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91_SB0829
LRB9105917NTsb
1 AN ACT to amend the School Code by changing Section
2 27A-5.
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-5 as follows:
7 (105 ILCS 5/27A-5)
8 Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
9 (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian,
10 nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A
11 charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit
12 corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity
13 authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
14 (b) A charter school may be established under this
15 Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing
16 public school or attendance center to charter school status.
17 (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed
18 by its board of directors or other governing body in the
19 manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a
20 charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information
21 Act and the Open Meetings Act.
22 (d) A charter school shall comply with all applicable
23 health and safety requirements applicable to public schools
24 under the laws of the State of Illinois.
25 (e) Except as otherwise provided in this the School
26 Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided
27 that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for
28 textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.
29 (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the
30 management and operation of its fiscal affairs including, but
31 not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of
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1 each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by
2 an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter
3 school.
4 (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of
5 this Article and its charter. A charter school is exempt
6 from all other State laws and regulations in this the School
7 Code governing public schools and local school board
8 policies, except the following:
9 (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this the School
10 the School
13 Code regarding discipline of students;
14 (3) The Local Governmental and Governmental
15 Employees Tort Immunity Act;
16 (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
17 Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of
18 officers, directors, employees, and agents;
19 (5) The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
20 and
21 (6) The Illinois School Student Records Act.
22 (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a
23 school district, the governing body of a State college or
24 university or public community college, or any other public
25 or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of
26 a school building and grounds or any other real property or
27 facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert
28 for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and
29 maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service,
30 activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required
31 to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter.
32 Any services for which a charter school contracts with a
33 school district shall be provided by the district at cost.
34 Any services for which a charter school contracts with a
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1 local school board or with the governing body of a State
2 college or university or public community college shall be
3 provided by the public entity at cost.
4 (i) In no event shall a charter school that is
5 established by converting an existing school or attendance
6 center to charter school status be required to pay rent for
7 space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in
8 the charter agreement, in school district facilities.
9 However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of
10 school district facilities that are used by the charter
11 school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter
12 school and the local school board and shall be set forth in
13 the charter.
14 (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age
15 or grade level.
16 (Source: P.A. 89-450, eff. 4-10-96.)
17 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18 becoming law.