102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3884

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Joyce Mason

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.12b new
105 ILCS 5/27A-5

    Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that a school construction project commenced on or after January 1, 2022 include the installation of a solar energy system or other renewable energy system. Provides that the project may also include the installation of a supplemental conventional energy system. Defines terms. Effective immediately.


LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3884LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 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 adding Section
52-3.12b and by changing Section 27A-5 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.12b new)
7    Sec. 2-3.12b. School construction; solar energy system
8required.
9    (a) As used in this Section:
10    "School construction project" means the building plan,
11design, and construction of a school building or structure in
12which the construction of the building or structure commences
13on or after January 1, 2022. "School construction project"
14does not include the reconstruction of, the rehabilitation of,
15or improvements to an building or structure in existence
16before January 1, 2022.
17    "Solar energy system" has the meaning ascribed to that
18term in the Comprehensive Solar Energy Act of 1977.
19    "Supplemental conventional energy system" has the meaning
20ascribed to that term in the Comprehensive Solar Energy Act of
211977.
22    (b) The State Board of Education shall require that a
23school construction project include the installation of a

 

 

HB3884- 2 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1solar energy system or other renewable energy system for the
2purpose of providing electricity, heating, or cooling to the
3school building or structure. In addition to the installation
4of the solar energy system or other renewable energy system, a
5supplemental conventional energy system may be installed.
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27A-5)
7    Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.
8    (a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian,
9nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter
10school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit
11corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity
12authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.
13    (b) A charter school may be established under this Article
14by creating a new school or by converting an existing public
15school or attendance center to charter school status.
16Beginning on April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act
1793-3), in all new applications to establish a charter school
18in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of
19the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes
20made to this Section by Public Act 93-3 do not apply to charter
21schools existing or approved on or before April 16, 2003 (the
22effective date of Public Act 93-3).
23    (b-5) In this subsection (b-5), "virtual-schooling" means
24a cyber school where students engage in online curriculum and
25instruction via the Internet and electronic communication with

 

 

HB3884- 3 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1their teachers at remote locations and with students
2participating at different times.
3    From April 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, there is a
4moratorium on the establishment of charter schools with
5virtual-schooling components in school districts other than a
6school district organized under Article 34 of this Code. This
7moratorium does not apply to a charter school with
8virtual-schooling components existing or approved prior to
9April 1, 2013 or to the renewal of the charter of a charter
10school with virtual-schooling components already approved
11prior to April 1, 2013.
12    (c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by
13its board of directors or other governing body in the manner
14provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter
15school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and
16the Open Meetings Act. No later than January 1, 2021 (one year
17after the effective date of Public Act 101-291) this
18amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, a charter
19school's board of directors or other governing body must
20include at least one parent or guardian of a pupil currently
21enrolled in the charter school who may be selected through the
22charter school or a charter network election, appointment by
23the charter school's board of directors or other governing
24body, or by the charter school's Parent Teacher Organization
25or its equivalent.
26    (c-5) No later than January 1, 2021 (one year after the

 

 

HB3884- 4 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1effective date of Public Act 101-291) this amendatory Act of
2the 101st General Assembly or within the first year of his or
3her first term, every voting member of a charter school's
4board of directors or other governing body shall complete a
5minimum of 4 hours of professional development leadership
6training to ensure that each member has sufficient familiarity
7with the board's or governing body's role and
8responsibilities, including financial oversight and
9accountability of the school, evaluating the principal's and
10school's performance, adherence to the Freedom of Information
11Act and the Open Meetings Act Acts, and compliance with
12education and labor law. In each subsequent year of his or her
13term, a voting member of a charter school's board of directors
14or other governing body shall complete a minimum of 2 hours of
15professional development training in these same areas. The
16training under this subsection may be provided or certified by
17a statewide charter school membership association or may be
18provided or certified by other qualified providers approved by
19the State Board of Education.
20    (d) For purposes of this subsection (d), "non-curricular
21health and safety requirement" means any health and safety
22requirement created by statute or rule to provide, maintain,
23preserve, or safeguard safe or healthful conditions for
24students and school personnel or to eliminate, reduce, or
25prevent threats to the health and safety of students and
26school personnel. "Non-curricular health and safety

 

 

