Public Act 103-0497
 
SB1787 EnrolledLRB103 25387 RJT 51733 b

    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 adding Section
22-95 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/22-95 new)
    Sec. 22-95. Rural Education Advisory Council.
    (a) The Rural Education Advisory Council is created as a
statewide advisory council to exchange thoughtful dialogue
concerning the needs, challenges, and opportunities of rural
schools districts and to provide policy recommendations to the
State. The Council shall perform all of the following
functions:
        (1) Convey and impart the perspective of rural
    communities and provide context during policy discussions
    on various statewide issues with the State Superintendent
    of Education.
        (2) Present to the State Superintendent of Education
    the opportunity to speak directly with representatives of
    rural communities on various policy and legal issues, to
    present feedback on critical issues facing rural
    communities, to generate ideas, and to communicate
    information to the State Superintendent.
        (3) Provide feedback about this State's
    pre-kindergarten through grade 12 practices and policies
    so that the application of policies in rural areas may be
    more fully understood.
    (b) The Council shall consist of all of the following
members:
        (1) The State Superintendent of Education or his or
    her designee.
        (2) One representative of an association representing
    rural and small schools, appointed by the State
    Superintendent of Education.
        (3) Five superintendents of rural school districts who
    represent 3 super-regions of this State and who are
    recommended by an association representing rural and small
    schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of
    Education.
        (4) One principal from a rural school district
    recommended by a statewide organization representing
    school principals, appointed by the State Superintendent
    of Education.
        (5) One representative from a rural school district
    recommended by a statewide organization representing
    school boards, appointed by the State Superintendent of
    Education.
        (6) One representative of a statewide organization
    representing district superintendents, appointed by the
    State Superintendent of Education.
        (7) One representative of a statewide organization
    representing regional superintendents of schools,
    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
        (8) One student who is at least 15 years old, who is a
    member of the State Board of Education's Student Advisory
    Council, and who is from a rural school district,
    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
    Council members must reflect, as much as possible, the
racial and ethnic diversity of this State.
    Council members shall serve without compensation but shall
be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from
funds appropriated to the State Board of Education for that
purpose, subject to the rules of the appropriate travel
control board.
    (c) The Council shall meet initially at the call of the
State Superintendent of Education, shall select one member as
chairperson at its initial meeting, and shall thereafter meet
at the call of the chairperson.
    (d) The State Board of Education shall provide
administrative and other support to the Council as needed.
    (e) The Council is dissolved and this Section is repealed
on December 31, 2031.

Effective Date: 1/1/2024