Bill for Paid Chicago School Board Constituent Staff Filed! HB 1597!

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
34-3 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/34-3)(from Ch. 122, par. 34-3)
Sec. 34-3. Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees; new
Chicago Board of Education; members; term; vacancies.
(a) Within 30 days after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of 1995, the terms of all members of the Chicago
Board of Education holding office on that date are abolished
and the Mayor shall appoint, without the consent or approval
of the City Council, a 5 member Chicago School Reform Board of
Trustees which shall take office upon the appointment of the
fifth member. The Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees and
its members shall serve until, and the terms of all members of
the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees shall expire on,
June 30, 1999 or upon the appointment of a new Chicago Board of
Education as provided in subsection (b), whichever is later.
Any vacancy in the membership of the Trustees shall be filled
through appointment by the Mayor, without the consent or
approval of the City Council, for the unexpired term. One of
the members appointed by the Mayor to the Trustees shall be
designated by the Mayor to serve as President of the Trustees.
The Mayor shall appoint a full-time, compensated chief
executive officer, and his or her compensation as such chief
executive officer shall be determined by the Mayor. The Mayor,
at his or her discretion, may appoint the President to serve
simultaneously as the chief executive officer.
(b) This subsection applies until January 15, 2025. Within
30 days before the expiration of the terms of the members of
the Chicago Reform Board of Trustees as provided in subsection
(a), a new Chicago Board of Education consisting of 7 members
shall be appointed by the Mayor to take office on the later of
July 1, 1999 or the appointment of the seventh member. Three of
the members initially so appointed under this subsection shall
serve for terms ending June 30, 2002, 4 of the members
initially so appointed under this subsection shall serve for
terms ending June 30, 2003, and each member initially so
appointed shall continue to hold office until his or her
successor is appointed and qualified.
(b-5) On January 15, 2025, the terms of all members of the
Chicago Board of Education appointed under subsection (b) are
abolished when the new board, consisting of 21 members, is
appointed by the Mayor and elected by the electors of the
school district as provided under subsections (b-10) and
(b-15) and takes office.
(b-10) By December 16, 2024 for a term of office beginning
on January 15, 2025, the Mayor shall appoint 10 Chicago Board
of Education members to serve terms of 2 years. All appointed
members shall serve until a successor is appointed or elected
and qualified. Thereafter at the expiration of the term of any
member a successor shall be elected and shall hold office for a
term of 4 years, from January 15 of the year in which the term
commences and until a successor is appointed or elected and
qualified. Any vacancy in the appointed membership of the
Chicago Board of Education shall be filled through appointment
by the Mayor for the unexpired term. The terms of the 10
appointed members under this subsection shall end on January
14, 2027. By December 16, 2024 for a term of office beginning
on January 15, 2025, the Mayor shall appoint a President of the
Board for a term of 2 years. The board shall elect annually
from its number a vice-president, in such manner and at such
time as the board determines by its rules. The president
appointed by the Mayor and vice-president elected by the board
shall each perform the duties imposed upon their respective
office by the rules of the board, provided that (i) the
president shall preside at meetings of the board and shall
only have voting rights to break a voting tie of the other
Chicago Board of Education elected and appointed members and
(ii) the vice president shall perform the duties of the
president if that office is vacant or the president is absent
or unable to act. Beginning with the 2026 general election,
one member shall be elected at large and serve as the president
of the board. After January 15, 2027, the president shall
preside at meetings of the board and vote as any other member
but have no power of veto. The secretary of the Board shall be
selected by the Board and shall be an employee of the Board
rather than a member of the Board, notwithstanding subsection
(d) of Section 34-3.3. The duties of the secretary shall be
imposed by the rules of the Board. Each member of the Board
shall select a constituent service coordinator, who shall
report to that respective member of the Board and shall be an
employee of the Board but whose employment shall be at the will
of the Board member.
(b-15) Beginning with the 2024 general election, 10
members of the Chicago Board of Education shall be elected to
serve a term of 4 years in office beginning on January 15,
2025. Beginning with the 2026 general election, 10 members of
the Chicago Board of Education shall be elected to serve a term
of 4 years in office beginning on January 15, 2027. Whenever a
vacancy of a Chicago Board of Education elected board member
occurs, the President of the Board shall notify the Mayor of
the vacancy within 7 days after its occurrence and shall,
within 30 days, fill the vacancy for the remainder of the
unexpired term by majority vote of the remaining board
members. The successor shall have the same qualifications as
his or her predecessor.
For purposes of elections conducted under this subsection,
the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into electoral
districts as provided under subsection (a) of Section
34-21.10. From January 15, 2025 to January 14, 2027, each
district shall be represented by one elected member and one
appointed member. After January 15, 2027, each district shall
be represented by one elected member.
(b-30) No member shall have, or be an employee or owner of
a company that has, a contract with the school district. No
former officer, member, or employee of the board shall, within
a period of one year immediately after termination of service
on the board, knowingly accept employment or receive
compensation or fees for services from a person or entity if
the officer, member, or employee, during the year immediately
preceding termination of service on the board, participated
personally and substantially in the award of contracts with
the board or the school district, or the issuance of contract
change orders with the board or the school district, with a
cumulative value of $25,000 or more to the person or entity, or
its parent or subsidiary.
(c) The board may appoint a student to the board to serve
in an advisory capacity. The student member shall serve for a
term as determined by the board. The board may not grant the
student member any voting privileges, but shall consider the
student member as an advisor. The student member may not
participate in or attend any executive session of the board.
(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 6-1-22; 102-691, eff. 12-17-21.)