SB0621 EngrossedLRB097 04371 NHT 44410 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
510-22.22e as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-22.22e new)
7    Sec. 10-22.22e. Science and mathematics partnership
8school.
9    (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
10contrary and subject to the provisions of this Section, 4 or
11more contiguous school districts with all or portion of their
12territory located within the geographic boundaries of the same
13municipality may, when in their judgment the interest of the
14districts and of the students therein will be best served,
15jointly operate, through an institution of higher education
16located in the municipality, a science and mathematics
17partnership school for serving some or all of grades
18kindergarten through 8. The partnership school may (i) restrict
19attendance to pupils who reside within the geographic
20boundaries of the areas served by the school districts and (ii)
21select students for enrollment based on admission criteria that
22focuses on academic proficiency in science and mathematics
23established by the partnership school and approved by the

 

 

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1districts' school boards; however, in no case may the
2partnership school discriminate on the basis of disability,
3race, creed, color, gender, national origin, religion,
4ancestry, marital status, or need for special education
5services in the establishment of its attendance boundaries or
6in the selection of students for enrollment. The number of
7students enrolled from each school district shall be
8approximately equal in number. If there are more students
9eligible for enrollment in the partnership school from a school
10district than there are spaces available, eligible students
11must be selected by lottery.
12    (b) The school board of each school district shall, by
13proper resolution, enter into the joint operation of the
14partnership school. The school boards of the participating
15districts shall execute a partnership school contract with the
16institution of higher education for the joint operation,
17subject to the provisions of this Section. The agreement for
18joint operation of the partnership school shall include, but
19not be limited to, provisions for administration, staff,
20programs, financing, facilities, and transportation.
21    (c) Each participating school district shall pay its per
22capita cost of educating the students residing in the district
23and attending the partnership school for the maintenance and
24operation of the partnership school. The manner of determining
25per capita cost must be set forth in the agreement. Each
26district shall pay the amount owed under the terms of the

 

 

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1agreement from the fund that the district would have used if
2the district had incurred the costs directly and may levy taxes
3and issue bonds as otherwise authorized for these purposes in
4order to make payments.
5    (d) The teachers and other non-administrative, certified
6employees who work in the partnership school must be selected
7according to criteria established by the partnership school and
8agreed to by the school districts' school boards. The number of
9such employees selected from each school district must be
10approximately equal in number. Their selection must be for a
112-year or 4-year period, upon the completion of which they must
12be assigned to a comparable position in the school from which
13they were selected. While working in the partnership school,
14these employees shall remain employees of and be paid by the
15school district from which they were selected, and their wages
16and benefits must be the same as if they were teaching or
17otherwise working in that district, provided that additional
18wages and benefits may be provided to these teachers and other
19staff if the participating school districts and the exclusive
20bargaining representatives of their teachers and other staff
21agree. The contractual continued service status of a teacher
22and the retirement benefits of those employees who accept work
23with the partnership school must not be affected. A school term
24worked in the partnership school must be considered a school
25term worked in the school district from which the employees
26were selected for contractual continued service attainment

 

 

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1purposes. The time spent in employment with a participating
2district by any teacher who has not yet entered upon
3contractual continued service and accepts selection to work in
4the partnership school is not lost when computing the time
5necessary for the teacher to enter upon contractual continued
6service.