HB3884- 5 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1requirement" does not include any course of study or
2specialized instructional requirement for which the State
3Board has established goals and learning standards or which is
4designed primarily to impart knowledge and skills for students
5to master and apply as an outcome of their education.
6    A charter school shall comply with all non-curricular
7health and safety requirements applicable to public schools
8under the laws of the State of Illinois. On or before September
91, 2015, the State Board shall promulgate and post on its
10Internet website a list of non-curricular health and safety
11requirements that a charter school must meet. The list shall
12be updated annually no later than September 1. Any charter
13contract between a charter school and its authorizer must
14contain a provision that requires the charter school to follow
15the list of all non-curricular health and safety requirements
16promulgated by the State Board and any non-curricular health
17and safety requirements added by the State Board to such list
18during the term of the charter. Nothing in this subsection (d)
19precludes an authorizer from including non-curricular health
20and safety requirements in a charter school contract that are
21not contained in the list promulgated by the State Board,
22including non-curricular health and safety requirements of the
23authorizing local school board.
24    (e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a
25charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a
26charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks,

 

 

HB3884- 6 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1instructional materials, and student activities.
2    (f) A charter school shall be responsible for the
3management and operation of its fiscal affairs including, but
4not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each
5charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an
6outside, independent contractor retained by the charter
7school. To ensure financial accountability for the use of
8public funds, on or before December 1 of every year of
9operation, each charter school shall submit to its authorizer
10and the State Board a copy of its audit and a copy of the Form
11990 the charter school filed that year with the federal
12Internal Revenue Service. In addition, if deemed necessary for
13proper financial oversight of the charter school, an
14authorizer may require quarterly financial statements from
15each charter school.
16    (g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of
17this Article, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act,
18all federal and State laws and rules applicable to public
19schools that pertain to special education and the instruction
20of English learners, and its charter. A charter school is
21exempt from all other State laws and regulations in this Code
22governing public schools and local school board policies;
23however, a charter school is not exempt from the following:
24        (1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code
25    regarding criminal history records checks and checks of
26    the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer

 

 

HB3884- 7 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1    and Violent Offender Against Youth Database of applicants
2    for employment;
3        (2) Sections 10-20.14, 10-22.6, 24-24, 34-19, and
4    34-84a of this Code regarding discipline of students;
5        (3) the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees
6    Tort Immunity Act;
7        (4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit
8    Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of
9    officers, directors, employees, and agents;
10        (5) the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;
11        (5.5) subsection (b) of Section 10-23.12 and
12    subsection (b) of Section 34-18.6 of this Code;
13        (6) the Illinois School Student Records Act;
14        (7) Section 10-17a of this Code regarding school
15    report cards;
16        (8) the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act;
17        (9) Section 27-23.7 of this Code regarding bullying
18    prevention;
19        (10) Section 2-3.162 of this Code regarding student
20    discipline reporting;
21        (11) Sections 22-80 and 27-8.1 of this Code;
22        (12) Sections 10-20.60 and 34-18.53 of this Code;
23        (13) Sections 10-20.63 and 34-18.56 of this Code;
24        (14) Section 26-18 of this Code;
25        (15) Section 22-30 of this Code; and
26        (16) Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code; .

 

 

HB3884- 8 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1        (17) the (16) The Seizure Smart School Act; and .
2        (18) Section 2-3.12b of this Code.
3    The change made by Public Act 96-104 to this subsection
4(g) is declaratory of existing law.
5    (h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a
6school district, the governing body of a State college or
7university or public community college, or any other public or
8for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a
9school building and grounds or any other real property or
10facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert
11for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and
12maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service,
13activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required
14to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter.
15However, a charter school that is established on or after
16April 16, 2003 (the effective date of Public Act 93-3) and that
17operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may
18not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the
19school during the period that commences on April 16, 2003 (the
20effective date of Public Act 93-3) and concludes at the end of
21the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection
22(i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter
23school reasonable rent for the use of the district's
24buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a
25charter school contracts with a school district shall be
26provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a

 

 

HB3884- 9 -LRB102 04109 CMG 14126 b

1charter school contracts with a local school board or with the
2governing body of a State college or university or public
3community college shall be provided by the public entity at
4cost.
5    (i) In no event shall a charter school that is established
6by converting an existing school or attendance center to
7charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is
8deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter
9agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other
10costs for the operation and maintenance of school district
11facilities that are used by the charter school shall be
12subject to negotiation between the charter school and the
13local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.
14    (j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age
15or grade level.
16    (k) If the charter school is approved by the State Board or
17Commission, then the charter school is its own local education
18agency.
19(Source: P.A. 100-29, eff. 1-1-18; 100-156, eff. 1-1-18;
20100-163, eff. 1-1-18; 100-413, eff. 1-1-18; 100-468, eff.
216-1-18; 100-726, eff. 1-1-19; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-50,
22eff. 7-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-291, eff. 1-1-20;
23101-531, eff. 8-23-19; 101-543, eff. 8-23-19; revised 8-4-20.)
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.