DISSOLUTION/ANNEXATION STEPS TO …

1 DISSOLUTION/ANNEXATION STEPS TO dissolution : If a petition does not result in dissolution , The division of funds and assets Petition no subsequent petition can be filed for which will result from the change of DISSOLUTION/ANNEXATION is one type of school Local public hearing two years after the final determination on boundaries district reorganization. Other types of Regional board of school trustees the first petition unless a substantially Whether such a change is to the best reorganizations are: approval different petition is filed or a district interests of the schools of the area Referendum approval included in the first petition is placed on and the educational welfare of the Consolidation the State Board of Education's academic pupils Cooperative High School PETITION: or financial watch list After a joint hearing: Deactivation Who may petition Each regional board of school Detachment/ annexation The board of education of the district LOCAL PUBLIC HEARING.

2 Trustees shall meet to render a Partial Elementary Unit proposed to be dissolved, or A joint hearing of the affected regional decision within ten days School District Conversion Majority of registered voters residing boards of school trustees will occur if the If the regional boards of school in the district proposed to be district to be dissolved is located in more trustees fail to enter a joint order Details for the above can be found in the dissolved than one region either granting or denying a petition, individual brochures labeled accordingly. A Petition is filed with the regional The regional superintendent shall publish the regional superintendent for the brief summary of each is in the brochure superintendent of the region in which the a notice of the petition and hearing in a region in which the joint hearing is School District Reorganization At a Glance.

3 Territory to be dissolved is located; if the newspaper having general circulation in held shall enter an order denying the territory to be dissolved is located in the territory described in the petition petition dissolution is a form of reorganization where more than one region, the original The regional superintendent shall submit All affected regions must approve the all of one school district is incorporated into petition is filed with the regional to the regional board(s) of school trustees petition for the dissolution to take one or more school districts thereby superintendent who has supervision over maps showing the districts involved, a place dissolving the original school district. A new the greatest portion of such territory with written report of financial and The regional superintendent shall, within district is not created, a new school board is certified copies filed with each other educational conditions of the districts 30 days of the hearing or joint hearing, not elected, and the maximum tax rates for the regional superintendent (regional involved, and the probable effects of the enter the order of the regional board(s) of annexing district are not changed.)

4 The superintendents serve as secretaries to proposed changes school trustees either granting or denying annexing district may be eligible to receive their respective regional boards of school The hearing on the petition is to be held the petition incentive payments. Refer to the brochure trustees) not more than 15 days nor less than 10 Within ten days after service of a copy of School District Reorganization At a Glance The petition shall request the submission days after publication of notice the order granting or denying the petition, for additional information regarding these of the proposition to annex all district Any resident of any district affected may any person so served may petition for a incentive payments. territory at a regular scheduled election appear and present evidence in support of rehearing; a rehearing may be granted The petition must specify the school or in opposition to the petition upon sufficient cause being shown Any school district with a population of less district or districts to which all of the If a regional board of school trustees has than 5,000 or student enrollment of less than territory of the district proposed to be REGIONAL BOARD OF SCHOOL not acted on a Section 7-1 petition within 750 has an additional option for dissolving.

5 Dissolved will be annexed TRUSTEES APPROVAL: nine months of being submitted, the This process is somewhat different and is The petitioners shall pay the expense of The regional board(s) of school trustees petitioners may submit their petition to discussed later in this brochure. publishing the notice and for any shall consider: the State Superintendent of Education for transcript taken at the public hearing School needs and conditions of the approval or denial Detachment is the other form of annexation Petitions containing more than ten territory in the area within and The decision rendered is deemed an where a portion of one school district is signatures shall designate a Committee of adjacent thereto administrative decision as defined in incorporated into one or more other school Ten to represent the petitioners, any The ability of districts affected to the Administrative Review Law districts.

6 Details for this process can be found seven of whom may make binding meet the standards of recognition as Any resident who appears at the in the brochure Detachment/ annexation . stipulations on behalf of all petitioners prescribed by the State Board of hearing or any petitioner or board of Education education of any district affected may file a complaint for judicial review its discretion in annexing the dissolved Teacher Salary Difference within 35 days after a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed was . territory The regional board of school trustees Deficit Fund Balance $4,000 per Full-Time Certified Staff School District served by registered mail upon the party affected shall not act on a petition filed by a board of education if within 45 days after A summary of each of these incentive payments is in the brochure School dissolution /.

7 annexation giving notice of the hearing a petition in District Reorganization At a Glance, or a REFERENDUM APPROVAL: opposition to the petition of the board to detailed explanation can be found in The proposition must pass by a majority dissolve, signed by a majority of the Section 11E-135 of the School Code. of the voters in each of the dissolving and registered voters of the district, is filed At a Glance annexing districts with the regional board of school trustees Q. Will the dissolving district be represented The decision of the regional board of on the annexing district's school board? DISTRICTS WITH A POPULATION school trustees shall be issued within 10 A. The annexing district's school board will days after the conclusion of the hearing remain in effect until the next scheduled LESS THAN 5,000 OR STUDENT.

8 The decision rendered is deemed an school board election when voters in the ENROLLMENT LESS THAN 750: administrative decision as defined in dissolving district territory could run for School districts with populations of less than the Administrative Review Law open seats on the school board. Another 5,000 or student enrollments less than 750 Any resident who appears at the option is for the annexing and dissolving may also use Section 7-2a(b) and Section 7- hearing or any petitioner may file a districts to agree to a member of the 11 of the School Code to dissolve. complaint for judicial review within annexing district's school board resigning The petition may be filed by the board of 10 days after a copy of the decision and being replaced by a member of the education of the district to be dissolved sought to be reviewed was served by dissolving district's school board.

9 Or, a or by a majority of voters in the district to registered mail upon the party dissolving district's school board member be dissolved affected could be named to the annexing school Petitioners must hold a public Districts under 5,000 in population or board as a non-voting, advisory member informational meeting before the petition under 750 in student enrollment may until the next school board election. process starts, giving at least 10 days' choose to dissolve under this option or notice of the meeting published in a through referendum This brochure is not to be used in place of the newspaper of general circulation School Code but as an informational tool. For The petition is filed with and decided specific information regarding dissolutions, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: solely by the regional board of school refer to Article 7 of the School Code.

10 Q. Must the annexing or dissolving district Illinois State Board of Education trustees whose regional superintendent assume the payment of outstanding bonds has supervision of the school district to For additional information and assistance, (long-term debt) of the other district? be dissolved please contact the School Business Services A. No. Any long-term debt remains with the The regional board of school trustees Division of the Illinois State Board of taxpayers within the boundary of the James T. Meeks shall hold a hearing not less than 50 days Education at 217/785-8779. Information is previous district that incurred the debt, Chairman nor more than 70 days after a petition is also available on the ISBE web page at: unless the respective boards vote to filed and shall publish a notice of the assume the debt of the other district.