SB2134eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY



 


 
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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 changing Section
53-15.14 and by adding Sections 3-15.14a and 17-1.1 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/3-15.14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.14)
7    Sec. 3-15.14. Cooperative Educational and Operational
8Programs. To administer and direct a cooperative or joint
9educational or operational program or project when 2 or more
10districts request and authorize him or her to provide and
11administer these services. Each regional superintendent of
12schools is encouraged to offer school districts the opportunity
13to share in joint educational or operational programs and to
14urge school districts to participate in such programs when the
15school district determines that such participation is fiscally
16prudent. The regional superintendent of schools He may provide
17and contract for the staff, space, necessary materials,
18supplies, books and apparatus for such agreements. The school
19boards of the respective districts shall pay to the regional
20superintendent the pro rata share of the expenses of the
21operation of such programs, and the regional superintendent
22shall use such funds in payment of such operational expenses.
23The regional superintendent shall collect and remit the

 

 

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1required pension contributions from the participating
2districts if the board of control of the program participates
3in Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code.
4    A board of control composed of one member from each
5cooperating district and one member from the office of the
6regional superintendent will set policy for the cooperative.
7The agreement establishing the cooperative may provide that the
8cooperative shall act as its own administrative district and
9shall be an entity separate and apart from the Educational
10Service Region.
11    Each regional superintendent that is the administrator of a
12joint agreement shall cause an annual financial statement to be
13submitted on forms prescribed by the State Board of Education
14exhibiting the financial condition of the program established
15pursuant to the joint agreement for the fiscal year ending on
16the immediately preceding June 30.
17    The regional superintendent may also administer, direct
18and account for educational programs of single or multi-county
19educational service region, or of multi-regional design which
20are sponsored and financed by State or federal educational
21agencies, or by both such agencies. In cases where funding for
22any such approved program is delayed, the regional
23superintendent may borrow the funds required to begin operation
24of the program in accordance with the terms of the grant; and
25the principal amount so borrowed, together with the interest
26due thereon, shall be paid from the grant moneys when received.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 83-815; 86-1332.)
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/3-15.14a new)
3    Sec. 3-15.14a. Shared services. The regional
4superintendent of schools may, at the request of a school
5district, present to the school district possible services and
6functions that multiple schools may share or consolidate. Such
7services and functions may include, but are not limited to,
8bidding and purchasing, office functions such as payroll and
9accounting, information technology, professional development,
10grant writing, food service management, or administrative
11positions. Regional superintendents of schools may share best
12financial practices with school districts that are exploring
13new methods to become more financially efficient.
 
14    (105 ILCS 5/17-1.1 new)
15    Sec. 17-1.1. Shared service reporting and fiscal
16efficiency.
17    (a) Annually, each school district shall complete a report
18developed by the State Board of Education, to accompany the
19annual financial report and to be published on the State Board
20of Education's Internet website, that summarizes district
21attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services
22or outsourcing in the prior fiscal year. The report must be
23primarily in checklist form and approximately one page in
24length. It shall include, but shall not be limited to, the

 

 

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1incidence of the following shared service options: insurance;
2employee benefits; transportation; personnel recruitment;
3shared personnel; technology services; energy purchasing;
4supply and equipment purchasing; food services; legal
5services; investment pools; special education cooperatives,
6vocational cooperatives, and other shared educational
7programs; curriculum planning; professional development;
8custodial services; maintenance services; grounds maintenance
9services; food services; grant writing; and science,
10technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program
11offerings. The report shall also include a list of potential
12shared services or outsourcing the district may consider or
13investigate for the next fiscal year and any anticipated
14barriers to implementation. This report must be approved by the
15school board and published on the Internet website of the
16school district, if any.
17    (b) Based on data supplied by school districts through the
18annual financial report, regional superintendents of schools
19shall publish annually a regional report summarizing district
20attempts to improve fiscal efficiency through shared services
21or outsourcing within the educational service region. This
22report shall include a list of all joint purchasing
23initiatives, joint agreements between districts, attempts to
24reduce or eliminate duplication of services and duplicative
25expenditures, and identification of any overlapping regional
26service delivery systems.

 

 

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1    (c) For school districts required to develop and submit to
2the State Board of Education a deficit reduction plan under
3Section 17-1 of this Code, the regional superintendent of
4schools and the school district shall jointly prepare a shared
5services and outsourcing plan that considers actions that may
6improve the district's fiscal efficiency and how future savings
7associated with shared services or outsourcing are to be
8utilized.