Bill Text: IL HB2426 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that (i) the requirement to fund programs for children ages 0-3 applies to funds distributed by this State and funds distributed to the Chicago school district, and the State Board of Education shall report annually, on or before December 1, on how much funding was allocated to programs for children ages 0-3 both by the State Board of Education and by the Chicago school district; and (ii) the requirement that the percentage of Early Childhood Education Block Grant funding allocated to programs for children ages 0-3 each fiscal year remain at least 20% of the overall Early Childhood Education Block Grant allocation, once that percentage has been reached, applies to funds distributed by this State and funds distributed to the Chicago school district. In provisions concerning grants for preschool educational programs and programs concerning services to at-risk children and their families, provides that the Chicago school district is also subject to the requirement to supplement, not supplant, funds received from other sources.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-08-11 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0055 [HB2426 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HB2426-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, provides that (i) the requirement to fund programs for children ages 0-3 applies to funds distributed by this State and funds distributed to the Chicago school district, and the State Board of Education shall report annually, on or before December 1, on how much funding was allocated to programs for children ages 0-3 both by the State Board of Education and by the Chicago school district; and (ii) the requirement that the percentage of Early Childhood Education Block Grant funding allocated to programs for children ages 0-3 each fiscal year remain at least 20% of the overall Early Childhood Education Block Grant allocation, once that percentage has been reached, applies to funds distributed by this State and funds distributed to the Chicago school district. In provisions concerning grants for preschool educational programs and programs concerning services to at-risk children and their families, provides that the Chicago school district is also subject to the requirement to supplement, not supplant, funds received from other sources.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-08-11 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0055 [HB2426 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HB2426-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 1C-2, 2-3.71, and 2-3.89 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/1C-2)
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7 | Sec. 1C-2. Block grants.
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8 | (a) For fiscal year 1999, and each fiscal year thereafter, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | the State Board
of Education shall award to school districts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | block grants as described in subsection
(c). The State Board of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Education may adopt
rules and regulations necessary to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | implement this Section. In accordance with
Section 2-3.32, all | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | state block grants are subject to an audit. Therefore,
block | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | grant receipts and block grant expenditures shall be recorded | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | to the
appropriate fund code.
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16 | (b) (Blank).
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17 | (c) An Early Childhood Education Block Grant shall be | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | created by combining
the following programs: Preschool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Education, Parental Training and Prevention
Initiative. These | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | funds shall be distributed to school districts and other
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21 | entities on a competitive basis. Not less than 14% of the Early | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Childhood Education Block Grant allocation of funds
shall be | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | used to
fund programs for children ages 0-3. Beginning in |
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1 | Fiscal Year 2016, at least 25% of any additional Early | ||||||
2 | Childhood Education Block Grant funding over and above the | ||||||
3 | previous fiscal year's allocation shall be used to fund | ||||||
4 | programs for children ages 0-3. This requirement to fund | ||||||
5 | programs for children ages 0-3 applies to funds distributed by | ||||||
6 | this State and funds distributed to a school district having a | ||||||
7 | population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants pursuant to Article | ||||||
8 | 1D, and the State Board of Education shall report annually, on | ||||||
9 | or before December 1, on how much funding was allocated to | ||||||
10 | programs for children ages 0-3 both by the State Board of | ||||||
11 | Education and by a school district having a population | ||||||
12 | exceeding 500,000 inhabitants. Once the percentage of Early | ||||||
13 | Childhood Education Block Grant funding allocated to programs | ||||||
14 | for children ages 0-3 reaches 20% of the overall Early | ||||||
15 | Childhood Education Block Grant allocation for a full fiscal | ||||||
16 | year, thereafter in subsequent fiscal years the percentage of | ||||||
17 | Early Childhood Education Block Grant funding allocated to | ||||||
18 | programs for children ages 0-3 each fiscal year shall remain at | ||||||
19 | least 20% of the overall Early Childhood Education Block Grant | ||||||
20 | allocation ; this requirement applies to funds distributed by | ||||||
21 | this State and funds distributed to a school district having a | ||||||
22 | population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants pursuant to Article | ||||||
23 | 1D . However, if, in a given fiscal year, the amount | ||||||
24 | appropriated for the Early Childhood Education Block Grant is | ||||||
25 | insufficient to increase the percentage of the grant to fund | ||||||
26 | programs for children ages 0-3 without reducing the amount of |
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1 | the grant for existing providers of preschool education | ||||||
2 | programs, then the percentage of the grant to fund programs for | ||||||
3 | children ages 0-3 may be held steady instead of increased.
