105 ILCS 5/3A-13
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 105 - SCHOOLS|105 ILCS 5/ - School Code.|Article 3A - Educational Service Regions

 (from Ch. 122, par. 3A-13)Sec. 3A-13.     Petition for Consolidation.     If a majority of those  voting in the disconnection election favor disconnection and requesting  consolidation with another educational service region, the regional  superintendent shall notify, within 30 days of the declaration of  official results, the regional board of school trustees for the  educational service region approved by the voters in the election of the  official results.  When the official results are received, the regional  board of school trustees shall conduct a hearing on the petition, after  notice of hearing has been published once, not more than 15 nor less  than 10 days before the day of the hearing, in one or more newspapers  having general circulation in the region and in one or more newspapers  having general circulation in the county which is petitioning for the  consolidation.  The secretary of the regional board of school trustees  shall notify the secretary of each school board affected by the proposed  consolidation, the chairman of the county board of each county affected  thereby and the State  Superintendent of Education that the petition has been filed.  The  notice shall state the prayer of the petition and the date, time and  place of the hearing.  The State Board of Education shall pay the  expenses of the hearing.  Evidence admissible at the hearing shall  include, but not be limited to, the school needs and conditions in the  territory affected by the proposed consolidation, whether or not the  area is compact and contiguous; and whether or not the proposed  consolidation would be in the best interests of the schools in the area  and the educational welfare of the pupils of these schools. A record of  the proceedings shall be kept and a competent reporter shall be employed  to take stenographic or stenotype notes of all testimony. At the hearing  each resident of the region or of the county petitioning for  consolidation shall have the rights provided for residents under Section  7-6 and the final order of the regional board of school trustees shall  be subject to review as provided in Sections 7-6 and 7-7.Within 10 days of the hearing the regional board of school trustees  shall meet and render a decision with regard to the hearing on the  petition. A copy of the final decision of the regional board of school  trustees shall be filed with the State Board of Education within 30 days  after the conclusion of the hearing.  If the regional board of school  trustees renders a decision  approving the consolidation, the region and  the county shall be consolidated into a single educational service  region and the State Board of Education shall notify all interested  parties, including the county clerks of the counties affected thereby  and the Secretary of State.  The effective date of the consolidation  shall be immediately after the time for appeal of the order of  consolidation has passed or after the final disposition of any appeal  taken from a consolidation order.If the regional board of school trustees renders a decision denying  the consolidation, a majority of the school boards located within the  county disconnected, upon the adoption of appropriate resolutions, may  petition another educational service region for consolidation.  The  proceedings on this petition shall be consistent with this Section.    (Source: P.A. 86-1028.)