Bill Text: IL HB2889 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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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 powers of the board.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-04-03 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2889 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB2889-Introduced.html

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 HB2889 Introduced 2/24/2009, by Rep. Tom Cross SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/34-18 from Ch. 122, par. 34-18
Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the powers of the board.
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A BILL FOR
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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
34-18 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/34-18) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18)
Sec. 34-18. Powers of the board. The The board shall
exercise general supervision and jurisdiction over the public
education and the public school system of the city, and, except
as otherwise provided by this Article, shall have power:
1. To make suitable provision for the establishment and
maintenance throughout the year or for such portion thereof
as it may direct, not less than 9 months, of schools of all
grades and kinds, including normal schools, high schools,
night schools, schools for defectives and delinquents,
parental and truant schools, schools for the blind, the
deaf and the crippled, schools or classes in manual
training, constructural and vocational teaching, domestic
arts and physical culture, vocation and extension schools
and lecture courses, and all other educational courses and
facilities, including establishing, equipping, maintaining
and operating playgrounds and recreational programs, when
such programs are conducted in, adjacent to, or connected

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with any public school under the general supervision and
jurisdiction of the board; provided that the calendar for
the school term and any changes must be submitted to and
approved by the State Board of Education before the
calendar or changes may take effect, and provided that in
allocating funds from year to year for the operation of all
attendance centers within the district, the board shall
ensure that supplemental general State aid funds are
allocated and applied in accordance with Section 18-8 or
18-8.05. To admit to such schools without charge foreign
exchange students who are participants in an organized
exchange student program which is authorized by the board.
The board shall permit all students to enroll in
apprenticeship programs in trade schools operated by the
board, whether those programs are union-sponsored or not.
No student shall be refused admission into or be excluded
from any course of instruction offered in the common
schools by reason of that student's sex. No student shall
be denied equal access to physical education and
interscholastic athletic programs supported from school
district funds or denied participation in comparable
physical education and athletic programs solely by reason
of the student's sex. Equal access to programs supported
from school district funds and comparable programs will be
defined in rules promulgated by the State Board of
Education in consultation with the Illinois High School

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Association. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Article, neither the board of education nor any local
school council or other school official shall recommend
that children with disabilities be placed into regular
education classrooms unless those children with
disabilities are provided with supplementary services to
assist them so that they benefit from the regular classroom
instruction and are included on the teacher's regular
education class register;
2. To furnish lunches to pupils, to make a reasonable
charge therefor, and to use school funds for the payment of
such expenses as the board may determine are necessary in
conducting the school lunch program;
3. To co-operate with the circuit court;
4. To make arrangements with the public or quasi-public
libraries and museums for the use of their facilities by
teachers and pupils of the public schools;
5. To employ dentists and prescribe their duties for
the purpose of treating the pupils in the schools, but
accepting such treatment shall be optional with parents or
guardians;
6. To grant the use of assembly halls and classrooms
when not otherwise needed, including light, heat, and
attendants, for free public lectures, concerts, and other
educational and social interests, free of charge, under
such provisions and control as the principal of the

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affected attendance center may prescribe;
7. To apportion the pupils to the several schools;
provided that no pupil shall be excluded from or segregated
in any such school on account of his color, race, sex, or
nationality. The board shall take into consideration the
prevention of segregation and the elimination of
separation of children in public schools because of color,
race, sex, or nationality. Except that children may be
committed to or attend parental and social adjustment
schools established and maintained either for boys or girls
only. All records pertaining to the creation, alteration or
revision of attendance areas shall be open to the public.
Nothing herein shall limit the board's authority to
establish multi-area attendance centers or other student
assignment systems for desegregation purposes or
otherwise, and to apportion the pupils to the several
schools. Furthermore, beginning in school year 1994-95,
pursuant to a board plan adopted by October 1, 1993, the
board shall offer, commencing on a phased-in basis, the
opportunity for families within the school district to
apply for enrollment of their children in any attendance
center within the school district which does not have
selective admission requirements approved by the board.
The appropriate geographical area in which such open
enrollment may be exercised shall be determined by the
board of education. Such children may be admitted to any

