Bill Text: IL HB4272 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that a limitation upon the applicability of certain provisions in the Code concerning local school councils does not apply to specified schools. In provisions concerning the remediation and probation of attendance centers, deletes provisions regarding the actions that may be taken by the general superintendent if a school is placed on probation and fails to make adequate progress in correcting deficiencies. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4272 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4272-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4272 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/34-2.4b from Ch. 122, par. 34-2.4b
105 ILCS 5/34-8.3 from Ch. 122, par. 34-8.3
Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that a limitation upon the applicability of certain provisions in the Code concerning local school councils does not apply to specified schools. In provisions concerning the remediation and probation of attendance centers, deletes provisions regarding the actions that may be taken by the general superintendent if a school is placed on probation and fails to make adequate progress in correcting deficiencies. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
HB4272 LRB103 35855 RJT 65940 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 changing Sections
34-2.4b and 34-8.3 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/34-2.4b) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-2.4b)
Sec. 34-2.4b. Limitation upon applicability.
(a) Beginning with the first local school council election
that occurs after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 102nd General Assembly, the provisions of Sections 34-2.1,
34-2.2, 34-2.3, 34-2.3a, 34-2.4 and 34-8.3 and those
provisions of paragraph 1 of Section 34-18 and paragraph (c)
of Section 34A-201a relating to the allocation or application -
- by formula or otherwise -- of lump sum amounts and other
funds to attendance centers shall not apply to the Cook County
Juvenile Detention Center and Cook County Jail schools, nor to
the district's alternative schools for pregnant girls, nor to
alternative schools established under Article 13A, nor to a
contract school, nor to the Michael R. Durso School, the
Jackson Adult Center, the Hillard Adult Center, the
Alternative Transitional School, or any other attendance
center designated by the Board as an alternative school, nor
to any school established as a teacher training academy other

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than the schools listed in subsection (b), nor to any school
with a specialty 2-year programming model, nor to any school
established as a one-year school or program, nor to any school
with a specialty student focus or transient student
population, provided that the designation is not applied to an
attendance center that has in place a legally constituted
local school council, except for contract turnaround schools.
The board of education shall have and exercise with respect to
those schools and with respect to the conduct, operation,
affairs and budgets of those schools, and with respect to the
principals, teachers and other school staff there employed,
the same powers which are exercisable by local school councils
with respect to the other attendance centers, principals,
teachers and school staff within the district, together with
all powers and duties generally exercisable by the board of
education with respect to all attendance centers within the
district. The board of education shall develop appropriate
alternative methods for involving parents, community members
and school staff to the maximum extent possible in all of the
activities of those schools, and may delegate to the parents,
community members and school staff so involved the same powers
which are exercisable by local school councils with respect to
other attendance centers.
(b) The following schools are not exempted from the
provisions of Sections 34-2.1, 34-2.2, 34-2.3, 34-2.3a,
34-2.4, and 34-8.3 those provisions of paragraph (1) of

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Section 34-18 and paragraph (c) of Section 34A-201a relating
to the allocation or application of lump sum amounts to
attendance centers under subsection (a):
(1) Ariel Community Academy.
(2) Chicago Academy Elementary School.
(3) Chicago Academy High School.
(4) Collins Academy High School.
(5) Lindblom Math and Science Academy.
(6) National Teachers Academy.
(7) Eric Solorio Academy High School.
(8) Tarkington School of Excellence.
(Source: P.A. 102-677, eff. 12-3-21.)
(105 ILCS 5/34-8.3) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-8.3)
Sec. 34-8.3. Remediation and probation of attendance
centers.
(a) The general superintendent shall monitor the
performance of the attendance centers within the district and
shall identify attendance centers, pursuant to criteria that
the board shall establish, in which:
(1) there is a failure to develop, implement, or
comply with a school improvement plan;
(2) there is a pervasive breakdown in the educational
program as indicated by factors, including, but not
limited to, the absence of improvement in student reading
and math achievement scores, an increased drop-out rate, a

