Public Act 0475 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0224 Enrolled LRB099 03159 NHT 23167 b

Public Act 099-0475

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 7-6 and 7-14 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/7-6) (from Ch. 122, par. 7-6)

Sec. 7-6. Petition filing; Notice; Hearing; Decision.

(a) Upon the filing of a petition with the secretary of the regional board of school trustees under the provisions of Section 7-1 or 7-2 of this Act the secretary shall cause a copy of such petition to be given to each board of any district involved in the proposed boundary change and shall cause a notice thereof to be published once in a newspaper having general circulation within the area of the territory described in the petition for the proposed change of boundaries.

(b) When a joint hearing is required under the provisions of Section 7-2, the secretary also shall cause a copy of the notice to be sent to the regional board of school trustees of each region affected. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, if the secretary of the regional board of school trustees with whom a petition is filed under Section 7-2 fails, within 30 days after the filing of such petition, to cause notice thereof to be published and sent as required by this Section, then the secretary of the regional board of school trustees of any other region affected may cause the required notice to be published and sent, and the joint hearing may be held in any region affected as provided in the notice so published.

(b-5) If a petition filed under subsection (a) of Section 7-1 or under Section 7-2 proposes to annex all the territory of a school district to another school district, the petition shall request the submission of a proposition at a regular scheduled election for the purpose of voting for or against the annexation of the territory described in the petition to the school district proposing to annex that territory. No petition filed or election held under this Article shall be null and void, invalidated, or deemed in noncompliance with the Election Code because of a failure to publish a notice with respect to the petition or referendum as required under subsection (g) of Section 28-2 of that Code for petitions that are not filed under this Article or Article 11E of this Code.

(c) When a petition contains more than 10 signatures the petition shall designate a committee of 10 of the petitioners as attorney in fact for all petitioners, any 7 of whom may make binding stipulations on behalf of all petitioners as to any question with respect to the petition or hearing or joint hearing, and the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing may accept such stipulation in lieu of evidence or proof of the matter stipulated. The committee of petitioners shall have the same power to stipulate to accountings or waiver thereof between school districts; however, the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing may refuse to accept such stipulation. Those designated as the committee of 10 shall serve in that capacity until such time as the regional superintendent of schools or the committee of 10 determines that, because of death, resignation, transfer of residency from the territory, or failure to qualify, the office of a particular member of the committee of 10 is vacant. Upon determination that a vacancy exists, the remaining members shall appoint a petitioner to fill the designated vacancy on the committee of 10. The appointment of any new members by the committee of 10 shall be made by a simple majority vote of the remaining designated members.

(d) The petition may be amended to withdraw not to exceed a total of 10% of the territory in the petition at any time prior to the hearing or joint hearing; provided that the petition shall after amendment comply with the requirements as to the number of signatures required on an original petition.

(e) The petitioners shall pay the expenses of publishing the notice and of any transcript taken at the hearing or joint hearing; and in case of an appeal from the decision of the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing, or State Superintendent of Education in cases determined under subsection (l) of this Section, the appellants shall pay the cost of preparing the record for appeal.

(f) The notice shall state when the petition was filed, the description of the territory, the prayer of the petition and the return day on which the hearing or joint hearing upon the petition will be held which shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days after the publication of notice.

(g) On such return day or on a day to which the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing shall continue the hearing or joint hearing the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing shall hear the petition but may adjourn the hearing or joint hearing from time to time or may continue the matter for want of sufficient notice or other good cause.

(h) Prior to the hearing or joint hearing the secretary of the regional board of school trustees shall submit to the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing maps showing the districts involved, a written report of financial and educational conditions of districts involved and the probable effect of the proposed changes. The reports and maps submitted shall be made a part of the record of the proceedings of the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing. A copy of the report and maps submitted shall be sent by the secretary of the regional board of school trustees to each board of the districts involved, not less than 5 days prior to the day upon which the hearing or joint hearing is to be held.

