Bill Text: IL HB4580 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Chaptered


Bill Title: Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Requires the Department of School Demographics and Planning ("DSP"), at least once every 5 years, to evaluate the enrollment at existing schools in the school district to determine if there is a need to revise existing boundaries. Specifies factors for DSP to consider in its evaluation. Requires DSP to submit a written report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the chief executive officer and the Chicago Board of Education. Requires the report to be made public on the district's website within 30 days after its completion. If it is determined that there is a need to revise any existing boundaries or establish attendance boundaries for new schools, requires DSP to develop and recommend any proposed changes to existing boundaries or proposed boundaries for new schools to the chief executive officer prior to the beginning of the school year in which the changes to existing boundaries or the new boundaries will take effect. Specifies factors to be considered in developing proposed changes to boundaries for existing schools and proposing attendance boundaries for new schools. Requires DSP to develop at least 2 alternatives for each proposed attendance boundary and prepare a report for each alternative with specified factors and considerations. Requires the report to be made public on the district's website within 30 days after its completion. Requires the chief executive officer to review the report, and authorizes the chief executive officer to suggest additional alternatives. Requires the chief executive officer to report to the Board if he or she recommends any changes to existing boundaries or establishing boundaries for new schools. Requires the chief executive officer, if he or she is recommending any changes to existing boundaries or any boundaries for new schools, to provide the Board with the report of the alternatives considered, including data on the specified factors, and requires the chief executive officer to inform the Board of the alternative that is being recommended. Requires the chief executive officer's report to be made public on the district's website within 30 days after its completion. Requires the Board to conduct public hearings on the proposed establishment of or changes to attendance boundaries and the chief executive officer's recommendation prior to taking action on the establishment or revision of any attendance boundaries. Requires the Board to consider the factors of capacity, current and projected racial and ethnic considerations, geographic barriers, travel time and distance, and program considerations in making its decision on the establishment or revision of any attendance boundaries.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-13 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 102-0777 [HB4580 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HB4580-Chaptered.html



Public Act 102-0777
HB4580 EnrolledLRB102 23396 NLB 32565 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
34-222 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/34-222 new)
Sec. 34-222. School attendance boundaries.
(a) At least once every 5 years, the Department of School
Demographics and Planning ("DSP") shall evaluate the
enrollment at existing schools in the school district to
determine if there is a need to revise existing boundaries.
(1) In reviewing the enrollment at existing schools to
determine if there is a need to revise existing
boundaries, DSP shall consider a range of factors,
including the following:
(A) capacities of the school being reviewed and
schools with contiguous boundaries to the school being
reviewed;
(B) current and projected racial and ethnic
composition of the school being reviewed and any
schools with contiguous boundaries to the school being
reviewed;
(C) current and projected income level composition
of the school being reviewed and any schools with
contiguous boundaries to the school being reviewed;
(D) geographic barriers;
(E) travel time and distance to the school; and
(F) program considerations of the school being
reviewed and any schools with contiguous boundaries to
the school being reviewed.
(2) DSP shall submit a written report of its findings,
conclusions, and recommendations to the chief executive
officer and the Board. The report shall document the
evaluation of the factors of the school being reviewed.
The report shall be made public on the district's website
within 30 days after its completion.
(b) If it is determined that there is a need to revise any
existing boundaries, DSP shall develop and recommend any
proposed changes to the chief executive officer prior to the
beginning of the school year in which the changes are to take
effect. In addition, DSP shall develop and recommend proposed
boundaries for new schools to the chief executive officer
prior to the beginning of the school year in which the new
school boundaries are to take effect.
(1) In developing proposed changes to boundaries for
existing schools and proposing attendance boundaries for
new schools, DSP shall consider a range of factors,
including the following:
(A) DSP shall consider the capacities of each of
the schools involved in the proposed boundary
revisions, including the extent to which a school is
overcrowded or underutilized. Where feasible, the goal
is for elementary schools to be utilized at not more
than 80% of design capacity and for high schools at not
more than 100% of program capacity. Schools shall be
considered severely overcrowded if they are operating
in excess of 100% utilization and significantly
underutilized if they are operating at less than 30%
utilization. DSP shall consider these utilization
rates when proposing revisions to attendance
boundaries for existing schools and when proposing
attendance boundaries for new schools.
(B) DSP shall consider the current and projected
racial and ethnic composition of the schools affected.
Where feasible, DSP shall propose establishing or
revising attendance boundaries to maintain or promote
stably desegregated enrollments in each of the
affected schools and to avoid the creation of one-race
schools.
(C) DSP shall consider geographic barriers so as
to promote safety and minimize transportation burdens,
to the extent feasible.
(D) DSP shall consider travel time and distance
and, to the extent feasible, seek to minimize travel
time and distance.
(E) DSP shall consider the placement of programs
in each of the schools involved, such as programs for
English learners and for special education students.
In addition, DSP shall consider the impact of magnet
schools and programs and the requirements of the
federal Every Student Succeeds Act and the Illinois
Balanced Accountability Measures.
(2) For each proposed attendance boundary, DSP shall
develop at least 2 alternatives. For each alternative, DSP
shall prepare a report showing 3-year enrollment
projections by racial and ethnic groups for all schools
affected by the proposed change pursuant to each
alternative. The report shall document for each
alternative the impact on the affected schools for the
factors of capacity, geographic barriers, travel time and
distance, and program considerations. In developing
alternatives, DSP shall consider whether any feasible
alternatives would better maintain or promote stably
desegregated enrollments in each of the affected schools
or better avoid the creation of one-race schools. The
report shall be made public on the district's website
within 30 days after its completion.
(c) The chief executive officer shall review the report
from DSP and may suggest additional alternatives. The chief
executive officer shall report to the Board if he or she
recommends any changes to existing boundaries or establishing
boundaries for new schools. If the chief executive officer is
recommending any changes to existing boundaries or
establishing any boundaries for new schools, the chief
executive officer shall provide the Board with a report of the
alternatives considered, including data on the factors of
capacity, current and projected racial and ethnic
considerations, geographic barriers, travel time and distance,
and program considerations. The chief executive officer shall
inform the Board of the alternative that is being recommended.
The report shall be made public on the district's website
within 30 days after its completion.
(d) Prior to taking action on the establishment or
revision of any attendance boundaries, the Board shall conduct
public hearings on the proposed establishment or revision of
attendance boundaries and the chief executive officer's
recommendation. Prior to the public hearing, the Board shall
make available reports and data on the factors of capacity,
current and projected racial and ethnic considerations,
geographic barriers, travel time and distance, and program
considerations. In making its decision, the Board shall
consider the factors of capacity, current and projected racial
and ethnic considerations, geographic barriers, travel time
and distance, and program considerations.
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