SB2882 Engrossed

LRB094 19085 NHT 54594 b






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    AN ACT concerning education.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by changing Section 
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2-3.136 as follows:
 
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    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.136)

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    Sec. 2-3.136. Class
K-3 class size reduction grant programs

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program. 
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    (a) A K-3 class size
reduction grant program is created.  
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The program shall be implemented
and
administered by the State 
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Board of Education.  From
appropriations made for purposes of 
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this Section, the State Board shall award grants to schools 
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that meet
the criteria established by this subsection (a)

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Section for the award of those grants.

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    Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application.  The form 
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and manner of
applications and the criteria for the award of 
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grants shall be prescribed by
the State Board of Education.  The 
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grant criteria as so prescribed, however,
shall provide that 
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only those schools that are on the State
Board of Education 
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Early
Academic Warning List or the academic
watch list
under 
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Section 2-3.25d that maintain grades kindergarten through 3 are 
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grant eligible.

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    Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection 
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(a)
Section shall be used and
applied by the schools to defray 
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the costs and expenses of operating and
maintaining classes in 
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grades kindergarten through 3 with an average class size within 
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a specific grade of no more than 20 pupils. If a school's 
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facilities are inadequate to allow for this specified class 
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size, then a school may use the grant funds for teacher aides 
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instead.

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    (b) A K-3 pilot class size reduction grant program is 
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created. The program shall be implemented and administered by 
 


 






SB2882 Engrossed
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LRB094 19085 NHT 54594 b




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the State Board of Education. From appropriations made for 
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purposes of this subsection (b), the State Board shall award 
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grants to schools that meet the criteria established by this 
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Section for the award of those grants.
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    Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The form 
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and manner of application and the criteria for the award of 
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grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of Education.
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    Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection 
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(b)  shall be used and applied by the schools to defray the 
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costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in 
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grades kindergarten through 3 of no more than 15 pupils per 
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teacher per class. A teacher aide may not be used to meet this 
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requirement.

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    (c) If a school board determines that a school is using 
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funds awarded under this Section for purposes not authorized by 
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this Section, then the school board, rather than the school, 
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shall determine how the funds are used.

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    (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules, 
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consistent with the
requirements of this Section, that are 
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necessary to implement and administer
the K-3 class size 
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reduction grant programs
program.


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(Source: P.A. 93-814, eff. 7-27-04; 94-566, eff. 1-1-06.)
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
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2006.