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such attendance center on a space available basis after all
children residing within such attendance center's area
have been accommodated. If the number of applicants from
outside the attendance area exceed the space available,
then successful applicants shall be selected by lottery.
The board of education's open enrollment plan must include
provisions that allow low income students to have access to
transportation needed to exercise school choice. Open
enrollment shall be in compliance with the provisions of
the Consent Decree and Desegregation Plan cited in Section
34-1.01;
8. To approve programs and policies for providing
transportation services to students. Nothing herein shall
be construed to permit or empower the State Board of
Education to order, mandate, or require busing or other
transportation of pupils for the purpose of achieving
racial balance in any school;
9. Subject to the limitations in this Article, to
establish and approve system-wide curriculum objectives
and standards, including graduation standards, which
reflect the multi-cultural diversity in the city and are
consistent with State law, provided that for all purposes
of this Article courses or proficiency in American Sign
Language shall be deemed to constitute courses or
proficiency in a foreign language; and to employ principals
and teachers, appointed as provided in this Article, and

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fix their compensation. The board shall prepare such
reports related to minimal competency testing as may be
requested by the State Board of Education, and in addition
shall monitor and approve special education and bilingual
education programs and policies within the district to
assure that appropriate services are provided in
accordance with applicable State and federal laws to
children requiring services and education in those areas;
10. To employ non-teaching personnel or utilize
volunteer personnel for: (i) non-teaching duties not
requiring instructional judgment or evaluation of pupils,
including library duties; and (ii) supervising study
halls, long distance teaching reception areas used
incident to instructional programs transmitted by
electronic media such as computers, video, and audio,
detention and discipline areas, and school-sponsored
extracurricular activities. The board may further utilize
volunteer non-certificated personnel or employ
non-certificated personnel to assist in the instruction of
pupils under the immediate supervision of a teacher holding
a valid certificate, directly engaged in teaching subject
matter or conducting activities; provided that the teacher
shall be continuously aware of the non-certificated
persons' activities and shall be able to control or modify
them. The general superintendent shall determine
qualifications of such personnel and shall prescribe rules

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for determining the duties and activities to be assigned to
such personnel;
10.5. To utilize volunteer personnel from a regional
School Crisis Assistance Team (S.C.A.T.), created as part
of the Safe to Learn Program established pursuant to
Section 25 of the Illinois Violence Prevention Act of 1995,
to provide assistance to schools in times of violence or
other traumatic incidents within a school community by
providing crisis intervention services to lessen the
effects of emotional trauma on individuals and the
community; the School Crisis Assistance Team Steering
Committee shall determine the qualifications for
volunteers;
11. To provide television studio facilities in not to
exceed one school building and to provide programs for
educational purposes, provided, however, that the board
shall not construct, acquire, operate, or maintain a
television transmitter; to grant the use of its studio
facilities to a licensed television station located in the
school district; and to maintain and operate not to exceed
one school radio transmitting station and provide programs
for educational purposes;
12. To offer, if deemed appropriate, outdoor education
courses, including field trips within the State of
Illinois, or adjacent states, and to use school educational
funds for the expense of the said outdoor educational

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programs, whether within the school district or not;
13. During that period of the calendar year not
embraced within the regular school term, to provide and
conduct courses in subject matters normally embraced in the
program of the schools during the regular school term and
to give regular school credit for satisfactory completion
by the student of such courses as may be approved for
credit by the State Board of Education;
14. To insure against any loss or liability of the
board, the former School Board Nominating Commission,
Local School Councils, the Chicago Schools Academic
Accountability Council, or the former Subdistrict Councils
or of any member, officer, agent or employee thereof,
resulting from alleged violations of civil rights arising
from incidents occurring on or after September 5, 1967 or
from the wrongful or negligent act or omission of any such
person whether occurring within or without the school
premises, provided the officer, agent or employee was, at
the time of the alleged violation of civil rights or
wrongful act or omission, acting within the scope of his
employment or under direction of the board, the former
School Board Nominating Commission, the Chicago Schools
Academic Accountability Council, Local School Councils, or
the former Subdistrict Councils; and to provide for or
participate in insurance plans for its officers and
employees, including but not limited to retirement

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annuities, medical, surgical and hospitalization benefits
in such types and amounts as may be determined by the
board; provided, however, that the board shall contract for
such insurance only with an insurance company authorized to
do business in this State. Such insurance may include
provision for employees who rely on treatment by prayer or
spiritual means alone for healing, in accordance with the
tenets and practice of a recognized religious
denomination;
15. To contract with the corporate authorities of any
municipality or the county board of any county, as the case
may be, to provide for the regulation of traffic in parking
areas of property used for school purposes, in such manner
as is provided by Section 11-209 of The Illinois Vehicle
Code, approved September 29, 1969, as amended;
16. (a) To provide, on an equal basis, access to a high
school campus and student directory information to the
official recruiting representatives of the armed forces of
Illinois and the United States for the purposes of
informing students of the educational and career
opportunities available in the military if the board has
provided such access to persons or groups whose purpose is
to acquaint students with educational or occupational
opportunities available to them. The board is not required
to give greater notice regarding the right of access to
recruiting representatives than is given to other persons

