State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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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         Code regarding  criminal  background  investigations  of
11        applicants for employment;
12             (2)  Sections  24-24  and  34-84A of this 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.

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