(105 ILCS 5/3A-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 3A-13)
Sec. 3A-13.
Petition for Consolidation.
If a majority of those
voting in the disconnection election favor disconnection and requesting
consolidation with another educational service region, the regional
superintendent shall notify, within 30 days of the declaration of
official results, the regional board of school trustees for the
educational service region approved by the voters in the election of the
official results. When the official results are received, the regional
board of school trustees shall conduct a hearing on the petition, after
notice of hearing has been published once, not more than 15 nor less
than 10 days before the day of the hearing, in one or more newspapers
having general circulation in the region and in one or more newspapers
having general circulation in the county which is petitioning for the
consolidation. The secretary of the regional board of school trustees
shall notify the secretary of each school board affected by the proposed
consolidation, the chairman of the county board of each county affected
thereby and the State
Superintendent of Education that the petition has been filed. The
notice shall state the prayer of the petition and the date, time and
place of the hearing. The State Board of Education shall pay the
expenses of the hearing. Evidence admissible at the hearing shall
include, but not be limited to, the school needs and conditions in the
territory affected by the proposed consolidation, whether or not the
area is compact and contiguous; and whether or not the proposed
consolidation would be in the best interests of the schools in the area
and the educational welfare of the pupils of these schools. A record of
the proceedings shall be kept and a competent reporter shall be employed
to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all testimony. At the hearing
each resident of the region or of the county petitioning for
consolidation shall have the rights provided for residents under Section
7-6 and the final order of the regional board of school trustees shall
be subject to review as provided in Sections 7-6 and 7-7.
Within 10 days of the hearing the regional board of school trustees
shall meet and render a decision with regard to the hearing on the
petition. A copy of the final decision of the regional board of school
trustees shall be filed with the State Board of Education within 30 days
after the conclusion of the hearing. If the regional board of school
trustees renders a decision approving the consolidation, the region and
the county shall be consolidated into a single educational service
region and the State Board of Education shall notify all interested
parties, including the county clerks of the counties affected thereby
and the Secretary of State. The effective date of the consolidation
shall be immediately after the time for appeal of the order of
consolidation has passed or after the final disposition of any appeal
taken from a consolidation order.
If the regional board of school trustees renders a decision denying
the consolidation, a majority of the school boards located within the
county disconnected, upon the adoption of appropriate resolutions, may
petition another educational service region for consolidation. The
proceedings on this petition shall be consistent with this Section.
(Source: P.A. 86-1028.)
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