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90_HB2918 105 ILCS 5/27A-7 Amends the School Code to include a committee of school board members as one of the organizations that may initiate a proposal to establish a charter school. LRB9008868NTsbA LRB9008868NTsbA 1 AN ACT to amend the School Code by changing Section 2 27A-7. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing 6 Section 27A-7 as follows: 7 (105 ILCS 5/27A-7) 8 Sec. 27A-7. Charter submission. 9 (a) A proposal to establish a charter school shall be 10 submitted to the State Board and the local school board in 11 the form of a proposed contract entered into between the 12 local school board and the governing body of a proposed 13 charter school. The charter school proposal as submitted to 14 the State Board shall include: 15 (1) The name of the proposed charter school, which 16 must include the words "Charter School". 17 (2) The age or grade range, areas of focus, minimum 18 and maximum numbers of pupils to be enrolled in the 19 charter school, and any other admission criteria that 20 would be legal if used by a school district. 21 (3) A description of and address for the physical 22 plant in which the charter school will be located; 23 provided that nothing in the Article shall be deemed to 24 justify delaying or withholding favorable action on or 25 approval of a charter school proposal because the 26 building or buildings in which the charter school is to 27 be located have not been acquired or rented at the time a 28 charter school proposal is submitted or approved or a 29 charter school contract is entered into or submitted for 30 certification or certified, so long as the proposal or 31 submission identifies and names at least 2 sites that are -2- LRB9008868NTsbA 1 potentially available as a charter school facility by the 2 time the charter school is to open. 3 (4) The mission statement of the charter school, 4 which must be consistent with the General Assembly's 5 declared purposes; provided that nothing in this Article 6 shall be construed to require that, in order to receive 7 favorable consideration and approval, a charter school 8 proposal demonstrate unequivocally that the charter 9 school will be able to meet each of those declared 10 purposes, it being the intention of the Charter Schools 11 Law that those purposes be recognized as goals that 12 charter schools must aspire to attain. 13 (5) The goals, objectives, and pupil performance 14 standards to be achieved by the charter school. 15 (6) In the case of a proposal to establish a 16 charter school by converting an existing public school or 17 attendance center to charter school status, evidence that 18 the proposed formation of the charter school has received 19 the approval of certified teachers, parents and 20 guardians, and, if applicable, a local school council as 21 provided in subsection (b) of Section 27A-8. 22 (7) A description of the charter school's 23 educational program, pupil performance standards, 24 curriculum, school year, school days, and hours of 25 operation. 26 (8) A description of the charter school's plan for 27 evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments 28 that will be used to measure pupil progress towards 29 achievement of the school's pupil performance standards, 30 the timeline for achievement of those standards, and the 31 procedures for taking corrective action in the event that 32 pupil performance at the charter school falls below those 33 standards. 34 (9) Evidence that the terms of the charter as -3- LRB9008868NTsbA 1 proposed are economically sound for both the charter 2 school and the school district, a proposed budget for the 3 term of the charter, a description of the manner in which 4 an annual audit of the financial and administrative 5 operations of the charter school, including any services 6 provided by the school district, are to be conducted, and 7 a plan for the displacement of pupils, teachers, and 8 other employees who will not attend or be employed in the 9 charter school. 10 (10) A description of the governance and operation 11 of the charter school, including the nature and extent of 12 parental, professional educator, and community 13 involvement in the governance and operation of the 14 charter school. 15 (11) An explanation of the relationship that will 16 exist between the charter school and its employees, 17 including evidence that the terms and conditions of 18 employment have been addressed with affected employees 19 and their recognized representative, if any. However, a 20 bargaining unit of charter school employees shall be 21 separate and distinct from any bargaining units formed 22 from employees of a school district in which the charter 23 school is located. 24 (12) An agreement between the parties regarding 25 their respective legal liability and applicable insurance 26 coverage. 27 (13) A description of how the charter school plans 28 to meet the transportation needs of its pupils, and a 29 plan for addressing the transportation needs of 30 low-income and at-risk pupils. 31 (14) The proposed effective date and term of the 32 charter; provided that the first day of the first 33 academic year and the first day of the fiscal year shall 34 be no earlier than August 15 and no later than September -4- LRB9008868NTsbA 1 15 of a calendar year. 2 (15) Any other information reasonably required by 3 the State Board of Education. 4 (b) A proposal to establish a charter school may be 5 initiated by individuals or organizations that will have 6 majority representation on the board of directors or other 7 governing body of the corporation or other discrete legal 8 entity that is to be established to operate the proposed 9 charter school, by a committee of school board members, or by 10 the board of directors or other governing body of a discrete 11 legal entity already existing or established to operate the 12 proposed charter school. The individuals or organizations 13 referred to in this subsection may be school teachers, school 14 administrators, local school councils, colleges or 15 universities or their faculty members, public community 16 colleges or their instructors or other representatives, 17 corporations, or other entities or their representatives. 18 The proposal shall be submitted to the local school board for 19 consideration and, if appropriate, for development of a 20 proposed contract to be submitted to the State Board for 21 certification under Section 27A-6. 22 (c) The local school board may not without the consent 23 of the governing body of the charter school condition its 24 approval of a charter school proposal on acceptance of an 25 agreement to operate under State laws and regulations and 26 local school board policies from which the charter school is 27 otherwise exempted under this Article. 28 (Source: P.A. 89-450, eff. 4-10-96; 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)