101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5355

 

Introduced , by Rep. Jim Durkin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/5-1  from Ch. 122, par. 5-1

    Amends the Trustees of Schools Article of the School Code. Provides that the school board of a school district in a Class II county school unit may, by proper resolution, withdraw from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools and the township treasurer of a township in which all or any part of the school district is located. Requires the school board to elect or appoint its own school treasurer. Thereafter, provides that the trustees of schools shall no longer have or exercise any powers and duties with respect to the school district or the school district's business, operations, or assets; requires the township trustees to transfer and deliver to the school board all books and records relating to the school district's business and affairs; and provides that legal title to school buildings and school sites located within the school district shall be deemed transferred by operation of law to and shall vest in the school board. Effective immediately.


LRB101 16920 CMG 66319 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5355LRB101 16920 CMG 66319 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
55-1 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/5-1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 5-1)
7    Sec. 5-1. County school units.
8    (a) The territory in each county, exclusive of any school
9district governed by any special act which requires the
10district to appoint its own school treasurer, shall constitute
11a county school unit. County school units of less than
122,000,000 inhabitants shall be known as Class I county school
13units and the office of township trustees, where existing on
14July 1, 1962, in such units shall be abolished on that date and
15all books and records of such former township trustees shall be
16forthwith thereafter transferred to the county board of school
17trustees. County school units of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants
18shall be known as Class II county school units and shall retain
19the office of township trustees unless otherwise provided in
20subsection (b) or (c).
21    (b) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c), the school
22board of any elementary school district having a fall, 1989
23aggregate enrollment of at least 2,500 but less than 6,500

 

 

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1pupils and having boundaries that are coterminous with the
2boundaries of a high school district, and the school board of
3any high school district having a fall, 1989 aggregate
4enrollment of at least 2,500 but less than 6,500 pupils and
5having boundaries that are coterminous with the boundaries of
6an elementary school district, may, whenever the territory of
7such school district forms a part of a Class II county school
8unit, by proper resolution withdraw such school district from
9the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools of
10the township in which such school district is located and from
11the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer in
12such Class II county school unit; provided that the school
13board of any such school district shall, upon the adoption and
14passage of such resolution, thereupon elect or appoint its own
15school treasurer as provided in Section 8-1. Upon the adoption
16and passage of such resolution and the election or appointment
17by the school board of its own school treasurer: (1) the
18trustees of schools in such township shall no longer have or
19exercise any powers and duties with respect to the school
20district governed by such school board or with respect to the
21school business, operations or assets of such school district;
22and (2) all books and records of the township trustees relating
23to the school business and affairs of such school district
24shall be transferred and delivered to the school board of such
25school district. Upon the effective date of this amendatory Act
26of 1993, the legal title to, and all right, title and interest

 

 

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1formerly held by the township trustees in any school buildings
2and school sites used and occupied by the school board of such
3school district for school purposes, that legal title, right,
4title and interest thereafter having been transferred to and
5vested in the regional board of school trustees under P.A.
687-473 until the abolition of that regional board of school
7trustees by P.A. 87-969, shall be deemed transferred by
8operation of law to and shall vest in the school board of that
9school district.
10    Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c), the school boards
11of Oak Park & River Forest District 200, Oak Park Elementary
12School District 97, and River Forest School District 90 may, by
13proper resolution, withdraw from the jurisdiction and
14authority of the trustees of schools of Proviso and Cicero
15Townships and the township treasurer, provided that the school
16board shall, upon the adoption and passage of the resolution,
17elect or appoint its own school treasurer as provided in
18Section 8-1 of this Code. Upon the adoption and passage of the
19resolution and the election or appointment by the school board
20of its own school treasurer: (1) the trustees of schools in the
21township or townships shall no longer have or exercise any
22powers or duties with respect to the school district or with
23respect to the school business, operations, or assets of the
24school district; (2) all books and records of the trustees of
25schools and all moneys, securities, loanable funds, and other
26assets relating to the school business and affairs of the

 

 

