SB2882 Engrossed LRB094 19085 NHT 54594 b

1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 2-3.136 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.136)
7     Sec. 2-3.136. Class K-3 class size reduction grant programs
8 program.
9     (a) A K-3 class size reduction grant program is created.
10 The program shall be implemented and administered by the State
11 Board of Education. From appropriations made for purposes of
12 this Section, the State Board shall award grants to schools
13 that meet the criteria established by this subsection (a)
14 Section for the award of those grants.
15     Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The form
16 and manner of applications and the criteria for the award of
17 grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of Education. The
18 grant criteria as so prescribed, however, shall provide that
19 only those schools that are on the State Board of Education
20 Early Academic Warning List or the academic watch list under
21 Section 2-3.25d that maintain grades kindergarten through 3 are
22 grant eligible.
23     Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection
24 (a) Section shall be used and applied by the schools to defray
25 the costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in
26 grades kindergarten through 3 with an average class size within
27 a specific grade of no more than 20 pupils. If a school's
28 facilities are inadequate to allow for this specified class
29 size, then a school may use the grant funds for teacher aides
30 instead.
31     (b) A K-3 pilot class size reduction grant program is
32 created. The program shall be implemented and administered by

 

 

SB2882 Engrossed - 2 - LRB094 19085 NHT 54594 b

1 the State Board of Education. From appropriations made for
2 purposes of this subsection (b), the State Board shall award
3 grants to schools that meet the criteria established by this
4 Section for the award of those grants.
5     Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The form
6 and manner of application and the criteria for the award of
7 grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of Education.
8     Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection
9 (b) shall be used and applied by the schools to defray the
10 costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in
11 grades kindergarten through 3 of no more than 15 pupils per
12 teacher per class. A teacher aide may not be used to meet this
13 requirement.
14     (c) If a school board determines that a school is using
15 funds awarded under this Section for purposes not authorized by
16 this Section, then the school board, rather than the school,
17 shall determine how the funds are used.
18     (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules,
19 consistent with the requirements of this Section, that are
20 necessary to implement and administer the K-3 class size
21 reduction grant programs program.
22 (Source: P.A. 93-814, eff. 7-27-04; 94-566, eff. 1-1-06.)
 
23     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
24 2006.