At it again! Last session ended before we could secure a vote on this important bill. So let’s go!
HB 1597 ensures that the volunteer members of Chicago’s Elected School Board will have paid staff so that they can accomplish their important work.
Hang tight for updates as we get this passed!
Let me know if you want to help!
1AN ACT concerning education.
2Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,3represented in the General Assembly:
4Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 534-3 as follows:
6(105 ILCS 5/34-3)(from Ch. 122, par. 34-3)7Sec. 34-3. Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees; new 8Chicago Board of Education; members; term; vacancies. 9(a) Within 30 days after the effective date of this 10amendatory Act of 1995, the terms of all members of the Chicago 11Board of Education holding office on that date are abolished 12and the Mayor shall appoint, without the consent or approval 13of the City Council, a 5 member Chicago School Reform Board of 14Trustees which shall take office upon the appointment of the 15fifth member. The Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees and 16its members shall serve until, and the terms of all members of 17the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees shall expire on, 18June 30, 1999 or upon the appointment of a new Chicago Board of 19Education as provided in subsection (b), whichever is later. 20Any vacancy in the membership of the Trustees shall be filled 21through appointment by the Mayor, without the consent or 22approval of the City Council, for the unexpired term. One of 23the members appointed by the Mayor to the Trustees shall be HB1597- 2 -LRB103 28903 RJT 55289 b
1designated by the Mayor to serve as President of the Trustees. 2The Mayor shall appoint a full-time, compensated chief 3executive officer, and his or her compensation as such chief 4executive officer shall be determined by the Mayor. The Mayor, 5at his or her discretion, may appoint the President to serve 6simultaneously as the chief executive officer. 7(b) This subsection applies until January 15, 2025. Within 830 days before the expiration of the terms of the members of9the Chicago Reform Board of Trustees as provided in subsection 10(a), a new Chicago Board of Education consisting of 7 members 11shall be appointed by the Mayor to take office on the later of 12July 1, 1999 or the appointment of the seventh member. Three of 13the members initially so appointed under this subsection shall 14serve for terms ending June 30, 2002, 4 of the members15initially so appointed under this subsection shall serve for 16terms ending June 30, 2003, and each member initially so 17appointed shall continue to hold office until his or her 18successor is appointed and qualified.19(b-5) On January 15, 2025, the terms of all members of the20Chicago Board of Education appointed under subsection (b) are21abolished when the new board, consisting of 21 members, is 22appointed by the Mayor and elected by the electors of the 23school district as provided under subsections (b-10) and 24(b-15) and takes office. 25(b-10) By December 16, 2024 for a term of office beginning 26on January 15, 2025, the Mayor shall appoint 10 Chicago Board HB1597- 3 -LRB103 28903 RJT 55289 b
1of Education members to serve terms of 2 years. All appointed 2members shall serve until a successor is appointed or elected 3and qualified. Thereafter at the expiration of the term of any 4member a successor shall be elected and shall hold office for a 5term of 4 years, from January 15 of the year in which the term 6commences and until a successor is appointed or elected and 7qualified. Any vacancy in the appointed membership of the 8Chicago Board of Education shall be filled through appointment 9by the Mayor for the unexpired term. The terms of the 10 10appointed members under this subsection shall end on January 1114, 2027. By December 16, 2024 for a term of office beginning12on January 15, 2025, the Mayor shall appoint a President of the 13Board for a term of 2 years. The board shall elect annually 14from its number a vice-president, in such manner and at such15time as the board determines by its rules. The president 16appointed by the Mayor and vice-president elected by the board 17shall each perform the duties imposed upon their respective 18office by the rules of the board, provided that (i) the 19president shall preside at meetings of the board and shall 20only have voting rights to break a voting tie of the other 21Chicago Board of Education elected and appointed members and 22(ii) the vice president shall perform the duties of the 23president if that office is vacant or the president is absent 24or unable to act. Beginning with the 2026 general election, 25one member shall be elected at large and serve as the president 26of the board. After January 15, 2027, the president shall HB1597- 4 -LRB103 28903 RJT 55289 b
1preside at meetings of the board and vote as any other member 2but have no power of veto. The secretary of the Board shall be 3selected by the Board and shall be an employee of the Board 4rather than a member of the Board, notwithstanding subsection 5(d) of Section 34-3.3. The duties of the secretary shall be6imposed by the rules of the Board. Each member of the Board 7shall select a constituent service coordinator, who shall 8report to that respective member of the Board and shall be an 9employee of the Board but whose employment shall be at the will 10of the Board member.11(b-15) Beginning with the 2024 general election, 10 12members of the Chicago Board of Education shall be elected to 13serve a term of 4 years in office beginning on January 15, 142025. Beginning with the 2026 general election, 10 members of 15the Chicago Board of Education shall be elected to serve a term 16of 4 years in office beginning on January 15, 2027. Whenever a 17vacancy of a Chicago Board of Education elected board member 18occurs, the President of the Board shall notify the Mayor of 19the vacancy within 7 days after its occurrence and shall, 20within 30 days, fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 21unexpired term by majority vote of the remaining board 22members. The successor shall have the same qualifications as 23his or her predecessor.24For purposes of elections conducted under this subsection, 25the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into electoral 26districts as provided under subsection (a) of Section HB1597- 5 -LRB103 28903 RJT 55289 b
134-21.10. From January 15, 2025 to January 14, 2027, each 2district shall be represented by one elected member and one 3appointed member. After January 15, 2027, each district shall 4be represented by one elected member.5(b-30) No member shall have, or be an employee or owner of 6a company that has, a contract with the school district. No 7former officer, member, or employee of the board shall, within 8a period of one year immediately after termination of service 9on the board, knowingly accept employment or receive 10compensation or fees for services from a person or entity if 11the officer, member, or employee, during the year immediately 12preceding termination of service on the board, participated 13personally and substantially in the award of contracts with 14the board or the school district, or the issuance of contract 15change orders with the board or the school district, with a 16cumulative value of $25,000 or more to the person or entity, or 17its parent or subsidiary.18(c) The board may appoint a student to the board to serve 19in an advisory capacity. The student member shall serve for a 20term as determined by the board. The board may not grant the 21student member any voting privileges, but shall consider the 22student member as an advisor. The student member may not 23participate in or attend any executive session of the board.24(Source: P.A. 102-177, eff. 6-1-22; 102-691, eff. 12-17-21.)