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1school district shall be transferred and delivered to the
2school board; and (3) all legal title to and all right, title,
3and interest formerly held by the trustees of schools in any
4common school lands, school buildings, or school sites used and
5occupied by the school board and all rights of property and
6causes of action pertaining to or constituting a part of the
7common school lands, buildings, or sites shall be deemed
8transferred by operation of law to and shall vest in the school
9board.
10    Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c), the respective
11school boards of Berwyn North School District 98, Berwyn South
12School District 100, Cicero School District 99, and J.S. Morton
13High School District 201 may, by proper resolution, withdraw
14from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools
15of Cicero Township and the township treasurer, provided that
16the school board shall, upon the adoption and passage of the
17resolution, elect or appoint its own school treasurer as
18provided in Section 8-1 of this Code. Upon the adoption and
19passage of the resolution and the election or appointment by
20the school board of its own school treasurer: (1) the trustees
21of schools in the township shall no longer have or exercise any
22powers or duties with respect to the school district or with
23respect to the school business, operations, or assets of the
24school district; (2) all books and records of the trustees of
25schools and all moneys, securities, loanable funds, and other
26assets relating to the school business and affairs of the

 

 

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1school district shall be transferred and delivered to the
2school board; and (3) all legal title to and all right, title,
3and interest formerly held by the trustees of schools in any
4common school lands, school buildings, or school sites used and
5occupied by the school board and all rights of property and
6causes of action pertaining to or constituting a part of the
7common school lands, buildings, or sites shall be deemed
8transferred by operation of law to and shall vest in the school
9board.
10    Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c) of this Section and
11upon final judgment, including the exhaustion of all appeals or
12a settlement between all parties, regarding claims set forth in
13the case of Township Trustees of Schools Township 38 North,
14Range 12 East v. Lyons Township High School District No. 204
15case N. 13 CH 23386 pending in 2018 in the Circuit Court of
16Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division,
17and all related pending claims, the school board of Lyons
18Township High School District 204 may commence, by proper
19resolution, to withdraw from the jurisdiction and authority of
20the trustees of schools of Lyons Township and the township
21treasurer, provided that the school board shall, upon the
22adoption and passage of the resolution, elect or appoint its
23own school treasurer as provided in Section 8-1 of this Code.
24Upon the adoption and passage of the resolution and the
25election or appointment by the school board of its own school
26treasurer commencing with the first day of the succeeding

 

 

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1fiscal year, but not prior to July 1, 2019: (1) the trustees of
2schools in the township shall no longer have or exercise any
3powers or duties with respect to the school district or with
4respect to the school business, operations, or assets of the
5school district; (2) all books and records of the trustees of
6schools and all moneys, securities, loanable funds, and other
7assets relating to the school business and affairs of the
8school district shall be transferred and delivered to the
9school board, allowing for a reasonable period of time not to
10exceed 90 days to liquidate any pooled investments; and (3) all
11legal title to and all right, title, and interest formerly held
12by the trustees of schools in any common school lands, school
13buildings, or school sites used and occupied by the school
14board and all rights of property and causes of action
15pertaining to or constituting a part of the common school
16lands, buildings, or sites shall be deemed transferred by
17operation of law to and shall vest in the school board. The
18changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the
19100th General Assembly are prospective only, starting from the
20effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General
21Assembly, and shall not affect any legal action pending on the
22effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General
23Assembly in the Illinois courts in which Lyons Township High
24School District 204 is a listed party.
25    Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c), the school board
26of a school district in a Class II county school unit may

 

 

