Public Act 0538 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0325 Enrolled LRB096 03557 NHT 13582 b

Public Act 096-0538

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 changing Sections 8-1 and 10-10 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/8-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 8-1)

Sec. 8-1. Treasurers.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c), in Class II county school units the trustees of schools shall appoint a treasurer who shall be ex-officio clerk of the board. The term of the township treasurer shall be for a 2 year period beginning and ending on the first of July. The treasurer shall be a resident of the township, but not a trustee, or school board member. He shall attend all meetings and keep a record of the official proceedings of the trustees of schools. Such record shall be open to public inspection. All proceedings, when recorded, shall be signed by the president and the clerk. If the clerk is absent, or refuses to perform any of his duties, a clerk pro tempore may be appointed. For sufficient cause the treasurer may be removed from office by the trustees of schools. In case of a vacancy the trustees of schools shall elect a treasurer for the unexpired term.

(b) In Class I county school units, and in each school district which forms a part of a Class II county school unit but which has withdrawn from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools of the township in which such school district is located and from the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer in such Class II county school unit as provided in subsection (b) of Section 5-1, each school board shall either elect one of its members to serve as treasurer without salary for a period of one year or appoint someone, not a member of the school board, as its treasurer, and, except as provided in this Section the board shall fix his compensation. An appointed treasurer shall serve at the pleasure of the board. An appointed treasurer shall be at least 21 years of age, of approved integrity, but not a member of the county board of school trustees. The records of the treasurer shall be open to public inspection. Two or more such districts may appoint the same treasurer. In case of a vacancy caused by the death, resignation or the removal from office of the school treasurer the school board shall appoint a treasurer. The school board may determine the temporary incapacity of its treasurer occasioned by illness, absence from the district or any other cause which prevents the prompt performance of his duties and appoint an acting treasurer to serve until the board determines such temporary incapacity no longer exists.

(c) The school board of each elementary school, high school and unit school district that forms a part of a Class II county school unit and that was under the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools of a township at the time those offices were abolished in that township as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1 shall appoint a person to serve as treasurer of the school board. The term of each school treasurer appointed under this subsection shall be for a 2 year period beginning and ending on the first day of July. A person appointed under this subsection to serve as treasurer of a school board shall not be either a member of the school board or the superintendent of schools of the school district. A person appointed and serving under this subsection as treasurer of a school board may concurrently serve as the treasurer of the regional board of school trustees, if selected to serve in that capacity by the regional board of school trustees, as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1. The school board shall fix the compensation of its school treasurer, and for sufficient cause may remove the school treasurer from office. However, if a member of the school board is also school treasurer, he or she shall perform his or her duties as school treasurer without compensation. In the case of a vacancy, the school board shall appoint a school treasurer for the unexpired term. The school board may determine the temporary incapacity of its treasurer due to illness, absence from the district, or other cause that prevents the prompt performance of his duties and may appoint an acting treasurer to serve until the school board determines that the temporary incapacity of its treasurer no longer exists.

(d) After October 1, 1977, each treasurer in a Class I county school unit appointed under this Section for his first term shall have a financial background or related experience or 12 semester hours of credit of college level accounting.

(e) After August 14, 1989, any treasurer appointed under this Section for his first term in Class II county school units, including any person appointed by a school board to serve as its treasurer as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, shall be a certified public accountant or a certified chief school business official as defined in part (3) of Section 21-7.3 of this Act. Experience as a township treasurer in a Class II county school unit prior to July 1, 1989 shall be deemed the equivalent of certification.

(f) Concurrently with the election or appointment of its own school treasurer by the school board of a school district which forms a part of 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, all funds, accounts, moneys, notes, bonds, mortgages and effects then held by such township treasurer on behalf or for the use and benefit of, or then credited by such township treasurer to any fund or account of such school district shall thereupon be transferred and paid over by such township treasurer to the school treasurer elected or appointed by the school board of such school district. In addition the school treasurer of such school district shall have the right, at all reasonable times, to inspect all cash books, loan books, district account books and journals kept by such township treasurer as provided in Section 8-5 and to copy or otherwise reproduce such portions thereof as such school treasurer deems necessary for the performance of his duties.

(g) Upon the abolition of the offices of the township treasurer and trustee of schools of a township as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1, and subject to the limitation of subsection (b) of Section 8-5 with respect to certain records to be surrendered to the regional board of school trustees, and except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1 with respect to the common school lands and township loanable funds of that township and with respect to the records, books and accounts relating to those common school lands and township loanable funds, all school funds and accounts, moneys, notes, bonds, securities, district account books and other documents, records and effects then held by the former township treasurer on behalf or for the use and benefit of, or then credited by the former township treasurer to any fund or account of any school district that was under the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer at the time the office of that township treasurer was abolished shall thereupon be transferred and paid over by the former township treasurer to the appropriate school treasurer appointed by the school board of each such district under subsection (c) of this Section 8-1.