(i) The regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing shall hear evidence as to the school needs and conditions of the territory in the area within and adjacent thereto and the effect detachment will have on those needs and conditions and as to the ability of the districts affected to meet the standards of recognition as prescribed by the State Board of Education, and shall take into consideration the division of funds and assets which will result from the change of boundaries and shall determine whether it is to the best interests of the schools of the area and the direct educational welfare of the pupils that such change in boundaries be granted, and in case non-high school territory is contained in the petition the normal high school attendance pattern of the children shall be taken into consideration. If the non-high school territory overlies an elementary district, a part of which is in a high school district, such territory may be annexed to such high school district even though not contiguous to the high school district. However, upon resolution by the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing the secretary or secretaries thereof shall conduct the hearing or joint hearing upon any boundary petition and present a transcript of such hearing to the trustees who shall base their decision upon the transcript, maps and information and any presentation of counsel. In the instance of a change of boundaries through detachment:

(1) When considering the effect the detachment will have on the direct educational welfare of the pupils, the regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees shall consider a comparison of the school report cards for the schools of the affected districts and the school district report cards for the affected districts only if there is no more than a 3% difference in the minority, low-income, and English learner student populations of the relevant schools of the districts.

(2) The community of interest of the petitioners and their children and the effect detachment will have on the whole child may be considered only if the regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees first determine that there would be a significant direct educational benefit to the petitioners' children if the change in boundaries were allowed.

(3) When petitioners cite an annexing district attendance center or centers in the petition or during testimony, the regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees may consider the difference in the distances from the detaching area to the current attendance centers and the cited annexing district attendance centers only if the difference is no less than 10 miles shorter to one of the cited annexing district attendance centers than it is to the corresponding current attendance center.

(4) The regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees may not grant a petition if doing so will increase the percentage of minority or low-income students or English learners by more than 3% at the attendance center where students in the detaching territory currently attend, provided that if the percentage of any one of those groups also decreases at that attendance center, the regional board or boards may grant the petition upon consideration of other factors under this Section and this Article.

(5) The regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees may not consider whether changing the boundaries will increase the property values of the petitioners' property.

The factors in subdivisions (1) through (5) of this subsection (i) are applicable whether or not there are children residing in the petitioning area at the time the hearing is conducted.

If the regional board of school trustees or the regional boards of school trustees grants a petition to change school district boundaries, then the annexing school district shall determine the attendance center or centers that children from the petitioning area shall attend.

(j) At the hearing or joint hearing any resident of the territory described in the petition or any resident in any district affected by the proposed change of boundaries may appear in person or by an attorney in support of the petition or to object to the granting of the petition and may present evidence in support of his position.

(k) At the conclusion of the hearing, other than a joint hearing, the regional superintendent of schools as ex officio member of the regional board of school trustees shall within 30 days enter an order either granting or denying the petition and shall deliver to the committee of petitioners, if any, and any person who has filed his appearance in writing at the hearing and any attorney who appears for any person and any objector who testifies at the hearing and the regional superintendent of schools a certified copy of its order.

(l) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, if within 9 months after a petition is submitted under the provisions of Section 7-1 the petition is not approved or denied by the regional board of school trustees and the order approving or denying that petition entered and a copy thereof served as provided in this Section, the school boards or registered voters of the districts affected that submitted the petition (or the committee of 10, or an attorney acting on its behalf, if designated in the petition) may submit a copy of the petition directly to the State Superintendent of Education for approval or denial. The copy of the petition as so submitted shall be accompanied by a record of all proceedings had with respect to the petition up to the time the copy of the petition is submitted to the State Superintendent of Education (including a copy of any notice given or published, any certificate or other proof of publication, copies of any maps or written report of the financial and educational conditions of the school districts affected if furnished by the secretary of the regional board of school trustees, copies of any amendments to the petition and stipulations made, accepted or refused, a transcript of any hearing or part of a hearing held, continued or adjourned on the petition, and any orders entered with respect to the petition or any hearing held thereon). The school boards, registered voters or committee of 10 submitting the petition and record of proceedings to the State Superintendent of Education shall give written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested to the regional board of school trustees and to the secretary of that board that the petition has been submitted to the State Superintendent of Education for approval or denial, and shall furnish a copy of the notice so given to the State Superintendent of Education. The cost of assembling the record of proceedings for submission to the State Superintendent of Education shall be the responsibility of the school boards, registered voters or committee of 10 that submits the petition and record of proceedings to the State Superintendent of Education. When a petition is submitted to the State Superintendent of Education in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph:

