Public Act 0357 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2134 Enrolled LRB097 05804 NHT 45873 b

Public Act 097-0357

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 Section 3-15.14 and by adding Sections 3-15.14a and 17-1.1 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/3-15.14) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.14)

Sec. 3-15.14. Cooperative Educational and Operational Programs. To administer and direct a cooperative or joint educational or operational program or project when 2 or more districts request and authorize him or her to provide and administer these services. Each regional superintendent of schools is encouraged to offer school districts the opportunity to share in joint educational or operational programs and to urge school districts to participate in such programs when the school district determines that such participation is fiscally prudent. The regional superintendent of schools He may provide and contract for the staff, space, necessary materials, supplies, books and apparatus for such agreements. The school boards of the respective districts shall pay to the regional superintendent the pro rata share of the expenses of the operation of such programs, and the regional superintendent shall use such funds in payment of such operational expenses. The regional superintendent shall collect and remit the required pension contributions from the participating districts if the board of control of the program participates in Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code.

A board of control composed of one member from each cooperating district and one member from the office of the regional superintendent will set policy for the cooperative. The agreement establishing the cooperative may provide that the cooperative shall act as its own administrative district and shall be an entity separate and apart from the Educational Service Region.

Each regional superintendent that is the administrator of a joint agreement shall cause an annual financial statement to be submitted on forms prescribed by the State Board of Education exhibiting the financial condition of the program established pursuant to the joint agreement for the fiscal year ending on the immediately preceding June 30.

The regional superintendent may also administer, direct and account for educational programs of single or multi-county educational service region, or of multi-regional design which are sponsored and financed by State or federal educational agencies, or by both such agencies. In cases where funding for any such approved program is delayed, the regional superintendent may borrow the funds required to begin operation of the program in accordance with the terms of the grant; and the principal amount so borrowed, together with the interest due thereon, shall be paid from the grant moneys when received.

(Source: P.A. 83-815; 86-1332.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-15.14a new)

Sec. 3-15.14a. Shared services. The regional superintendent of schools may, at the request of a school district, present to the school district possible services and functions that multiple schools may share or consolidate. Such services and functions may include, but are not limited to, bidding and purchasing, office functions such as payroll and accounting, information technology, professional development, grant writing, food service management, or administrative positions. Regional superintendents of schools may share best financial practices with school districts that are exploring new methods to become more financially efficient.

(105 ILCS 5/17-1.1 new)

Sec. 17-1.1. Shared service reporting and fiscal efficiency.

(a) Annually, each school district shall complete a report developed by the State Board of Education, to accompany the annual financial report and to be published on the State Board of Education's Internet website, that summarizes district attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services or outsourcing in the prior fiscal year. The report must be primarily in checklist form and approximately one page in length. It shall include, but shall not be limited to, the incidence of the following shared service options: insurance; employee benefits; transportation; personnel recruitment; shared personnel; technology services; energy purchasing; supply and equipment purchasing; food services; legal services; investment pools; special education cooperatives, vocational cooperatives, and other shared educational programs; curriculum planning; professional development; custodial services; maintenance services; grounds maintenance services; food services; grant writing; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program offerings. The report shall also include a list of potential shared services or outsourcing the district may consider or investigate for the next fiscal year and any anticipated barriers to implementation. This report must be approved by the school board and published on the Internet website of the school district, if any.

(b) Based on data supplied by school districts through the annual financial report, regional superintendents of schools shall publish annually a regional report summarizing district attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services or outsourcing within the educational service region. This report shall include a list of all joint purchasing initiatives, joint agreements between districts, attempts to reduce or eliminate duplication of services and duplicative expenditures, and identification of any overlapping regional service delivery systems.

(c) For school districts required to develop and submit to the State Board of Education a deficit reduction plan under Section 17-1 of this Code, the regional superintendent of schools and the school district shall jointly prepare a shared services and outsourcing plan that considers actions that may improve the district's fiscal efficiency and how future savings associated with shared services or outsourcing are to be utilized.