SB0547ham002 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie

Filed: 11/28/2012

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AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 547

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 547, AS AMENDED, with reference to page and line numbers of House Amendment No. 1, on page 1, lines 4 and 5, by changing "Section 34-210" to "Sections 34-210, 34-225, and 34-230"; and

on page 1, line 13, by changing "January 1, 2014" to "October 1, 2013"; and

on page 3, line 4, by changing "July 1, 2013" to "May 1, 2013"; and

on page 4, by inserting after line 13 the following:

"(105 ILCS 5/34-225)

Sec. 34-225. School transition plans.

(a) If the Board approves a school action, the chief executive officer or his or her designee shall work collaboratively with local school educators and families of students attending a school that is the subject of a school action to ensure successful integration of affected students into new learning environments.

(b) The chief executive officer or his or her designee shall prepare and implement a school transition plan to support students attending a school that is the subject of a school action that accomplishes the goals of this Section. The chief executive must identify and commit specific resources for implementation of the school transition plan for a minimum of the full first academic year after the board approves a school action.

(c) The school transition plan shall include the following:

(1) services to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of students; supports for students with disabilities, homeless students, and English language learners; and support to address security and safety issues;

(2) options to enroll in higher performing schools;

(3) informational briefings regarding the choice of schools that include all pertinent information to enable the parent or guardian and child to make an informed choice, including the option to visit the schools of choice prior to making a decision; and

(4) the provision of appropriate transportation where practicable.

(d) When implementing a school action, the Board must make reasonable and demonstrated efforts to ensure that:

(1) Affected students receive a comparable level of social support services provided by Chicago Public Schools that were available at the previous school, provided that the need for such social support services continue to exist; and

(2) Class sizes of any receiving school do not exceed those established under the Chicago Public Schools policy regarding class size, subject to principal discretion.

(Source: P.A. 97-473, eff. 1-1-12; 97-474, eff. 8-22-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-230)

Sec. 34-230. School action public meetings and hearings.

(a) By October November 1 of each year, the chief executive officer shall prepare and publish guidelines for school actions. The guidelines shall outline the academic and non-academic criteria for a school action. These guidelines shall be created with the involvement of local school councils, parents, educators, and community organizations. These guidelines, and each subsequent revision, shall be subject to a public comment period of at least 21 days before their approval.

(b) The chief executive officer shall announce all proposed school actions to be taken at the close of the current academic year consistent with the guidelines by December 1 of each year.

(c) On or before December 1 of each year, the chief executive officer shall publish notice of the proposed school actions.

(1) Notice of the proposal for a school action shall include a written statement of the basis for the school action, an explanation of how the school action meets the criteria set forth in the guidelines, and a draft School Transition Plan identifying the items required in Section 34-225 of this Code for all schools affected by the school action. The notice shall state the date, time, and place of the hearing or meeting.

(2) The chief executive officer or his or her designee shall provide notice to the principal, staff, local school council, and parents or guardians of any school that is subject to the proposed school action.

(3) The chief executive officer shall provide written notice of any proposed school action to the State Senator, State Representative, and alderman for the school or schools that are subject to the proposed school action.

(4) The chief executive officer shall publish notice of proposed school actions on the district's Internet website.

(5) The chief executive officer shall provide notice of proposed school actions at least 30 calendar days in advance of a public hearing or meeting. The notice shall state the date, time, and place of the hearing or meeting. No Board decision regarding a proposed school action may take place less than 60 days after the announcement of the proposed school action.

(d) The chief executive officer shall publish a brief summary of the proposed school actions and the date, time, and place of the hearings or meetings in a newspaper of general circulation.

(e) The chief executive officer shall designate at least 3 opportunities to elicit public comment at a hearing or meeting on a proposed school action and shall do the following:

(1) Convene at least one public hearing at the centrally located office of the Board.

(2) Convene at least 2 additional public hearings or meetings at a location convenient to the school community subject to the proposed school action.

(f) Public hearings shall be conducted by a qualified independent hearing officer chosen from a list of independent hearing officers. The general counsel shall compile and publish a list of independent hearing officers by November 1 of each school year. The independent hearing officer shall have the following qualifications:

(1) he or she must be a licensed attorney eligible to practice law in Illinois;

(2) he or she must not be an employee of the Board; and

(3) he or she must not have represented the Board, its employees or any labor organization representing its employees, any local school council, or any charter or contract school in any capacity within the last year.

(4) The independent hearing officer shall issue a written report that summarizes the hearing and determines whether the chief executive officer complied with the requirements of this Section and the guidelines.

(5) The chief executive officer shall publish the report on the district's Internet website within 5 calendar days after receiving the report and at least 15 days prior to any Board action being taken.

(g) Public meetings shall be conducted by a representative of the chief executive officer. A summary of the public meeting shall be published on the district's Internet website within 5 calendar days after the meeting.

(h) If the chief executive officer proposes a school action without following the mandates set forth in this Section, the proposed school action shall not be approved by the Board during the school year in which the school action was proposed.

(Source: P.A. 97-473, eff. 1-1-12; 97-474, eff. 8-22-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12; revised 10-17-12.)".