HB5039 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 22170 CMG 31299 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5039

Introduced 1/27/2022, by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/1A-1	from Ch. 122, par. 1A-1
105 ILCS 5/1A-2	from Ch. 122, par. 1A-2
105 ILCS 5/1A-4	from Ch. 122, par. 1A-4

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides for the appointment of 2 nonvoting student members to the State Board of Education, selected from students who have served on the State Board of Education's Student Advisory Council, to serve for a one year term. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

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 Sections 1A-1, 1A-2, and 1A-4 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/1A-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 1A-1)

Sec. 1A-1. Members and terms.

(a) (Blank).

(b) The State Board of Education shall consist of 10 8 members and a chairperson, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate from a pattern of regional representation as follows: 2 appointees shall be selected from among those counties of the State other than Cook County and the 5 counties contiguous to Cook County, one of whom must represent the educator community; 2 appointees shall be selected from Cook County, one of whom shall be a resident of the City of Chicago and one of whom shall be a resident of that part of Cook County which lies outside the city limits of Chicago and of whom one must represent the educator community; 2 appointees shall be selected from among the 5 counties of the State that are contiguous to Cook County, one of whom must represent the educator community; and 3 members shall be selected as members-at-large (one of which shall be the chairperson); and 2 nonvoting student members shall be selected from students who have served on the State Board of Education's Student Advisory Council. With respect to the educator community appointments, no more than one member may be employed as a district superintendent, principal, school business official, or teacher and no more than one may be employed by the same school district or school. The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly apply to appointments made after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly. The Governor who takes office on the second Monday of January after his or her election shall be the person who nominates members to fill vacancies whose terms begin after that date and before the term of the next Governor begins.

The term of each member of the State Board of Education whose term expires on January 12, 2005 shall instead terminate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. Of these 3 seats, (i) the member initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly whose seat was vacant on April 27, 2004 shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2009 and (ii) the other 2 members initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2007.

The term of the member of the State Board of Education whose seat was vacant on April 27, 2004 and whose term expires on January 10, 2007 shall instead terminate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The member initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly to fill this seat shall be the chairperson and shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2007.

The term of the member of the State Board of Education whose seat was vacant on May 28, 2004 but after April 27, 2004 and whose term expires on January 10, 2007 shall instead terminate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The member initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly to fill this seat shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2007.

The term of the other member of the State Board of Education whose term expires on January 10, 2007 shall instead terminate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The member initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly to fill this seat shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2007.

The term of the member of the State Board of Education whose term expires on January 14, 2009 and who was selected from among the 5 counties of the State that are contiguous to Cook County and is a resident of Lake County shall instead terminate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The member initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly to fill this seat shall serve until the second Wednesday of January, 2009.

Upon expiration of the terms of the members initially appointed under this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and members whose terms were not terminated by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, their respective successors shall be appointed for terms of 4 years, from the second Wednesday in January of each odd numbered year and until their respective successors are appointed and qualified.

(c) Of the 4 members, excluding the chairperson, whose terms expire on the second Wednesday of January, 2007 and every 4 years thereafter, one of those members must be an at-large member and at no time may more than 2 of those members be from one political party. Of the 4 members whose terms expire on the second Wednesday of January, 2009 and every 4 years thereafter, one of those members must be an at-large member and at no time may more than 2 of those members be from one political party. Party membership is defined as having voted in the primary of the party in the last primary before appointment.

(c-5) The 2 additional student members appointed under this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall be appointed for a term to expire on the second Wednesday in January, 2023, and their respective successors shall be appointed for terms of one year, from the second Wednesday in January of each year and until their respective successors are appointed and qualified.

(d) Vacancies in terms shall be filled by appointment by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for the extent of the unexpired term. If a vacancy in membership occurs at a time when the Senate is not in session, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, when the Governor shall appoint a person to fill that membership for the remainder of its term. If the Senate is not in session when appointments for a full term are made, the appointments shall be made as in the case of vacancies.

(Source: P.A. 100-1135, eff. 11-28-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/1A-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 1A-2)

Sec. 1A-2. Qualifications. The members of the State Board of Education shall be citizens of the United States and residents of the State of Illinois and shall be selected as far as may be practicable on the basis of their knowledge of, or interest and experience in, problems of public education. No member of the State Board of Education shall benefit from funds provided by the State Board of Education to an institution of higher learning, public or private, within Illinois, nor shall members be school trustees of a public or nonpublic college, university or technical institution within Illinois. No member shall be appointed to more than 2 4-year terms, except that a student member shall be appointed to no more than one one-year term. Members shall be reimbursed for all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties as members of the Board. Expenses shall be approved by the Board and be consistent with the laws, policies, and requirements of the State of Illinois regarding such expenditures, plus any member may include in his or her claim for expenses $50 per day for meeting days.

(Source: P.A. 100-1135, eff. 11-28-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/1A-4) (from Ch. 122, par. 1A-4)

Sec. 1A-4. Powers and duties of the Board.

