Bill Text: IL HB0684 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Subject to an appropriation or the availability of funding for such purposes, requires the State Board of Education to make grants available to fund community schools (which are traditional schools that actively partner with their community to leverage existing resources and identify new resources to support the transformation of the school to provide enrichment and additional life skill opportunities for students, parents, and community members at-large) and to enhance programs at community schools. Requires a request-for-proposal process to be used in awarding grants. Provides that proposals may be submitted on behalf of a school, a school district, or a consortium of 2 or more schools or school districts. Requires a school to have certain components in order to qualify for a grant. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to appoint a 9-member Advisory Council on Community Schools. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-4)

Status: (Passed) 2009-08-25 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0746 [HB0684 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB0684-Introduced.html

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 HB0684 Introduced 2/6/2009, by Rep. William D. Burns SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/Art. 27B heading new
105 ILCS 5/27B-5 new
105 ILCS 5/27B-10 new
105 ILCS 5/27B-15 new
105 ILCS 5/27B-20 new
105 ILCS 5/27B-25 new
Amends the School Code. Subject to an appropriation or the availability of funding for such purposes, requires the State Board of Education to make grants available to fund community schools (which are traditional schools that actively partner with their community to leverage existing resources and identify new resources to support the transformation of the school to provide enrichment and additional life skill opportunities for students, parents, and community members at-large) and to enhance programs at community schools. Requires a request-for-proposal process to be used in awarding grants. Provides that proposals may be submitted on behalf of a school, a school district, or a consortium of 2 or more schools or school districts. Requires a school to have certain components in order to qualify for a grant. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to appoint a 9-member Advisory Council on Community Schools. Effective immediately.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Article 27B
as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/Art. 27B heading new)
ARTICLE 27B. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
(105 ILCS 5/27B-5 new)
Sec. 27B-5. Applicability. This Article applies beginning
with the 2009-2010 school year.
(105 ILCS 5/27B-10 new)
Sec. 27B-10. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds all of the following:
(1) All children are capable of success.
(2) Schools are the centers of vibrant communities.
(3) Strong families build strong educational
communities.
(4) Children succeed when adults work together to
foster positive educational outcomes.
(5) Schools work best when families take active roles
in the education of children.

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(6) Schools today are limited in their ability to
dedicate time and resources to provide a wide range of
educational opportunities to students because of the focus
on standardized test outcomes.
(7) By providing learning opportunities outside of
normal school hours, including programs on life skills and
health, students are more successful academically, more
engaged in their communities, safer, and better prepared to
make a successful transition from school to adulthood.
(8) A community school is a traditional school that
actively partners with its community to leverage existing
resources and identify new resources to support the
transformation of the school to provide enrichment and
additional life skill opportunities for students, parents,
and community members at-large. Each community school is
unique because its programming is designed by and for the
school staff, in partnership with parents, community
stakeholders, and students.
(9) Community schools currently exist in this State in
urban, rural, and suburban communities.
(10) Research shows that community schools have a
powerful positive impact on students, as demonstrated by
increased academic success, a positive change in attitudes
toward school and learning, and decreased behavioral
problems.
(11) After-school and evening programs offered by

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community schools provide academic enrichment consistent
with the Illinois Learning Standards and general school
curriculum; an opportunity for physical fitness activities
for students, fine arts programs, structured learning
"play" time, and other recreational opportunities; a safe
haven for students; and work supports for working families.
(12) Community schools are cost-effective because they
leverage existing resources provided by local, State,
federal, and private sources and bring programs to the
schools, where the students are already congregated.
Community schools have been shown to leverage between $5 to
$8 in existing programming for every $1 spent on a
community school.
(105 ILCS 5/27B-15 new)
Sec. 27B-15. Grants for Community Schools. Subject to an
appropriation or the availability of funding for such purposes,
the State Board of Education shall make grants available to
fund community schools and to enhance programs at community
schools. A request-for-proposal process must be used in
awarding grants under this Section. Proposals may be submitted
on behalf of a school, a school district, or a consortium of 2
or more schools or school districts. Proposals must be
evaluated and scored on the basis of criteria consistent with
this Article and other factors developed and adopted by the
Advisory Council on Community Schools established under this

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Article. Technical assistance in grant writing must be made
available to schools, school districts, or consortia of school
districts through the State Board of Education directly or
through a resource and referral directory established and
maintained by the State Board of Education.
(105 ILCS 5/27B-20 new)
Sec. 27B-20. Criteria for grants to community schools. In
order to qualify for a community school grant under this
Article, a school must, at a minimum, have the following
components:
(1) Before and after-school programming each school
day to meet the identified needs of students.
(2) Weekend programming.
(3) At least 4 weeks of summer programming.
(4) A local advisory group comprised of school
leadership, parents, and community stakeholders that
establishes school-specific programming goals, assesses
program needs, and oversees the process of implementing
expanded programming.
(5) A program director or resource coordinator who is
responsible for establishing a local advisory group,
assessing the needs of students and community members,
identifying programs to meet those needs, developing the
before and after-school, weekend, and summer programming
and overseeing the implementation of programming to ensure

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high quality, efficiency, and robust participation.
(6) Programming that includes academic excellence
aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, life skills,
healthy minds and bodies, parental support, and community
engagement and that promotes staying in school and
non-violent behavior and non-violent conflict resolution.
(7) Maintenance of attendance records in all
programming components.
(8) Maintenance of measurable data showing annual
participation and the impact of programming on the
participating children and adults.
(9) Documentation of true collaboration between the
school and community stakeholders, including local
governmental units, civic organizations, families,
businesses, and social service providers.
(10) A non-discrimination policy ensuring that the
community school does not condition participation upon
race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, or disability.
(105 ILCS 5/27B-25 new)
Sec. 27B-25. Advisory council. Within 90 days after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General
Assembly, the State Superintendent of Education shall appoint a
9-member Advisory Council on Community Schools. The Advisory
Council shall advise the State Superintendent and the State
Board of Education regarding policies and best practices for

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community schools, criteria for funding community schools, and
strategies to bring federal funding to this State for community
schools. The membership of the Advisory Council shall include
persons involved in community school leadership, at least one
representative of a statewide association that advocates for
community schools, parents involved in community schools, and
other community stakeholders.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.