Public Act 097-0925
 
HB4043 EnrolledLRB097 16996 NHT 62187 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
11E-70 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/11E-70)
    Sec. 11E-70. Effective date of change.
    (a) Except as provided in subsection (a-5) of this Section,
if If a petition is filed under the authority of this Article,
the change is granted and approved at election, and no appeal
is taken, then the change shall become effective after the time
for appeal has run for the purpose of all elections; however,
the change shall not affect the administration of the schools
until July 1 following the date that the school board election
is held for the new district or districts and the school boards
of the districts as they existed prior to the change shall
exercise the same power and authority over the territory until
that date.
    (a-5) If a petition is filed under the authority of this
Article for the consolidation of Christopher Unit School
District 99 and Zeigler-Royalton Community Unit School
District 188, the change is granted and approved at election,
and no appeal is taken, then the change shall become effective
after one or both of the school districts have been awarded
school construction grants under the School Construction Law.
    (b) If any school district is dissolved in accordance with
this Article, upon the close of the then current school year,
the terms of office of the school board of the dissolved
district shall terminate.
    (c) New districts shall be permitted to organize and elect
officers within the time prescribed by the general election
law. Additionally, between the date of the organization and the
election of officers and the date on which the new district
takes effect for all purposes, the new district shall also be
permitted, with the stipulation of the districts from which the
new district is formed and the approval of the regional
superintendent of schools, to take all action necessary or
appropriate to do the following:
        (1) Establish the tax levy for the new district, in
    lieu of the levies by the districts from which the new
    district is formed, within the time generally provided by
    law and in accordance with this Article. The funds produced
    by the levy shall be transferred to the new district as
    generally provided by law at such time as they are received
    by the county collector.
        (2) Enter into agreements with depositories and direct
    the deposit and investment of any funds received from the
    county collector or any other source, all as generally
    provided by law.
        (3) Conduct a search for the superintendent of the new
    district and enter into a contract with the person selected
    to serve as the superintendent of the new district in
    accordance with the provisions of this Code generally
    applicable to the employment of a superintendent.
        (4) Conduct a search for other administrators and staff
    of the new district and enter into a contract with these
    persons in accordance with the provisions of this Code
    generally applicable to the employment of administrators
    and other staff.
        (5) Engage the services of accountants, architects,
    attorneys, and other consultants, including but not
    limited to consultants to assist in the search for the
    superintendent.
        (6) Plan for the transition from the administration of
    the schools by the districts from which the new district is
    formed.
        (7) Bargain collectively, pursuant to the Illinois
    Educational Labor Relations Act, with the certified
    exclusive bargaining representative or certified exclusive
    bargaining representatives of the new district's
    employees.
        (8) Expend the funds received from the levy and any
    funds received from the districts from which the new
    district is formed to meet payroll and other essential
    operating expenses or otherwise in the exercise of the
    foregoing powers until the new district takes effect for
    all purposes.
        (9) Issue bonds authorized in the proposition to form
    the new district or bonds pursuant to and in accordance
    with all of the requirements of Section 17-2.11 of this
    Code, levy taxes upon all of the taxable property within
    the new district to pay the principal of and interest on
    those bonds as provided by statute, expend the proceeds of
    the bonds and enter into any necessary contracts for the
    work financed therewith as authorized by statute, and avail
    itself of the provisions of other applicable law, including
    the Omnibus Bond Acts, in connection with the issuance of
    those bonds.
    (d) After the granting of a petition has become final and
approved at election, the date when the change becomes
effective for purposes of administration and attendance may be
accelerated or postponed by stipulation of the school board of
each district affected and approval by the regional
superintendent of schools with which the original petition is
required to be filed.
(Source: P.A. 94-1019, eff. 7-10-06.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.