A. (Blank).

B. The Board shall determine the qualifications of and appoint a chief education officer, to be known as the State Superintendent of Education, who may be proposed by the Governor and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board and pursuant to a performance-based contract linked to statewide student performance and academic improvement within Illinois schools. Upon expiration or buyout of the contract of the State Superintendent of Education in office on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, a State Superintendent of Education shall be appointed by a State Board of Education that includes the 7 new Board members who were appointed to fill seats of members whose terms were terminated on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. Thereafter, a State Superintendent of Education must, at a minimum, be appointed at the beginning of each term of a Governor after that Governor has made appointments to the Board. A performance-based contract issued for the employment of a State Superintendent of Education entered into on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly must expire no later than February 1, 2007, and subsequent contracts must expire no later than February 1 each 4 years thereafter. No contract shall be extended or renewed beyond February 1, 2007 and February 1 each 4 years thereafter, but a State Superintendent of Education shall serve until his or her successor is appointed. Each contract entered into on or before January 8, 2007 with a State Superintendent of Education must provide that the State Board of Education may terminate the contract for cause, and the State Board of Education shall not thereafter be liable for further payments under the contract. With regard to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, it is the intent of the General Assembly that, beginning with the Governor who takes office on the second Monday of January, 2007, a State Superintendent of Education be appointed at the beginning of each term of a Governor after that Governor has made appointments to the Board. The State Superintendent of Education shall not serve as a member of the State Board of Education. The Board shall set the compensation of the State Superintendent of Education who shall serve as the Board's chief executive officer. The Board shall also establish the duties, powers and responsibilities of the State Superintendent, which shall be included in the State Superintendent's performance-based contract along with the goals and indicators of student performance and academic improvement used to measure the performance and effectiveness of the State Superintendent. The State Board of Education may delegate to the State Superintendent of Education the authority to act on the Board's behalf, provided such delegation is made pursuant to adopted board policy or the powers delegated are ministerial in nature. The State Board may not delegate authority under this Section to the State Superintendent to (1) nonrecognize school districts, (2) withhold State payments as a penalty, or (3) make final decisions under the contested case provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act unless otherwise provided by law.

C. The powers and duties of the State Board of Education shall encompass all duties delegated to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction on January 12, 1975, except as the law providing for such powers and duties is thereafter amended, and such other powers and duties as the General Assembly shall designate. The Board shall be responsible for the educational policies and guidelines for public schools, pre-school through grade 12 and Vocational Education in the State of Illinois. The Board shall analyze the present and future aims, needs, and requirements of education in the State of Illinois and recommend to the General Assembly the powers which should be exercised by the Board. The Board shall recommend the passage and the legislation necessary to determine the appropriate relationship between the Board and local boards of education and the various State agencies and shall recommend desirable modifications in the laws which affect schools.

D. Two members of the Board shall be appointed by the chairperson to serve on a standing joint Education Committee, 2 others shall be appointed from the Board of Higher Education, 2 others shall be appointed by the chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board, and 2 others shall be appointed by the chairperson of the Human Resource Investment Council. The Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations concerning the submission of any workforce development plan or workforce training program required by federal law or under any block grant authority. The Committee will be responsible for developing policy on matters of mutual concern to elementary, secondary and higher education such as Occupational and Career Education, Teacher Preparation and Certification, Educational Finance, Articulation between Elementary, Secondary and Higher Education and Research and Planning. The joint Education Committee shall meet at least quarterly and submit an annual report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the State Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Human Resource Investment Council, the Governor, and the General Assembly. All meetings of this Committee shall be official meetings for reimbursement under this Act. On the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the Joint Education Committee is abolished.

E. Six Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of the members appointed, confirmed and serving on the Board is required to approve any action, except that the 7 new Board members who were appointed to fill seats of members whose terms were terminated on the effective date of this amendatory act of the 93rd General Assembly may vote to approve actions when appointed and serving.

Using the most recently available data, the Board shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 14, 1976 and annually thereafter a report or reports of its findings and recommendations. Such annual report shall contain a separate section which provides a critique and analysis of the status of education in Illinois and which identifies its specific problems and recommends express solutions therefor. Such annual report also shall contain the following information for the preceding year ending on June 30: each act or omission of a school district of which the State Board of Education has knowledge as a consequence of scheduled, approved visits and which constituted a failure by the district to comply with applicable State or federal laws or regulations relating to public education, the name of such district, the date or dates on which the State Board of Education notified the school district of such act or omission, and what action, if any, the school district took with respect thereto after being notified thereof by the State Board of Education. The report shall also include the statewide high school dropout rate by grade level, sex and race and the annual student dropout rate of and the number of students who graduate from, transfer from or otherwise leave bilingual programs. The Auditor General shall annually perform a compliance audit of the State Board of Education's performance of the reporting duty imposed by this amendatory Act of 1986. A regular system of communication with other directly related State agencies shall be implemented.

The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report with the Speaker, the Minority Leader and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the President, the Minority Leader and the Secretary of the Senate and the Legislative Council, as required by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and filing such additional copies with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.

F. Upon appointment of the 7 new Board members who were appointed to fill seats of members whose terms were terminated on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the Board shall review all of its current rules in an effort to streamline procedures, improve efficiency, and eliminate unnecessary forms and paperwork.

(Source: P.A. 95-626, eff. 6-1-08; 95-793, eff. 1-1-09.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.