Bill Text: IL SB2134 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the application of the Article and definitions.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2011-08-12 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0357 [SB2134 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-SB2134-Engrossed.html

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

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

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

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

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