Section 252.30  The Terms of Reimbursement for Public School Participation in the Course

a)         Claims for Reimbursement – These shall be made under oath or affirmation of the chief school administrator for the district employed by the school board or authorized driver education personnel employed by the school board [105 ILCS 5/27-24.6].

1)         Reimbursement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Sections 27-24.4 and 27-24.5 of the School Code.  

2)         The school district that is the residence of an eligible pupil who attends a nonpublic school in another district that has furnished the driver education course shall reimburse the district offering the course the difference between the actual per capita cost of giving the course the previous school year and the amount reimbursed by the State (Section 27-24.4 of the School Code), subject to the limitations regarding the reimbursement amount that are set forth in Section 27-24.2 of the School Code.  This arrangement shall also apply in the case of tuition students who receive driver education from the districts where they are enrolled rather than from their respective districts of residence.

3)         The district may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed the amount specified in Section 27-24.2 of the School Code to students who participate in a driver education course approved in accordance with this Part.  No other fee or portion thereof shall be charged to students and attributed to the driver education course.  As used in this Part, "reasonable fee" means a fee calculated by dividing the sum of documented annual district costs for items such as instructional materials (if not included in the district's textbook rental fee), the cost of driver education cars, car maintenance costs, fuel, and insurance by the number of students enrolled or participating in the driver education course.  The district's costs used in this calculation shall not include any portion of the salaries or benefits of school district personnel.  For purposes of this calculation, the cost of driver education cars that are purchased by the district shall be amortized over a five-year period, and the cost of leasing cars shall be included in the fee calculation in the year the costs are incurred.

4)         The driver education fee shall be waived with respect to any student who applies pursuant to this subsection and who is eligible for free lunches or breakfasts pursuant to the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act [105 ILCS 125] and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 305 (School Food Service), and with respect to other students in accordance with the district's policy adopted in accordance with 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.245 (Waiver of School Fees).

b)         Transfer Student – For any transfer student as defined in Section 252.20(b)(2), reimbursement shall be claimed only by the school district to which the student has transferred.

c)         Cooperative School Programs – In fulfilling the requirements for reimbursement, a school district must provide a driver education course or participate in a special education cooperative or be part of an approved joint school agreement with another public school district.

d)         Contracting − School districts providing the driver education course through a contract as provided under Section 252.20(e) shall make a claim for reimbursement by submitting, in a format specified by the State Superintendent of Education, the names of the students successfully completing the course and the date of course completion for each.

e)         Records – Daily attendance records shall be kept by the teachers in the manner prescribed in Section 27-24.6 of the School Code and are to be used to certify claims made under the Act.

1)         Records in either paper or electronic format must be maintained by the school to substantiate daily lessons, time behind the wheel, observation time, and periodic as well as final evaluation of each student.  Also recorded shall be the beginning and ending dates of classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction.  Students are to be identified by their instructional permit number, name, address and other personal information.

2)         The records are to be on file in the office of the driver education supervisor, principal, or other manager at the time reimbursement and/or certification is requested.

3)         Driver education participation records are to be kept and be readily available for a period of not less than three years.

4)         All records are subject to yearly audit by State auditors.

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 8946, effective May 16, 2018)