organized and existing under the general law or by special charter having a population of not more than 500,000 inhabitants may acquire real estate by gift, donation, legacy, purchase or otherwise and hold it for the purpose of establishing playgrounds, recreation grounds and athletic fields, and may equip, operate and maintain such playgrounds, recreation grounds and athletic fields, the cost of such acquiring and equipping to be paid either from the proceeds of bonds issued for that purpose or out of the operations and maintenance fund, and the cost of such maintaining and operating to be paid from the educational fund, of the district. Such real estate need not be contiguous to any other school property or real estate owned by the school district.

(Source: P.A. 86-970.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-8)

Sec. 16-8. Supervision - Personnel - Police control. The school board of any such school district acquiring real estate and equipping, operating and maintaining it for the purposes provided in Section 16-7 shall have supervision over such playgrounds, recreation grounds or athletic fields, may employ play leaders, playground directors, supervisors, recreation superintendents or athletic directors therefor, and may take such steps to provide for the protection, sanitation, care and management thereof as it deems appropriate.

If real estate and improvements thereon, including buildings, parking lots, other improvements and equipment so acquired lies partly or wholly outside and within 1 mile of the corporate limits of any city, village or incorporated town situated in such district, such city, village or incorporated town may exercise police control and protection over such real estate and improvements thereon, including buildings, parking lots, other improvements and equipment in the same manner and to the same extent that such city, village or incorporated town would exercise police control and protection thereover if such real estate and improvements thereon, including buildings, parking lots, other improvements and equipment were situated within the corporate limits thereof.

(Source: P.A. 86-1304.)

(105 ILCS 5/16-9) (from Ch. 122, par. 16-9)

Sec. 16-9. Transfers to municipal corporations.

School districts and boards of education may also transfer real estate in accordance with the provisions of "An Act in relation to the transfer of real estate owned by municipalities", approved July 2, 1925, as amended, title approved May 8, 1947.

(Source: Laws 1967, p. 506.)