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4 | (Source: P.A. 98-645, eff. 7-1-14; 99-589, eff. 7-21-16.)
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5 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
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6 | Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs. | ||||||
7 | (a) Preschool program.
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8 | (1) The State Board of Education shall implement and | ||||||
9 | administer
a grant program under the provisions of this | ||||||
10 | subsection which shall
consist of grants to public school | ||||||
11 | districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the | ||||||
12 | State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary
preschool
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13 | educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include | ||||||
14 | a parent
education component. A public school district | ||||||
15 | which receives grants under
this subsection may | ||||||
16 | subcontract with other entities that are eligible to | ||||||
17 | conduct a preschool educational
program. These grants must | ||||||
18 | be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from | ||||||
19 | any other source. A school district receiving grants | ||||||
20 | pursuant to Article 1D is also subject to the requirement | ||||||
21 | to supplement, not supplant, funds received from other | ||||||
22 | sources.
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23 | (2) (Blank).
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24 | (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program | ||||||
25 | authorized by this
subsection shall hold an early childhood |
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1 | teaching certificate.
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2 | (4) (Blank).
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3 | (4.5) The State Board of Education shall provide the | ||||||
4 | primary source of
funding through appropriations for the | ||||||
5 | program.
Such funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal | ||||||
6 | of "Preschool for All Children" for the benefit
of all | ||||||
7 | children whose families choose to participate in the | ||||||
8 | program. Based on available appropriations, newly funded | ||||||
9 | programs shall be selected through a process giving first | ||||||
10 | priority to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk | ||||||
11 | children and second priority to qualified programs serving | ||||||
12 | primarily children with a family income of less than 4 | ||||||
13 | times the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the | ||||||
14 | Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human | ||||||
15 | Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For | ||||||
16 | purposes of this paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are | ||||||
17 | those who because of their home and community environment | ||||||
18 | are subject
to such language, cultural, economic and like | ||||||
19 | disadvantages to cause them to have
been determined as a | ||||||
20 | result of screening procedures to be at risk of
academic | ||||||
21 | failure. Such screening procedures shall be based on | ||||||
22 | criteria
established by the State Board of Education. | ||||||
23 | Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5), | ||||||
24 | grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of | ||||||
25 | understanding with the appropriate local Head Start | ||||||
26 | agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than |
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1 | 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the | ||||||
2 | program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program | ||||||
3 | year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the | ||||||
4 | deadline set by the State Board of Education for | ||||||
5 | applications to participate in the program in fiscal year | ||||||
6 | 2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's | ||||||
7 | program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues, | ||||||
8 | which shall include without limitation the following: | ||||||
9 | (A) educational activities, curricular objectives, | ||||||
10 | and instruction; | ||||||
11 | (B) public information dissemination and access to | ||||||
12 | programs for families contacting programs; | ||||||
13 | (C) service areas; | ||||||
14 | (D) selection priorities for eligible children to | ||||||
15 | be served by programs; | ||||||
16 | (E) maximizing the impact of federal and State | ||||||
17 | funding to benefit young children; | ||||||
18 | (F) staff training, including opportunities for | ||||||
19 | joint staff training; | ||||||
20 | (G) technical assistance; | ||||||
21 | (H) communication and parent outreach for smooth | ||||||
22 | transitions to kindergarten; | ||||||
23 | (I) provision and use of facilities, | ||||||
24 | transportation, and other program elements; | ||||||
25 | (J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its | ||||||
26 | statutory and regulatory requirements; |
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1 | (K) improving local planning and collaboration; | ||||||
2 | and | ||||||
3 | (L) providing comprehensive services for the | ||||||
4 | neediest Illinois children and families. | ||||||
5 | If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or | ||||||
6 | unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as | ||||||
7 | required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of | ||||||
8 | understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee | ||||||
9 | under the program must notify the State Board of Education | ||||||
10 | in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or | ||||||
11 | unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile | ||||||
12 | all such written notices and make them available to the | ||||||
13 | public.