(1) The regional board of school trustees loses all jurisdiction over the petition and shall have no further authority to hear, approve, deny or otherwise act with respect to the petition.

(2) All jurisdiction over the petition and the right and duty to hear, approve, deny or otherwise act with respect to the petition is transferred to and shall be assumed and exercised by the State Superintendent of Education.

(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall not be required to repeat any proceedings that were conducted in accordance with the provisions of this Section prior to the time jurisdiction over the petition is transferred to him, but the State Superintendent of Education shall be required to give and publish any notices and hold or complete any hearings that were not given, held or completed by the regional board of school trustees or its secretary as required by this Section prior to the time jurisdiction over the petition is transferred to the State Superintendent of Education.

(4) If so directed by the State Superintendent of Education, the regional superintendent of schools shall submit to the State Superintendent of Education and to such school boards as the State Superintendent of Education shall prescribe accurate maps and a written report of the financial and educational conditions of the districts affected and the probable effect of the proposed boundary changes.

(5) The State Superintendent is authorized to conduct further hearings, or appoint a hearing officer to conduct further hearings, on the petition even though a hearing thereon was held as provided in this Section prior to the time jurisdiction over the petition is transferred to the State Superintendent of Education.

(6) The State Superintendent of Education or the hearing officer shall hear evidence and approve or deny the petition and shall enter an order to that effect and deliver and serve the same as required in other cases to be done by the regional board of school trustees and the regional superintendent of schools as an ex officio member of that board.

(m) Within 10 days after the conclusion of a joint hearing required under the provisions of Section 7-2, each regional board of school trustees shall meet together and render a decision with regard to the joint hearing on the petition. If the regional boards of school trustees fail to enter a joint order either granting or denying the petition, the regional superintendent of schools for the educational service region in which the joint hearing is held shall enter an order denying the petition, and within 30 days after the conclusion of the joint hearing shall deliver a copy of the order denying the petition to the regional boards of school trustees of each region affected, to the committee of petitioners, if any, to any person who has filed his appearance in writing at the hearing and to any attorney who appears for any person at the joint hearing. If the regional boards of school trustees enter a joint order either granting or denying the petition, the regional superintendent of schools for the educational service region in which the joint hearing is held shall, within 30 days of the conclusion of the hearing, deliver a copy of the joint order to those same committees and persons as are entitled to receive copies of the regional superintendent's order in cases where the regional boards of school trustees have failed to enter a joint order.

(n) Within 10 days after service of a copy of the order granting or denying the petition, any person so served may petition for a rehearing and, upon sufficient cause being shown, a rehearing may be granted. The filing of a petition for rehearing shall operate as a stay of enforcement until the regional board of school trustees, or regional boards of school trustees in cases of a joint hearing, or State Superintendent of Education in cases determined under subsection (l) of this Section enter the final order on such petition for rehearing.

(o) If a petition filed under subsection (a) of Section 7-1 or under Section 7-2 is required under the provisions of subsection (b-5) of this Section 7-6 to request submission of a proposition at a regular scheduled election for the purpose of voting for or against the annexation of the territory described in the petition to the school district proposing to annex that territory, and if the petition is granted or approved by the regional board or regional boards of school trustees or by the State Superintendent of Education, the proposition shall be placed on the ballot at the next regular scheduled election.

