HB1216ham001 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

Filed: 3/7/2011

09700HB1216ham001 LRB097 07042 NHT 52052 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1216

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1216 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 11E-190 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/11E-190 new)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 31, 2013)

Sec. 11E-190. School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission.

(a) The School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission is established. The Commission shall consist of the following voting members:

(1) members appointed by the State Board of Education;

(2) a representative appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(3) a representative appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(4) a representative appointed by the President of the Senate;

(5) a representative appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(6) a representative of a statewide professional teachers' organization appointed by the head of that organization;

(7) a representative of a different statewide professional teachers' organization appointed by the head of that organization;

(8) a representative of a statewide organization that represents school boards appointed by the head of that organization;

(9) a representative of a statewide organization representing principals appointed by the head of that organization;

(10) a representative of City of Chicago School District 299 appointed by the general superintendent of schools;

(11) a representative of an association representing school business officials appointed by the head of that association;

(12) a representative of an association representing school administrators appointed by the head of that association;

(13) a representative from an organization representing large unit school districts appointed by the head of that organization;

(14) a representative from the Chicago Board of Education appointed by the Chicago Board of Education; and

(15) a representative from an organization representing administrators of special education appointed by the head of that organization.

Members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Members shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to the State Board of Education available for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control board.

The Commission shall meet initially at the call of the Governor as soon as possible after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, shall select one member as chairperson at its initial meeting, shall thereafter meet at the call of the chairperson, and shall hold public hearings.

The State Board of Education shall provide assistance and necessary staff support services to the Commission.

(b) The purpose of the Commission is to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on the number of school districts in this State, the optimal amount of enrollment for a school district, and where consolidation and realignment would be beneficial. The Commission's recommendations must focus on all of the following areas:

(1) Reducing the money spent on duplication of efforts.

(2) Improving the education of students by having less obstacles between qualified teachers and their students.

(3) Lowering the property tax burden.

(4) Providing recommendations as to what the net cost savings of realignment is to this State.

(5) Providing input to school districts on reorganization.

(c) On or before July 1, 2012, the Commission must vote on its recommendations and file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly. If the Commission adopts the report by a three-fifths vote, then the General Assembly must, within 14 days after the report is filed by the Commission, vote on whether to accept the report by the adoption of a resolution by a record vote of a majority of the members elected in each house. If the General Assembly is not in session on the day that the report is filed, then the General Assembly must vote on whether to accept the report within 14 days after the General Assembly convenes for the first time after the report is filed. The Commission is dissolved on the day after the report is filed with both the Governor and the General Assembly.

(d) This Section is repealed on January 31, 2013.

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