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and groups. In this paragraph 16, "directory information"
means a high school student's name, address, and telephone
number.
(b) If a student or his or her parent or guardian
submits a signed, written request to the high school before
the end of the student's sophomore year (or if the student
is a transfer student, by another time set by the high
school) that indicates that the student or his or her
parent or guardian does not want the student's directory
information to be provided to official recruiting
representatives under subsection (a) of this Section, the
high school may not provide access to the student's
directory information to these recruiting representatives.
The high school shall notify its students and their parents
or guardians of the provisions of this subsection (b).
(c) A high school may require official recruiting
representatives of the armed forces of Illinois and the
United States to pay a fee for copying and mailing a
student's directory information in an amount that is not
more than the actual costs incurred by the high school.
(d) Information received by an official recruiting
representative under this Section may be used only to
provide information to students concerning educational and
career opportunities available in the military and may not
be released to a person who is not involved in recruiting
students for the armed forces of Illinois or the United

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States;
17. (a) To sell or market any computer program
developed by an employee of the school district, provided
that such employee developed the computer program as a
direct result of his or her duties with the school district
or through the utilization of the school district resources
or facilities. The employee who developed the computer
program shall be entitled to share in the proceeds of such
sale or marketing of the computer program. The distribution
of such proceeds between the employee and the school
district shall be as agreed upon by the employee and the
school district, except that neither the employee nor the
school district may receive more than 90% of such proceeds.
The negotiation for an employee who is represented by an
exclusive bargaining representative may be conducted by
such bargaining representative at the employee's request.
(b) For the purpose of this paragraph 17:
(1) "Computer" means an internally programmed,
general purpose digital device capable of
automatically accepting data, processing data and
supplying the results of the operation.
(2) "Computer program" means a series of coded
instructions or statements in a form acceptable to a
computer, which causes the computer to process data in
order to achieve a certain result.
(3) "Proceeds" means profits derived from

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marketing or sale of a product after deducting the
expenses of developing and marketing such product;
18. To delegate to the general superintendent of
schools, by resolution, the authority to approve contracts
and expenditures in amounts of $10,000 or less;
19. Upon the written request of an employee, to
withhold from the compensation of that employee any dues,
payments or contributions payable by such employee to any
labor organization as defined in the Illinois Educational
Labor Relations Act. Under such arrangement, an amount
shall be withheld from each regular payroll period which is
equal to the pro rata share of the annual dues plus any
payments or contributions, and the board shall transmit
such withholdings to the specified labor organization
within 10 working days from the time of the withholding;
19a. Upon receipt of notice from the comptroller of a
municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county
with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County
Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago
Transit Authority, or a housing authority of a municipality
with a population of 500,000 or more that a debt is due and
owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest
Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago
Transit Authority, or the housing authority by an employee

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of the Chicago Board of Education, to withhold, from the
compensation of that employee, the amount of the debt that
is due and owing and pay the amount withheld to the
municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve
District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority,
or the housing authority; provided, however, that the
amount deducted from any one salary or wage payment shall
not exceed 25% of the net amount of the payment. Before the
Board deducts any amount from any salary or wage of an
employee under this paragraph, the municipality, the
county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the
Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing
authority shall certify that (i) the employee has been
afforded an opportunity for a hearing to dispute the debt
that is due and owing the municipality, the county, the
Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park
District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the
Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing authority and
(ii) the employee has received notice of a wage deduction
order and has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to
object to the order. For purposes of this paragraph, "net
amount" means that part of the salary or wage payment
remaining after the deduction of any amounts required by
law to be deducted and "debt due and owing" means (i) a

