Illinois Code § 18-206

§ 18-206.

Decrease in extension for educational purposes. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for those school districts whose adequacy targets, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of this Code, exceed 110% for the school year that begins during the calendar year immediately preceding the levy year for which the reduction under this Section is sought, the question of whether the school district shall reduce its extension for educational purposes for the levy year in which the election is held to an amount that is less than the extension for educational purposes for the immediately preceding levy year shall be submitted to the voters of the school district at the next consolidated election but only upon submission of a petition signed by not fewer than 10% of the registered voters in the school district. In no event shall the reduced extension be more than 10% lower than the amount extended for educational purposes in the previous levy year, and in no event shall the reduction cause the school district's adequacy target to fall below 110% for the levy year for which the reduction is sought. (b) The petition shall be filed with the applicable election authority, as defined in Section 1-3 of the Election Code, or, in the case of multiple election authorities, with the State Board of Elections, not more than 10 months nor less than 6 months prior to the election at which the question is to be submitted to the voters, and its validity shall be determined as provided by Article 28 of the Election Code and general election law. The election authority or Board, as applicable, shall certify the question and the proper election authority or authorities shall submit the question to the voters. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, this referendum shall be subject to all other general election law requirements. (c) The proposition seeking to reduce the extension for educational purposes shall be in substantially the following form: Shall the amount extended for educational purposes by (school district) be reduced from (previous levy year's extension) to (proposed extension) for (levy year), but in no event lower than the amount required to maintain an adequacy target of 110%? Votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No". If a majority of all votes cast on the proposition are in favor of the proposition, then, for the levy year in which the election is held, the amount extended by the school district for educational purposes shall be reduced as provided in the referendum; however, in no event shall the reduction exceed the amount that would cause the school district to have an adequacy target of 110% for the applicable school year. Once the question is submitted to the voters, then the question may not be submitted again for the same school district at any of the next 2 consolidated elections. (d) For school districts that approve a reduction under this Section, the county clerk shall extend a rate for educational purposes that is no greater than the limiting rate for educational purposes. If the school district is otherwise subject to this Law for the applicable levy year, then, for the levy year in which the reduction occurs, the county clerk shall calculate separate limiting rates for educational purposes and for the aggregate of the school district's other funds. As used in this Section: "School district" means each school district in the State, regardless of whether or not that school district is otherwise subject to this Law. "Limiting rate for educational purposes" means a fraction the numerator of which is the greater of (i) the amount approved by the voters in the referendum under subsection (c) of this Section or (ii) the amount that would cause the school district to have an adequacy target of 110% for the applicable school year, but in no event more than the school district's extension for educational purposes in the immediately preceding levy year, and the denominator of which is the current year's equalized assessed value of all real property under the jurisdiction of the school district during the prior levy year. (Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)