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1withdraw from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of
2schools of a township in which all or a part of the school
3district is located and from the jurisdiction and authority of
4the township treasurer by proper resolution, provided that the
5school board of the school district shall, upon the adoption
6and passage of the resolution, thereupon elect or appoint its
7own school treasurer as provided in Section 8-1. Upon the
8adoption and passage of a resolution and the election or
9appointment by the school board of its own school treasurer:
10(1) the trustees of schools shall no longer have or exercise
11any powers and duties with respect to the school district
12governed by the school board or with respect to the school
13business, operations, or assets of the school district; and (2)
14all books and records of the township trustees relating to the
15school business and affairs of the school district shall be
16transferred and delivered to the school board of the school
17district. Upon withdrawal, the legal title to and all right,
18title, and interest formerly held by the township trustees in
19any school buildings and school sites used and occupied by the
20school board of the withdrawing school district for school
21purposes, that legal title, right, title, and interest
22thereafter having been transferred to and vested in the
23regional board of school trustees under Public Act 87-473 until
24the abolition of that regional board of school trustees by
25Public Act 87-969, shall be deemed transferred by operation of
26law to and shall vest in the school board of that school

 

 

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1district.
2    (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the
3offices of township treasurer and trustee of schools of any
4township located in a Class II county school unit shall be
5abolished as provided in this subsection if all of the
6following conditions are met:
7        (1) During the same 30 day period, each school board of
8    each elementary and unit school district that is subject to
9    the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer
10    and trustees of schools of the township in which those
11    offices are sought to be abolished gives written notice by
12    certified mail, return receipt requested to the township
13    treasurer and trustees of schools of that township of the
14    date of a meeting of the school board, to be held not more
15    than 90 nor less than 60 days after the date when the
16    notice is given, at which meeting the school board is to
17    consider and vote upon the question of whether there shall
18    be submitted to the electors of the school district a
19    proposition to abolish the offices of township treasurer
20    and trustee of schools of that township. None of the
21    notices given under this paragraph to the township
22    treasurer and trustees of schools of a township shall be
23    deemed sufficient or in compliance with the requirements of
24    this paragraph unless all of those notices are given within
25    the same 30 day period.
26        (2) Each school board of each elementary and unit

 

 

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1    school district that is subject to the jurisdiction and
2    authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools
3    of the township in which those offices are sought to be
4    abolished, by the affirmative vote of at least 5 members of
5    the school board at a school board meeting of which notice
6    is given as required by paragraph (1) of this subsection,
7    adopts a resolution requiring the secretary of the school
8    board to certify to the proper election authorities for
9    submission to the electors of the school district at the
10    next consolidated election in accordance with the general
11    election law a proposition to abolish the offices of
12    township treasurer and trustee of schools of that township.
13    None of the resolutions adopted under this paragraph by any
14    elementary or unit school districts that are subject to the
15    jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and
16    trustees of schools of the township in which those offices
17    are sought to be abolished shall be deemed in compliance
18    with the requirements of this paragraph or sufficient to
19    authorize submission of the proposition to abolish those
20    offices to a referendum of the electors in any such school
21    district unless all of the school boards of all of the
22    elementary and unit school districts that are subject to
23    the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer
24    and trustees of schools of that township adopt such a
25    resolution in accordance with the provisions of this
26    paragraph.

 

 

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1        (3) The school boards of all of the elementary and unit
2    school districts that are subject to the jurisdiction and
3    authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools
4    of the township in which those offices are sought to be
5    abolished submit a proposition to abolish the offices of
6    township treasurer and trustee of schools of that township
7    to the electors of their respective school districts at the
8    same consolidated election in accordance with the general
9    election law, the ballot in each such district to be in
10    substantially the following form:
11    -------------------------------------------------------------
12
OFFICIAL BALLOT
13            Shall the offices of township
14            treasurer and                       YES
15            trustee of                      -------------
16            schools of Township .....           NO
17            Range ..... be abolished?
18    -------------------------------------------------------------
19        (4) At the consolidated election at which the
20    proposition to abolish the offices of township treasurer
21    and trustee of schools of a township is submitted to the
22    electors of each elementary and unit school district that
23    is subject to the jurisdiction and authority of the
24    township treasurer and trustee of schools of that township,
25    a majority of the electors voting on the proposition in
26    each such elementary and unit school district votes in

 

 

