Our firm has one of the largest teams of K-12 education lawyers in Illinois. We work with school districts, schools, and cooperatives of all sizes—ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of students—in all areas of the State.
Our clients are some of the biggest as well as some of the smallest educational institutions in the state.
They can be found in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We pride ourselves on serving clients better than anyone else, and our remarkably high client retention rate suggests that we succeed in doing so.
Our attorneys are accessible, efficient, responsive, candid, and practical.
We form a unique partnership with the schools we serve, working with school and governing board members and administrators to find solutions to difficult problems and provide practical, clear, and comprehensive advice. Franczek’s unique position as a leader in all aspects of education, labor and employment, and immigration law allows us to offer unparalleled depth and experience at a consistent and competitive cost.
On a daily basis, our deep bench of school attorneys advises boards of education and school administrators on a wide variety of school law issues, including:
- Labor Relations. Our prominence in the realm of traditional labor-management relations is indisputable. Few firms have our depth and breadth of experience. Our proficiency in the full range of labor issues facing K-12 schools pays dividends in negotiations and arbitrations.
- Employment. Our distinguished employment attorneys guide school leaders through every personnel decision – from hiring, discipline, and reductions in force to administrative proceedings before an impartial hearing officer. We also help with pension and benefits concerns when they arise.
- Board Governance. We untangle the web of laws regulating school boards and board members for our clients. Our attorneys regularly review and revise school policies and procedures, provide prompt solutions to Open Meetings Act (OMA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) questions, and address any other board governance issues that may arise.
- School Business Operations. Our vast range of experiences includes bidding, construction, real estate, and general contract needs, as well as transportation, insurance, and recordkeeping. We also assist with conflicts of interest, ethics, intellectual property, accountability, elections, and other matters that may be volatile and sensitive for school boards and districts.
- Property Tax. With the most extensive property tax practice in Illinois, we regularly help school leaders navigate budgets, levies, state aid reimbursement, and the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL). Additionally, we provide support with exemption applications, property tax appeals, tax increment financing (TIF), impact fees, and development incentives.
- Student Issues. Franczek is synonymous with a high proficiency in the realm of student issues, from student assignment and admissions to discipline, student records and confidentiality, and student rights. Our special education attorneys are respected throughout Illinois for their mastery of special education laws and thoughtful, practical advice.