(h) If the school district of a school treasurer elected or appointed under this Section is receiving emergency State financial assistance under Article 1B, that school treasurer is subject to the provisions of Article 1B.

(Source: P.A. 89-618, eff. 8-9-96.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-10) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-10)

Sec. 10-10. Board of education; Term; Vacancy. All school districts having a population of not fewer than 1,000 and not more than 500,000 inhabitants, as ascertained by any special or general census, and not governed by special Acts, shall be governed by a board of education consisting of 7 members, serving without compensation except as herein provided. Each member shall be elected for a term of 4 years for the initial members of the board of education of a combined school district to which that subsection applies. If 5 members are elected in 1983 pursuant to the extension of terms provided by law for transition to the consolidated election schedule under the general election law, 2 of those members shall be elected to serve terms of 2 years and 3 shall be elected to serve terms of 4 years; their successors shall serve for a 4 year term. When the voters of a district have voted to elect members of the board of education for 6 year terms, as provided in Section 9-5, the terms of office of members of the board of education of that district expire when their successors assume office but not later than 7 days after such election. If at the regular school election held in the first odd-numbered year after the determination to elect members for 6 year terms 2 members are elected, they shall serve for a 6 year term; and of the members elected at the next regular school election 3 shall serve for a term of 6 years and 2 shall serve a term of 2 years. Thereafter members elected in such districts shall be elected to a 6 year term. If at the regular school election held in the first odd-numbered year after the determination to elect members for 6 year terms 3 members are elected, they shall serve for a 6 year term; and of the members elected at the next regular school election 2 shall serve for a term of 2 years and 2 shall serve for a term of 6 years. Thereafter members elected in such districts shall be elected to a 6 year term. If at the regular school election held in the first odd-numbered year after the determination to elect members for 6 year terms 4 members are elected, 3 shall serve for a term of 6 years and one shall serve for a term of 2 years; and of the members elected at the next regular school election 2 shall serve for terms of 6 years and 2 shall serve for terms of 2 years. Thereafter members elected in such districts shall be elected to a 6 year term. If at the regular school election held in the first odd-numbered year after the determination to elect members for a 6 year term 5 members are elected, 3 shall serve for a term of 6 years and 2 shall serve for a term of 2 years; and of the members elected at the next regular school election 2 shall serve for terms of 6 years and 2 shall serve for terms of 2 years. Thereafter members elected in such districts shall be elected to a 6 year term. An election for board members shall not be held in school districts which by consolidation, annexation or otherwise shall cease to exist as a school district within 6 months after the election date, and the term of all board members which would otherwise terminate shall be continued until such district shall cease to exist. Each member, on the date of his or her election, shall be a citizen of the United States of the age of 18 years or over, shall be a resident of the State and the territory of the district for at least one year immediately preceding his or her election, shall be a registered voter as provided in the general election law, shall not be a school trustee or a school treasurer, and shall not be a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 1961. When the board of education is the successor of the school directors, all rights of property, and all rights regarding causes of action existing or vested in such directors, shall vest in it as fully as they were vested in the school directors. Terms of members are subject to Section 2A-54 of the Election Code.

Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid unless the candidate named therein files with the secretary of the board of education or with a person designated by the board to receive nominating petitions a receipt from the county clerk showing that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such receipt shall be so filed either previously during the calendar year in which his nomination papers were filed or within the period for the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general election law.

Whenever a vacancy occurs, the remaining members shall notify the regional superintendent of that vacancy within 5 days after its occurrence and shall proceed to fill the vacancy until the next regular school election, at which election a successor shall be elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. However, if the vacancy occurs with less than 868 days remaining in the term, or if the vacancy occurs less than 88 days before the next regularly scheduled election for this office then the person so appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term, and no election to fill the vacancy shall be held. Should they fail so to act, within 45 days after the vacancy occurs, the regional superintendent of schools under whose supervision and control the district is operating, as defined in Section 3-14.2 of this Act, shall within 30 days after the remaining members have failed to fill the vacancy, fill the vacancy as provided for herein. Upon the regional superintendent's failure to fill the vacancy, the vacancy shall be filled at the next regularly scheduled election. Whether elected or appointed by the remaining members or regional superintendent, the successor shall be an inhabitant of the particular area from which his or her predecessor was elected if the residential requirements contained in Section 10-10.5 or 12-2 of this Code apply.

A board of education may appoint a student to the board to serve in an advisory capacity. The student member shall serve for a term as determined by the board. The board may not grant the student member any voting privileges, but shall consider the student member as an advisor. The student member may not participate in or attend any executive session of the board.

(Source: P.A. 93-309, eff. 1-1-04; 94-231, eff. 7-14-05; 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.