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1    favor of the proposition as submitted to them.
2    If in each elementary and unit school district that is
3subject to the jurisdiction and authority of the township
4treasurer and trustees of schools of the township in which
5those offices are sought to be abolished a majority of the
6electors in each such district voting at the consolidated
7election on the proposition to abolish the offices of township
8treasurer and trustee of schools of that township votes in
9favor of the proposition as submitted to them, the proposition
10shall be deemed to have passed; but if in any such elementary
11or unit school district a majority of the electors voting on
12that proposition in that district fails to vote in favor of the
13proposition as submitted to them, then notwithstanding the vote
14of the electors in any other such elementary or unit school
15district on that proposition the proposition shall not be
16deemed to have passed in any of those elementary or unit school
17districts, and the offices of township treasurer and trustee of
18schools of the township in which those offices were sought to
19be abolished shall not be abolished, unless in each of those
20elementary and unit school districts remaining subject to the
21jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and
22trustees of schools of that township proceedings are again
23initiated to abolish those offices and all of the proceedings
24and conditions prescribed in paragraphs (1) through (4) of this
25subsection are repeated and met in each of those elementary and
26unit school districts.

 

 

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1    Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section
2or any other provision of the School Code, the offices of
3township treasurer and trustee of schools of a township that
4has a population of less than 200,000 and that contains a unit
5school district and is located in a Class II county school unit
6shall also be abolished as provided in this subsection if all
7of the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
8this subsection are met and if the following additional
9condition is met:
10        The electors in all of the school districts subject to
11    the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer
12    and trustees of schools of the township in which those
13    offices are sought to be abolished shall vote at the
14    consolidated election on the proposition to abolish the
15    offices of township treasurer and trustee of schools of
16    that township. If a majority of the electors in all of the
17    school districts combined voting on the proposition vote in
18    favor of the proposition, then the proposition shall be
19    deemed to have passed; but if a majority of the electors
20    voting on the proposition in all of the school district
21    fails to vote in favor of the proposition as submitted to
22    them, then the proposition shall not be deemed to have
23    passed and the offices of township treasurer and trustee of
24    schools of the township in which those offices were sought
25    to be abolished shall not be abolished, unless and until
26    the proceedings detailed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of

 

 

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1    this subsection and the conditions set forth in this
2    paragraph are met.
3    If the proposition to abolish the offices of township
4treasurer and trustee of schools of a township is deemed to
5have passed at the consolidated election as provided in this
6subsection, those offices shall be deemed abolished by
7operation of law effective on January 1 of the calendar year
8immediately following the calendar year in which that
9consolidated election is held, provided that if after the
10election, the trustees of schools by resolution elect to
11abolish the offices of township treasurer and trustee of
12schools effective on July 1 immediately following the election,
13then the offices shall be abolished on July 1 immediately
14following the election. On the date that the offices of
15township treasurer and trustee of schools of a township are
16deemed abolished by operation of law, the school board of each
17elementary and unit school district and the school board of
18each high school district that is subject to the jurisdiction
19and authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools
20of that township at the time those offices are abolished: (i)
21shall appoint its own school treasurer as provided in Section
228-1; and (ii) unless the term of the contract of a township
23treasurer expires on the date that the office of township
24treasurer is abolished, shall pay to the former township
25treasurer its proportionate share of any aggregate
26compensation that, were the office of township treasurer not

 

 

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1abolished at that time, would have been payable to the former
2township treasurer after that date over the remainder of the
3term of the contract of the former township treasurer that
4began prior to but ends after that date. In addition, on the
5date that the offices of township treasurer and trustee of
6schools of a township are deemed abolished as provided in this
7subsection, the school board of each elementary school, high
8school and unit school district that until that date is subject
9to the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and
10trustees of schools of that township shall be deemed by
11operation of law to have agreed and assumed to pay and, when
12determined, shall pay to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
13a proportionate share of the unfunded liability existing in
14that Fund at the time these offices are abolished in that
15calendar year for all annuities or other benefits then or
16thereafter to become payable from that Fund with respect to all
17periods of service performed prior to that date as a
18participating employee in that Fund by persons serving during
19those periods of service as a trustee of schools, township
20treasurer or regular employee in the office of the township
21treasurer of that township. That unfunded liability shall be
22actuarially determined by the board of trustees of the Illinois
23Municipal Retirement Fund, and the board of trustees shall
24thereupon notify each school board required to pay a
25proportionate share of that unfunded liability of the aggregate
26amount of the unfunded liability so determined. The amount so

