§ 32-1 — May vote to organize under general law

(a) Any special charter district may, by vote of its electors, cease to control its school under the Act under which it was organized, and become part of the school township or townships in which it is situated. Upon petition of 50 voters of the district, presented to the board having the control and management of the schools, the board shall order submitted to the voters at an election to be held in the district, in accordance with the general election law, the question of "organizing under the general school law". The secretary of the board shall make certification to the proper election authority in accordance with the general election law. If, however, a majority of the votes cast at any such election in any school district subject to Sections 32-3 through 32-4.11 is against organizing the district under the general school law, the question may not again be submitted in the district for 22 months thereafter, and then only upon petition signed by at least 2% of the voters of the school district. Notice shall be given in accordance with the general election law, which notice shall be in the following form: NOTICE OF REFERENDUM Notice is hereby given that on (insert date), a referendum will be held at.... for the purpose of deciding the question of organizing under the general school law. The polls will be opened at .... o'clock ..m and closed at .... o'clock ..m. Signed ..... If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition is in favor of organizing under the general school law, then the board having the control and management of schools in the district, shall declare the proposition carried. When such a proposition is declared to have so carried, the board of education shall continue to exercise its powers and duties under the general school law. Each member of the board of education selected under the provisions of the special charter shall continue in office until his term has expired. Before the term of each of these members expires, the board shall give notice of an election to be held on the date of the next regular school election, in accordance with the general election law to fill the vacancy which is created. Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid unless the candidate named therein files with the county clerk or the county board of election commissioners, as the case may be, of the county in which the principal office of the school district is located a receipt from the county clerk showing that the candidate has filed a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Such receipt shall be so filed either previously during the calendar year in which his nomination papers were filed or within the period for the filing of nomination papers in accordance with the general election law. (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any special charter district whose board is appointed by the mayor or other corporate authority of that municipality may, by resolution adopted by the corporate authorities of that municipality cease to control its school under the Act under which it was organized, become a part of the school township or townships in which it is situated and become organized under the general school law. If such a resolution is adopted, the board of education shall continue to exercise its powers and duties under the general school law. Each member of the board of education selected under the provisions of the special charter shall continue in office until his term has expired. Before the term of each of these members expires, the board shall give notice of an election to be held on the date of the next regular school election, in accordance with the general election law to fill the vacancy which is created.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 98-115, eff. 7-29-13.)