Public Act 1053 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1152 Enrolled LRB098 06722 NHT 36769 b

Public Act 098-1053

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 34-1.05 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/34-1.05 new)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on May 31, 2016)

Sec. 34-1.05. The Chicago Educational Governance Task Force.

(a) The General Assembly makes the following findings:

(1) City of Chicago School District 299 is one of the only school districts in this State with an appointed, not an elected, school board.

(2) City of Chicago School District 299 is home to the largest elected body in the country, local school councils, charged with principal selection and approving the local school budget.

(3) For 15 years, City of Chicago School District 299 has implemented reforms, including the extension of the school day, the expansion of access to full-day kindergarten, probation, student retention, school closings, the expansion of access to choice programs (including science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) programs, charter schools, and International Baccalaureate programs), and turnarounds, to increase student outcomes, including increased graduation rates, increased college attendance, and improved performance on State assessments.

(4) Many of these reforms have led to a robust democratic discussion and decision-making process.

(5) All children must have access to a world-class education.

(b) The Chicago Educational Governance Task Force is created for the purpose of recommending the best structure and procedure for the governance of City of Chicago School District 299 in order to ensure the best educational outcomes for City of Chicago School District 299 students.

(c) The Task Force shall be composed of the following members:

(1) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(2) Three members appointed by the President of the Senate and 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(3) The Chief Executive Officer of City of Chicago School District 299 or her or his designee.

(4) The President of the Chicago Board of Education or her or his designee.

(5) The president of a Chicago professional teachers' organization or his or her designee.

(6) The president of the association representing principals in the schools of the district or his or her designee.

(7) The student representative from the Chicago Board of Education or her or his designee.

(d) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one of his or her appointees under subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this Section as a co-chairperson of the Chicago Educational Governance Task Force. The President of the Senate shall appoint one of his or her appointees under subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this Section as a co-chairperson of the Chicago Educational Governance Task Force. Members appointed by the legislative leaders shall be appointed for the duration of the Chicago Educational Governance Task Force. In the event of a vacancy, the appointment to fill the vacancy shall be made by the legislative leader of the same chamber and party as the leader who made the original appointment.

(e) The Chicago Board of Education shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force.

(f) The members of the Task Force shall serve on a pro bono basis. These members shall aid in the gathering of pertinent information on the impact of various school governance structures, including without limitation an elected representative school board and mayoral control, as well as gathering and analyzing data about the district's current governance structure.

(g) The Task Force shall commence meeting in June of 2015. The Task Force shall report its recommendation as to which governance structure is best designed to serve the students of the City of Chicago to the General Assembly on or before May 30, 2016.

(h) The Task Force is abolished and this Section is repealed on May 31, 2016.