 

 

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1paid to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund by each of those
2school districts shall be credited to the account of the
3township in that Fund. For each elementary school, high school
4and unit school district under the jurisdiction and authority
5of a township treasurer and trustees of schools of a township
6in which those offices are abolished as provided in this
7subsection, each such district's proportionate share of the
8aggregate compensation payable to the former township
9treasurer as provided in this paragraph and each such
10district's proportionate share of the aggregate amount of the
11unfunded liability payable to the Illinois Municipal
12Retirement Fund as provided in this paragraph shall be computed
13in accordance with the ratio that the number of pupils in
14average daily attendance in each such district for the school
15year last ending prior to the date on which the offices of
16township treasurer and trustee of schools of that township are
17abolished bears to the aggregate number of pupils in average
18daily attendance in all of those districts as so reported for
19that school year.
20    Upon abolition of the offices of township treasurer and
21trustee of schools of a township as provided in this
22subsection: (i) the regional board of school trustees, in its
23corporate capacity, shall be deemed the successor in interest
24to the former trustees of schools of that township with respect
25to the common school lands and township loanable funds of the
26township; (ii) all right, title and interest existing or vested

 

 

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1in the former trustees of schools of that township in the
2common school lands and township loanable funds of the
3township, and all records, moneys, securities and other assets,
4rights of property and causes of action pertaining to or
5constituting a part of those common school lands or township
6loanable funds, shall be transferred to and deemed vested by
7operation of law in the regional board of school trustees,
8which shall hold legal title to, manage and operate all common
9school lands and township loanable funds of the township,
10receive the rents, issues and profits therefrom, and have and
11exercise with respect thereto the same powers and duties as are
12provided by this Code to be exercised by regional boards of
13school trustees when acting as township land commissioners in
14counties having at least 220,000 but fewer than 2,000,000
15inhabitants; (iii) the regional board of school trustees shall
16select to serve as its treasurer with respect to the common
17school lands and township loanable funds of the township a
18person from time to time also serving as the appointed school
19treasurer of any school district that was subject to the
20jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and
21trustees of schools of that township at the time those offices
22were abolished, and the person selected to also serve as
23treasurer of the regional board of school trustees shall have
24his compensation for services in that capacity fixed by the
25regional board of school trustees, to be paid from the township
26loanable funds, and shall make to the regional board of school

 

 

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1trustees the reports required to be made by treasurers of
2township land commissioners, give bond as required by
3treasurers of township land commissioners, and perform the
4duties and exercise the powers of treasurers of township land
5commissioners; (iv) the regional board of school trustees shall
6designate in the manner provided by Section 8-7, insofar as
7applicable, a depositary for its treasurer, and the proceeds of
8all rents, issues and profits from the common school lands and
9township loanable funds of that township shall be deposited and
10held in the account maintained for those purposes with that
11depositary and shall be expended and distributed therefrom as
12provided in Section 15-24 and other applicable provisions of
13this Code; and (v) whenever there is vested in the trustees of
14schools of a township at the time that office is abolished
15under this subsection the legal title to any school buildings
16or school sites used or occupied for school purposes by any
17elementary school, high school or unit school district subject
18to the jurisdiction and authority of those trustees of school
19at the time that office is abolished, the legal title to those
20school buildings and school sites shall be deemed transferred
21by operation of law to and invested in the school board of that
22school district, in its corporate capacity under Section
2310-22.35B of this Code, the same to be held, sold, exchanged
24leased or otherwise transferred in accordance with applicable
25provisions of this Code.
26    Notwithstanding Section 2-3.25g of this Code, a waiver of a

 

 

HB5355- 18 -LRB101 16920 CMG 66319 b

1mandate established under this Section may not be requested.
2(Source: P.A. 100-374, eff. 8-25-17; 100-921, eff. 8-17-18.)
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.