(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)

(105 ILCS 5/7-14) (from Ch. 122, par. 7-14)

Sec. 7-14. Bonded indebtedness-Tax rate.

(a) Beginning on January 1, 2015, whenever the boundaries of any school district are changed by the attachment or detachment of territory, the territory that is detached shall remain liable for its proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness of the school district from which the territory is detached. The annexing district shall not, except pursuant to the approval of a resolution by the school board of the annexing district prior to the effective date of the change of boundaries, assume or be responsible for any of the bonded indebtedness of the district from which the territory is detached. If the annexing district does not assume the detaching territory's proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness of the district from which the territory is detaching, a tax rate for that bonded indebtedness shall be determined in the manner provided in Section 19-7 of this Code, and the county clerk or clerks shall annually extend taxes for each bond outstanding on the effective date of the change of boundaries against all of the taxable property situated within the territory that is detached and within the detaching district. After the effective date of the change of boundaries, all of the property situated within the annexing school district, including the detaching territory, shall be liable for the bonded indebtedness of that district as it exists on the effective date of the change of boundaries and any date thereafter. Except as provided in subsection (b), whenever the boundaries of any school district are changed by the annexation or detachment of territory, each such district as it exists on and after such action shall assume the bonded indebtedness, as well as financial obligations to the Capital Development Board pursuant to Section 35-15 (now repealed) of this Code, of all the territory included therein after such change. The tax rate for bonded indebtedness shall be determined in the manner provided in Section 19-7 of this Act, except the County Clerk shall annually extend taxes against all the taxable property situated in the county and contained in each such district as it exists after the action. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, if the boundaries of a school district are changed by annexation or detachment of territory after June 30, 1987, and prior to September 15, 1987, and if the school district to which territory is being annexed has no outstanding bonded indebtedness on the date such annexation occurs, then the annexing school district shall not be liable for any bonded indebtedness of the district from which the territory is detached, and the school district from which the territory is detached shall remain liable for all of its bonded indebtedness.

(b) Whenever a school district with bonded indebtedness has become dissolved under this Article and its territory annexed to another district, the annexing district or districts shall not, except by action pursuant to resolution of the school board of the annexing district prior to the effective date of the annexation, assume the bonded indebtedness of the dissolved district; nor, except by action pursuant to resolution of the school board of the dissolving district, shall the territory of the dissolved district assume the bonded indebtedness of the annexing district or districts. If the annexing district or districts do not assume the bonded indebtedness of the dissolved district, a tax rate for the bonded indebtedness shall be determined in the manner provided in Section 19-7, and the county clerk or clerks shall annually extend taxes for each outstanding bond issue against all the taxable property that was situated within the boundaries of the district as the boundaries existed at the time of the issuance of each bond issue regardless of whether the property is still contained in that same district at the time of the extension of the taxes by the county clerk or clerks.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 19-18 of this Code, upon resolution of the school board, the county clerk must extend taxes to pay the principal of and interest on any bonds issued exclusively to refund any bonded indebtedness of the annexing school district against all of the taxable property that was situated within the boundaries of the annexing district as the boundaries existed at the time of the issuance of the bonded indebtedness being refunded and not against any of the taxable property in the dissolved school district, provided that (i) the net interest rate on the refunding bonds may not exceed the net interest rate on the refunded bonds, (ii) the final maturity date of the refunding bonds may not extend beyond the final maturity date of the refunded bonds, and (iii) the tax levy to pay the refunding bonds in any levy year may not exceed the tax levy that would have been required to pay the refunded bonds for that levy year. The provisions of this subsection (c) are applicable to school districts that were dissolved and their territory annexed to another school district pursuant to a referendum held in April of 2003. The provisions of this subsection (c), other than this sentence, are inoperative 2 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 94-1105, eff. 6-1-07; 95-1025, eff. 1-6-09.)