§ 7-11 — Annexation of dissolved non-operating districts

If any school district has become dissolved as provided in Section 5-32 of this Code, or if a petition for dissolution is filed under Section 7-2a of this Code, the regional board of school trustees shall attach the territory of such dissolved district to one or more districts and, if the territory is added to 2 or more districts, shall divide the property of the dissolved district among the districts to which its territory is added, in the manner provided for the division of property in case of the organization of a new district from a part of another district. The regional board of school trustees of the region in which the regional superintendent has supervision and control, as defined in Section 3-14.2 of this Code, over the school district that is dissolved shall have all power necessary to annex the territory of the dissolved district as provided in this Section, including the power to attach the territory to a school district under the supervision and control of the regional superintendent of another educational service region and, in the case of Leepertown CCSD 175, the power to attach the territory to a non-contiguous school district if deemed in the best interests of the schools of the area and the educational welfare of the pupils involved. The annexation of the territory of a dissolved school district under this Section shall entitle the school districts involved in the annexation to payments from the State Board of Education in the same manner and to the same extent authorized in the case of other annexations under this Article. Other provisions of this Article 7 of this Code shall apply to and govern dissolutions and annexations under this Section and Section 7-2a of this Code, except that it is the intent of the General Assembly that in the case of conflict the provisions of this Section and Section 7-2a of this Code shall control over the other provisions of this Article. The regional board of school trustees shall give notice of a hearing, to be held not less than 50 days nor more than 70 days after a school district is dissolved under Section 5-32 of this Code or a petition is filed under Section 7-2a of this Code, on the disposition of the territory of such school district by publishing a notice thereof at least once each week for 2 successive weeks in at least one newspaper having a general circulation within the area of the territory involved. At such hearing, the regional board of school trustees shall hear evidence as to the school needs and conditions of the territory and of the area within and adjacent thereto, and shall take into consideration the educational welfare of the pupils of the territory and the normal high school attendance pattern of the children. In the case of an elementary school district, except for Leepertown CCSD 175, if all the eighth grade graduates of such district customarily attend high school in the same high school district, the regional board of school trustees shall, unless it be impossible because of the restrictions of a special charter district, annex the territory of the district to a contiguous elementary school district whose eighth grade graduates customarily attend that high school, and that has an elementary school building nearest to the center of the territory to be annexed, but if such eighth grade graduates customarily attend more than one high school the regional board of school trustees shall determine the attendance pattern of such graduates and divide the territory of the district among the contiguous elementary districts whose graduates attend the same respective high schools. At the conclusion of the hearing, the regional superintendent of schools, as secretary to the regional board of school trustees, shall, within 10 days, enter an order detailing the annexation of the dissolved district. The regional superintendent of schools shall deliver a certified copy of the order by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the petitioners or committee of petitioners, as applicable; the president of the school board of each dissolving and annexing district; any person providing testimony in support of or opposition to the petition at the hearing; and any attorney who appears for any person. The regional superintendent of schools shall also deliver a copy of the order to the regional superintendent of schools who has supervision and control, as defined in Section 3-14.2 of this Code, of the annexing district, if different from the regional superintendent of schools with whom the petition was filed. The regional superintendent of schools is not required to send a copy of the regional board of school trustees' order to those attending the hearing but not participating. The final order shall be in writing and include findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the annexation decision. The decision of the regional board of school trustees shall be deemed an "administrative decision" as defined in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and any resident, petitioner, or school board entitled to receive a certified copy of the regional board of school trustees' order may, within 10 days after a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed was served by certified mail, return receipt requested, upon the resident, petitioner, or school board, thereby file a complaint for the judicial review of such decision in accordance with the Administrative Review Law and the rules adopted pursuant thereto. The commencement of any action for review shall operate as a stay of enforcement, and no further proceedings shall be had until final disposition of such review. The final decision of the regional board of school trustees or of any court upon judicial review shall become effective under Section 7-9 of this Code in the case of a petition for dissolution filed under Section 7-2a of this Code, and a final decision shall become effective immediately following the date no further appeal is allowable in the case of a district dissolved under Section 5-32 of this Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section or any other provision of law to the contrary, the school board of the Mt. Morris School District is authorized to donate to the City of Mount Morris, Illinois the school building and other real property used as a school site by the Mt. Morris School District at the time of its dissolution, by appropriate resolution adopted by the school board of the district prior to the dissolution of the district; and upon the adoption of a resolution by the school board donating the school building and school site to the City of Mount Morris, Illinois as authorized by this Section, the regional board of school trustees or other school officials holding legal title to the school building and school site so donated shall immediately convey the same to the City of Mt. Morris, Illinois.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 100-374, eff. 8-25-17.)