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14 | (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and | ||||||
15 | provide
evaluation tools, including tests, that school | ||||||
16 | districts and other eligible entities may use to
evaluate | ||||||
17 | children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State | ||||||
18 | Board of
Education shall require school districts and other | ||||||
19 | eligible entities
to obtain consent from the parents
or | ||||||
20 | guardians of children before any evaluations are | ||||||
21 | conducted. The State
Board of Education shall encourage | ||||||
22 | local school districts and other eligible entities to | ||||||
23 | evaluate the
population of preschool children in their | ||||||
24 | communities and provide preschool
programs, pursuant to | ||||||
25 | this subsection, where appropriate.
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26 | (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the |
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1 | General Assembly by November 1, 2010
and every
3 years | ||||||
2 | thereafter on the results and progress of
students who were | ||||||
3 | enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an
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4 | assessment of which programs have been most successful in | ||||||
5 | promoting
academic excellence and alleviating academic | ||||||
6 | failure. The State Board of
Education shall assess the | ||||||
7 | academic progress of all students who have been
enrolled in | ||||||
8 | preschool educational programs.
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9 | On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which | ||||||
10 | the General Assembly provides funding for new programs | ||||||
11 | under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of | ||||||
12 | Education shall report to the General Assembly on what | ||||||
13 | percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving | ||||||
14 | primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding | ||||||
15 | was provided to programs serving primarily children with a | ||||||
16 | family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty | ||||||
17 | level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to | ||||||
18 | other programs. | ||||||
19 | (b) (Blank).
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20 | (Source: P.A. 95-724, eff. 6-30-08; 96-119, eff. 8-4-09; | ||||||
21 | 96-944, eff. 6-25-10; 96-948, eff. 6-25-10.)
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22 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.89) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.89)
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23 | Sec. 2-3.89. Programs concerning services to at-risk | ||||||
24 | children
and their families. | ||||||
25 | (a) The State Board of Education may provide grants to |
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1 | eligible entities, as defined by the State Board of Education, | ||||||
2 | to establish
programs which offer coordinated services to | ||||||
3 | at-risk infants and toddlers
and their families. Each program | ||||||
4 | shall include a parent education
program relating to the | ||||||
5 | development and nurturing of infants and toddlers
and case | ||||||
6 | management services to coordinate existing services available | ||||||
7 | in
the region served by the
program. These services shall be | ||||||
8 | provided
through the implementation of an individual family | ||||||
9 | service plan. Each
program will have a community involvement | ||||||
10 | component to provide
coordination in the service system.
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11 | (b) The State Board of Education shall administer the | ||||||
12 | programs through the grants to public school districts and | ||||||
13 | other eligible entities. These grants must be used to | ||||||
14 | supplement, not supplant, funds received from any other source. | ||||||
15 | A school district receiving grants pursuant to Article 1D is | ||||||
16 | also subject to the requirement to supplement, not supplant, | ||||||
17 | funds received from other sources. School districts and other | ||||||
18 | eligible entities receiving grants pursuant to this Section | ||||||
19 | shall conduct voluntary, intensive, research-based, and | ||||||
20 | comprehensive prevention services, as defined by the State | ||||||
21 | Board of Education, for expecting parents and families with | ||||||
22 | children from birth to age 3 who are at-risk of academic | ||||||
23 | failure. A public school district that receives a grant under | ||||||
24 | this Section may subcontract with other eligible entities. | ||||||
25 | (c) The State Board of Education shall report to the | ||||||
26 | General Assembly by July 1, 2006 and every 2 years thereafter, |
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1 | using the most current data available, on the status of | ||||||
2 | programs funded under this Section, including without | ||||||
3 | limitation characteristics of participants, services | ||||||
4 | delivered, program models used, unmet needs, and results of the | ||||||
5 | programs funded.
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6 | (Source: P.A. 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)
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