Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie

Filed: 11/28/2012

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 547

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 547, AS AMENDED,
3with reference to page and line numbers of House Amendment No.
41, on page 1, lines 4 and 5, by changing "Section 34-210" to
5"Sections 34-210, 34-225, and 34-230"; and
 
6on page 1, line 13, by changing "January 1, 2014" to "October
71, 2013"; and
 
8on page 3, line 4, by changing "July 1, 2013" to "May 1, 2013";
9and
 
10on page 4, by inserting after line 13 the following:
 
11    "(105 ILCS 5/34-225)
12    Sec. 34-225. School transition plans.
13    (a) If the Board approves a school action, the chief
14executive officer or his or her designee shall work

 

 

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1collaboratively with local school educators and families of
2students attending a school that is the subject of a school
3action to ensure successful integration of affected students
4into new learning environments.
5    (b) The chief executive officer or his or her designee
6shall prepare and implement a school transition plan to support
7students attending a school that is the subject of a school
8action that accomplishes the goals of this Section. The chief
9executive must identify and commit specific resources for
10implementation of the school transition plan for a minimum of
11the full first academic year after the board approves a school
12action.
13    (c) The school transition plan shall include the following:
14        (1) services to support the academic, social, and
15    emotional needs of students; supports for students with
16    disabilities, homeless students, and English language
17    learners; and support to address security and safety
18    issues;
19        (2) options to enroll in higher performing schools;
20        (3) informational briefings regarding the choice of
21    schools that include all pertinent information to enable
22    the parent or guardian and child to make an informed
23    choice, including the option to visit the schools of choice
24    prior to making a decision; and
25        (4) the provision of appropriate transportation where
26    practicable.

 

 

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1    (d) When implementing a school action, the Board must make
2reasonable and demonstrated efforts to ensure that:
3        (1) Affected students receive a comparable level of
4    social support services provided by Chicago Public Schools
5    that were available at the previous school, provided that
6    the need for such social support services continue to
7    exist; and
8        (2) Class sizes of any receiving school do not exceed
9    those established under the Chicago Public Schools policy
10    regarding class size, subject to principal discretion.
11(Source: P.A. 97-473, eff. 1-1-12; 97-474, eff. 8-22-11;
1297-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
 
13    (105 ILCS 5/34-230)
14    Sec. 34-230. School action public meetings and hearings.
15    (a) By October November 1 of each year, the chief executive
16officer shall prepare and publish guidelines for school
17actions. The guidelines shall outline the academic and
18non-academic criteria for a school action. These guidelines
19shall be created with the involvement of local school councils,
20parents, educators, and community organizations. These
21guidelines, and each subsequent revision, shall be subject to a
22public comment period of at least 21 days before their
23approval.
24    (b) The chief executive officer shall announce all proposed
25school actions to be taken at the close of the current academic

 

 

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1year consistent with the guidelines by December 1 of each year.
2    (c) On or before December 1 of each year, the chief
3executive officer shall publish notice of the proposed school
4actions.
5        (1) Notice of the proposal for a school action shall
6    include a written statement of the basis for the school
7    action, an explanation of how the school action meets the
8    criteria set forth in the guidelines, and a draft School
9    Transition Plan identifying the items required in Section
10    34-225 of this Code for all schools affected by the school
11    action. The notice shall state the date, time, and place of
12    the hearing or meeting.
13        (2) The chief executive officer or his or her designee
14    shall provide notice to the principal, staff, local school
15    council, and parents or guardians of any school that is
16    subject to the proposed school action.
17        (3) The chief executive officer shall provide written
18    notice of any proposed school action to the State Senator,
19    State Representative, and alderman for the school or
20    schools that are subject to the proposed school action.
21        (4) The chief executive officer shall publish notice of
22    proposed school actions on the district's Internet
23    website.
24        (5) The chief executive officer shall provide notice of
25    proposed school actions at least 30 calendar days in
26    advance of a public hearing or meeting. The notice shall

 

 

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1    state the date, time, and place of the hearing or meeting.
2    No Board decision regarding a proposed school action may
3    take place less than 60 days after the announcement of the
4    proposed school action.
5    (d) The chief executive officer shall publish a brief
6summary of the proposed school actions and the date, time, and
7place of the hearings or meetings in a newspaper of general
8circulation.
9    (e) The chief executive officer shall designate at least 3
10opportunities to elicit public comment at a hearing or meeting
11on a proposed school action and shall do the following:
12        (1) Convene at least one public hearing at the
13    centrally located office of the Board.
14        (2) Convene at least 2 additional public hearings or
15    meetings at a location convenient to the school community
16    subject to the proposed school action.
17    (f) Public hearings shall be conducted by a qualified
18independent hearing officer chosen from a list of independent
19hearing officers. The general counsel shall compile and publish
20a list of independent hearing officers by November 1 of each
21school year. The independent hearing officer shall have the
22following qualifications:
23        (1) he or she must be a licensed attorney eligible to
24    practice law in Illinois;
25        (2) he or she must not be an employee of the Board; and
26        (3) he or she must not have represented the Board, its

 

 

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1    employees or any labor organization representing its
2    employees, any local school council, or any charter or
3    contract school in any capacity within the last year.
4    (4) The independent hearing officer shall issue a written
5report that summarizes the hearing and determines whether the
6chief executive officer complied with the requirements of this
7Section and the guidelines.
8    (5) The chief executive officer shall publish the report on
9the district's Internet website within 5 calendar days after
10receiving the report and at least 15 days prior to any Board
11action being taken.
12    (g) Public meetings shall be conducted by a representative
13of the chief executive officer. A summary of the public meeting
14shall be published on the district's Internet website within 5
15calendar days after the meeting.
16    (h) If the chief executive officer proposes a school action
17without following the mandates set forth in this Section, the
18proposed school action shall not be approved by the Board
19during the school year in which the school action was proposed.
20(Source: P.A. 97-473, eff. 1-1-12; 97-474, eff. 8-22-11;
2197-813, eff. 7-13-12; revised 10-17-12.)".