§ 8-1 — Treasurers

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c), in Class II county school units the trustees of schools shall appoint a treasurer who shall be ex-officio clerk of the board. The term of the township treasurer shall be for a 2 year period beginning and ending on the first of July. The treasurer shall not be a trustee, or school board member. He shall attend all meetings and keep a record of the official proceedings of the trustees of schools. Such record shall be open to public inspection. All proceedings, when recorded, shall be signed by the president and the clerk. If the clerk is absent, or refuses to perform any of his duties, a clerk pro tempore may be appointed. For sufficient cause the treasurer may be removed from office by the trustees of schools. In case of a vacancy the trustees of schools shall elect a treasurer for the unexpired term. (b) In Class I county school units, and in each school district which forms a part of a Class II county school unit but which has withdrawn from the jurisdiction and authority of the trustees of schools of the township in which such school district is located and from the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer in such Class II county school unit as provided in subsection (b) of Section 5-1, each school board shall either elect one of its members to serve as treasurer without salary for a period of one year or appoint someone, not a member of the school board, as its treasurer, and, except as provided in this Section the board shall fix his compensation. An appointed treasurer shall serve at the pleasure of the board. An appointed treasurer shall be at least 21 years of age, of approved integrity, but not a member of the county board of school trustees. The records of the treasurer shall be open to public inspection. Two or more such districts may appoint the same treasurer. In case of a vacancy caused by the death, resignation or the removal from office of the school treasurer the school board shall appoint a treasurer. The school board may determine the temporary incapacity of its treasurer occasioned by illness, absence from the district or any other cause which prevents the prompt performance of his duties and appoint an acting treasurer to serve until the board determines such temporary incapacity no longer exists. (c) The school board of each elementary school, high school and unit school district that forms a part of a Class II county school unit and that was under the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools of a township at the time those offices were abolished in that township as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1 shall appoint a person to serve as treasurer of the school board. The term of each school treasurer appointed under this subsection shall be for a 2 year period beginning and ending on the first day of July. A person appointed under this subsection to serve as treasurer of a school board shall not be the superintendent of schools of the school district. A person appointed and serving under this subsection as treasurer of a school board may concurrently serve as the treasurer of the regional board of school trustees, if selected to serve in that capacity by the regional board of school trustees, as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1. The school board shall fix the compensation of its school treasurer, and for sufficient cause may remove the school treasurer from office. However, if a member of the school board is also school treasurer, he or she shall perform his or her duties as school treasurer without compensation. In the case of a vacancy, the school board shall appoint a school treasurer for the unexpired term. The school board may determine the temporary incapacity of its treasurer due to illness, absence from the district, or other cause that prevents the prompt performance of his duties and may appoint an acting treasurer to serve until the school board determines that the temporary incapacity of its treasurer no longer exists. (d) After October 1, 1977, each treasurer in a Class I county school unit appointed under this Section for his first term shall have a financial background or related experience or 12 semester hours of credit of college level accounting. (e) After August 14, 1989, any treasurer appointed under this Section for his first term in Class II county school units, including any person appointed by a school board to serve as its treasurer as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, shall be a certified public accountant or a certified chief school business official as defined in part (3) of Section 21-7.3 of this Act. Experience as a township treasurer in a Class II county school unit prior to July 1, 1989 shall be deemed the equivalent of certification. (f) Concurrently with the election or appointment of its own school treasurer by the school board of a school district which forms a part of a Class II county school unit but which no longer is subject to the jurisdiction and authority of a township treasurer or trustees of schools of a township because the district has withdrawn from the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer and trustees of schools of the township or because those offices have been abolished as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of Section 5-1, all funds, accounts, moneys, notes, bonds, mortgages and effects then held by such township treasurer on behalf or for the use and benefit of, or then credited by such township treasurer to any fund or account of such school district shall thereupon be transferred and paid over by such township treasurer to the school treasurer elected or appointed by the school board of such school district. In addition the school treasurer of such school district shall have the right, at all reasonable times, to inspect all cash books, loan books, district account books and journals kept by such township treasurer as provided in Section 8-5 and to copy or otherwise reproduce such portions thereof as such school treasurer deems necessary for the performance of his duties. (g) Upon the abolition of the offices of the township treasurer and trustee of schools of a township as provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1, and subject to the limitation of subsection (b) of Section 8-5 with respect to certain records to be surrendered to the regional board of school trustees, and except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of Section 5-1 with respect to the common school lands and township loanable funds of that township and with respect to the records, books and accounts relating to those common school lands and township loanable funds, all school funds and accounts, moneys, notes, bonds, securities, district account books and other documents, records and effects then held by the former township treasurer on behalf or for the use and benefit of, or then credited by the former township treasurer to any fund or account of any school district that was under the jurisdiction and authority of the township treasurer at the time the office of that township treasurer was abolished shall thereupon be transferred and paid over by the former township treasurer to the appropriate school treasurer appointed by the school board of each such district under subsection (c) of this Section 8-1. (h) If the school district of a school treasurer elected or appointed under this Section is receiving emergency State financial assistance under Article 1B, that school treasurer is subject to the provisions of Article 1B.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-790, eff. 8-9-24.)