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specified sum of money owed to the municipality, the
county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the
Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the housing
authority for services, work, or goods, after the period
granted for payment has expired, or (ii) a specified sum of
money owed to the municipality, the county, the Cook County
Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago
Transit Authority, or the housing authority pursuant to a
court order or order of an administrative hearing officer
after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust,
judicial review;
20. The board is encouraged to employ a sufficient
number of certified school counselors to maintain a
student/counselor ratio of 250 to 1 by July 1, 1990. Each
counselor shall spend at least 75% of his work time in
direct contact with students and shall maintain a record of
such time;
21. To make available to students vocational and career
counseling and to establish 5 special career counseling
days for students and parents. On these days
representatives of local businesses and industries shall
be invited to the school campus and shall inform students
of career opportunities available to them in the various
businesses and industries. Special consideration shall be

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given to counseling minority students as to career
opportunities available to them in various fields. For the
purposes of this paragraph, minority student means a person
who is:
(a) Black (a person having origins in any of the
black racial groups in Africa);
(b) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central
America, or the Caribbean islands, regardless of
race);
(c) Asian American (a person having origins in any
of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands);
or
(d) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person
having origins in any of the original peoples of North
America).
Counseling days shall not be in lieu of regular school
days;
22. To report to the State Board of Education the
annual student dropout rate and number of students who
graduate from, transfer from or otherwise leave bilingual
programs;
23. Except as otherwise provided in the Abused and
Neglected Child Reporting Act or other applicable State or
federal law, to permit school officials to withhold, from

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any person, information on the whereabouts of any child
removed from school premises when the child has been taken
into protective custody as a victim of suspected child
abuse. School officials shall direct such person to the
Department of Children and Family Services, or to the local
law enforcement agency if appropriate;
24. To develop a policy, based on the current state of
existing school facilities, projected enrollment and
efficient utilization of available resources, for capital
improvement of schools and school buildings within the
district, addressing in that policy both the relative
priority for major repairs, renovations and additions to
school facilities, and the advisability or necessity of
building new school facilities or closing existing schools
to meet current or projected demographic patterns within
the district;
25. To make available to the students in every high
school attendance center the ability to take all courses
necessary to comply with the Board of Higher Education's
college entrance criteria effective in 1993;
26. To encourage mid-career changes into the teaching
profession, whereby qualified professionals become
certified teachers, by allowing credit for professional
employment in related fields when determining point of
entry on teacher pay scale;
27. To provide or contract out training programs for

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administrative personnel and principals with revised or
expanded duties pursuant to this Act in order to assure
they have the knowledge and skills to perform their duties;
28. To establish a fund for the prioritized special
needs programs, and to allocate such funds and other lump
sum amounts to each attendance center in a manner
consistent with the provisions of part 4 of Section 34-2.3.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require any
additional appropriations of State funds for this purpose;
29. (Blank);
30. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or
any other law to the contrary, to contract with third
parties for services otherwise performed by employees,
including those in a bargaining unit, and to layoff those
employees upon 14 days written notice to the affected
employees. Those contracts may be for a period not to
exceed 5 years and may be awarded on a system-wide basis;
31. To promulgate rules establishing procedures
governing the layoff or reduction in force of employees and
the recall of such employees, including, but not limited
to, criteria for such layoffs, reductions in force or
recall rights of such employees and the weight to be given
to any particular criterion. Such criteria shall take into
account factors including, but not be limited to,
qualifications, certifications, experience, performance
ratings or evaluations, and any other factors relating to

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an employee's job performance;
32. To develop a policy to prevent nepotism in the
hiring of personnel or the selection of contractors;
33. To enter into a partnership agreement, as required
by Section 34-3.5 of this Code, and, notwithstanding any
other provision of law to the contrary, to promulgate
policies, enter into contracts, and take any other action
necessary to accomplish the objectives and implement the
requirements of that agreement; and
34. To establish a Labor Management Council to the
board comprised of representatives of the board, the chief
executive officer, and those labor organizations that are
the exclusive representatives of employees of the board and
to promulgate policies and procedures for the operation of
the Council.
The specifications of the powers herein granted are not to
be construed as exclusive but the board shall also exercise all
other powers that they may be requisite or proper for the
maintenance and the development of a public school system, not
inconsistent with the other provisions of this Article or
provisions of this Code which apply to all school districts.
In addition to the powers herein granted and authorized to
be exercised by the board, it shall be the duty of the board to
review or to direct independent reviews of special education
expenditures and services. The board shall file a report of
such review with the General Assembly on or before May 1, 1990.

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(Source: P.A. 92-109, eff. 7-20-01; 92-527, eff. 6-1-02;
92-724, eff. 7-25-02; 93-3, eff. 4-16-03; 93-1036, eff.
9-14-04.)