Bill Text: IL HB5243 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning grants for preschool educational programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-08 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB5243 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB5243-Introduced.html

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99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 HB5243 Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Madigan SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.71 from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning grants for preschool educational programs.
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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 changing Section
2-3.71 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.71) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs.
(a) Preschool program.
(1) The The State Board of Education shall implement
and administer a grant program under the provisions of this
subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
a parent education component. A public school district
which receives grants under this subsection may
subcontract with other entities that are eligible to
conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must
be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from
any other source.
(2) (Blank).
(3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program
authorized by this subsection shall hold an early childhood

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teaching certificate.
(4) (Blank).
(4.5) The State Board of Education shall provide the
primary source of funding through appropriations for the
program. Such funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal
of "Preschool for All Children" for the benefit of all
children whose families choose to participate in the
program. Based on available appropriations, newly funded
programs shall be selected through a process giving first
priority to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk
children and second priority to qualified programs serving
primarily children with a family income of less than 4
times the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the
Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For
purposes of this paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are
those who because of their home and community environment
are subject to such language, cultural, economic and like
disadvantages to cause them to have been determined as a
result of screening procedures to be at risk of academic
failure. Such screening procedures shall be based on
criteria established by the State Board of Education.
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5),
grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of
understanding with the appropriate local Head Start
agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than

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3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the
program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program
year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the
deadline set by the State Board of Education for
applications to participate in the program in fiscal year
2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's
program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues,
which shall include without limitation the following:
(A) educational activities, curricular objectives,
and instruction;
(B) public information dissemination and access to
programs for families contacting programs;
(C) service areas;
(D) selection priorities for eligible children to
be served by programs;
(E) maximizing the impact of federal and State
funding to benefit young children;
(F) staff training, including opportunities for
joint staff training;
(G) technical assistance;
(H) communication and parent outreach for smooth
transitions to kindergarten;
(I) provision and use of facilities,
transportation, and other program elements;
(J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its
statutory and regulatory requirements;

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(K) improving local planning and collaboration;
and
(L) providing comprehensive services for the
neediest Illinois children and families.
If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or
unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as
required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of
understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee
under the program must notify the State Board of Education
in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or
unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile
all such written notices and make them available to the
public.
(5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
Board of Education shall require school districts and other
eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
guardians of children before any evaluations are
conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
local school districts and other eligible entities to
evaluate the population of preschool children in their
communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to
this subsection, where appropriate.
(6) The State Board of Education shall report to the

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General Assembly by November 1, 2010 and every 3 years
thereafter on the results and progress of students who were
enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an
assessment of which programs have been most successful in
promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic
failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the
academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in
preschool educational programs.
On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of
Education shall report to the General Assembly on what
percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving
primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding
was provided to programs serving primarily children with a
family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
other programs.
(b) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 95-724, eff. 6-30-08; 96-119, eff. 8-4-09;
96-944, eff. 6-25-10; 96-948, eff. 6-25-10.)