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decreased graduation rate, and a decrease in rate of
student attendance;
(3) (blank); or
(4) there is a failure or refusal to comply with the
provisions of this Act, other applicable laws, collective
bargaining agreements, court orders, or with Board rules
which the Board is authorized to promulgate.
(b) If the general superintendent identifies a
nonperforming school as described herein, he or she shall
place the attendance center on remediation by developing a
remediation plan for the center. The purpose of the
remediation plan shall be to correct the deficiencies in the
performance of the attendance center by one or more of the
following methods:
(1) drafting a new school improvement plan;
(2) applying to the board for additional funding for
training for the local school council;
(3) directing implementation of a school improvement
plan;
(4) mediating disputes or other obstacles to reform or
improvement at the attendance center.
Nothing in this Section removes any authority of the local
school council, which shall retain the right to reject or
modify any school improvement plan or implementation thereof,
as long as the rejection or modification of any school
improvement plan or implementation thereof is consistent with

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State and federal requirements.
If, however, the general superintendent determines that
the problems are not able to be remediated by these methods,
the general superintendent shall place the attendance center
on probation. The board shall establish guidelines that
determine the factors for placing an attendance center on
probation.
(c) Each school placed on probation shall have a school
improvement plan and school budget for correcting deficiencies
identified by the board. The plan shall include specific steps
that the local school council and school staff must take to
correct identified deficiencies and specific objective
criteria by which the school's subsequent progress will be
determined. The school budget shall include specific
expenditures directly calculated to correct educational and
operational deficiencies identified at the school by the
probation team.
(d) (Blank). Schools placed on probation that, after a
maximum of one year, fail to make adequate progress in
correcting deficiencies are subject to the following actions
by the general superintendent with the approval of the board,
after opportunity for a hearing:
(1) Ordering new local school council elections.
(2) Removing and replacing the principal.
(3) Replacement of faculty members, subject to the
provisions of Section 24A-5.

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(4) Reconstitution of the attendance center and
replacement and reassignment by the general superintendent
of all employees of the attendance center.
(5) Intervention under Section 34-8.4.
(5.5) Operating an attendance center as a contract
turnaround school.
(6) Closing of the school.
(e) Schools placed on probation shall remain on probation
from year to year until deficiencies are corrected, even if
such schools make acceptable annual progress. The board shall
establish, in writing, criteria for determining whether or not
a school shall remain on probation. If academic achievement
tests are used as the factor for placing a school on probation,
the general superintendent shall consider objective criteria,
not just an increase in test scores, in deciding whether or not
a school shall remain on probation. These criteria shall
include attendance, test scores, student mobility rates,
poverty rates, bilingual education eligibility, special
education, and English language proficiency programs, with
progress made in these areas being taken into consideration in
deciding whether or not a school shall remain on probation.
Such criteria shall be delivered to each local school council
on or before October 31 of each year.
(e-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section
to the contrary, a school that has been on probation for 5
years or more shall have the following powers restored to its

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local school council:
(1) to grant approval of the school improvement plan;
and
(2) to approve the school budget.
With respect to the employment, dismissal, and evaluation
of a school principal, the local school council of a school
that has been on probation for 5 years or more shall conduct a
non-binding poll that must be considered by the network chief.
The network chief shall work collaboratively with the local
school council throughout the process of employment,
dismissal, and evaluation of a school principal.
(f) Where the board has reason to believe that violations
of civil rights, or of civil or criminal law have occurred, or
when the general superintendent deems that the school is in
educational crisis it may take immediate corrective action,
including the actions specified in this Section, without first
placing the school on remediation or probation. Nothing
described herein shall limit the authority of the board as
provided by any law of this State. The board shall develop
criteria governing the determination regarding when a school
is in educational crisis. Such criteria shall be delivered to
each local school council on or before October 31 of each year.
(g) All persons serving as subdistrict superintendent on
May 1, 1995 shall be deemed by operation of law to be serving
under a performance contract which expires on June 30, 1995,
and the employment of each such person as subdistrict

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superintendent shall terminate on June 30, 1995. The board
shall have no obligation to compensate any such person as a
subdistrict superintendent after June 30, 1995.
(h) The general superintendent shall, in consultation with
local school councils, conduct an annual evaluation of each
principal in the district pursuant to guidelines promulgated
by the Board of Education.
(Source: P.A. 102-677, eff. 12-3-21.)