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92_HB0216
LRB9201917NTsb
1 AN ACT in relation to schools.
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 adding Section
5 2-3.131 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.131 new)
7 Sec. 2-3.131. K-5 class size reduction grant program. A
8 class size reduction grant program is hereby created. The
9 program shall be implemented and administered by the State
10 Board of Education, which shall award grants to school
11 districts that meet the criteria established by this Section
12 for the award of those grants. The State Board of Education
13 shall award grants from available federal class size
14 reduction funds and once those funds have been exhausted,
15 from appropriations made for the purposes of this Section.
16 Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The
17 form and manner of applications and the criteria for the
18 award of grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of
19 Education. However, the grant criteria as so prescribed
20 shall provide that: (i) only those districts that maintain
21 grades kindergarten through 5 shall be grant eligible and
22 only with respect to such of those grades as have an average
23 class size for the grade of at least 23 pupils per classroom
24 at the time the district applies for the grant; (ii) if a
25 district qualifies for a grant under item (i), the grant
26 shall be conditioned upon the agreement of the district to
27 reduce the size of each classroom maintained for pupils in
28 the grade with respect to which that grant is made by at
29 least 5 pupils per classroom; and (iii) no grant funds shall
30 be awarded to enable a district to reduce class size to less
31 than 18 pupils per classroom.
-2- LRB9201917NTsb
1 Grants awarded to eligible districts under this Section
2 shall be used and applied by the districts to defray the
3 costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in
4 grades kindergarten through 5 that meet the size criteria
5 established by this Section.
6 The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules,
7 consistent with the requirements of this Section, that are
8 necessary to implement and administer the K-5 class size
9 reduction grant program.
10 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July
11 1, 2001.
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