2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 105 - SCHOOLS › 105 ILCS 5/ - School Code. › Article 1D - Block Grants For Districts With Over 500,000 Inhabitants

(105 ILCS 5/Art. 1D heading)
ARTICLE 1D.  
		BLOCK GRANTS FOR DISTRICTS
WITH OVER 500,000 INHABITANTS
(105 ILCS 5/1D-1)
(Text of Section from P.A. 100-55)
Sec. 1D-1. Block grant funding.
(a) For fiscal year 1996 and each fiscal year thereafter, the State Board
of Education shall award to a school district having a population exceeding
500,000 inhabitants a general education block grant and an educational services
block grant, determined as provided in this Section, in lieu of distributing to
the district separate State funding for the programs described in subsections
(b) and (c).  The provisions of this Section, however, do not apply to any
federal funds that the district is entitled to receive.  In accordance with
Section 2-3.32, all block grants are subject to an audit.  Therefore, block
grant receipts and block grant expenditures shall be recorded to the
appropriate fund code for the designated block grant.
(b) The general education block grant shall include the following
programs: REI Initiative, Summer Bridges, Preschool Education, K-6
Comprehensive Arts, School Improvement Support, Urban Education, Scientific
Literacy, Substance Abuse Prevention, Second Language Planning, Staff
Development, Outcomes and Assessment, K-6 Reading Improvement, 7-12 Continued
Reading Improvement, Truants'
Optional Education, Hispanic Programs, Agriculture Education,
Parental Training, Prevention Initiative, Report Cards, and Criminal
Background Investigations.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all
amounts paid under the general education block grant from State appropriations
to a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000
inhabitants shall be appropriated and expended by the board of that district
for any of the programs included in the block grant or any of the board's
lawful purposes. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2018, at least 25% of any additional Preschool Education, Parental Training, and Prevention Initiative program funding over and above the previous fiscal year's allocation shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2018, funding for Preschool Education, Parental Training, and Prevention Initiative programs above the allocation for these programs in Fiscal Year 2017 must be used solely as a supplement for these programs and may not supplant funds received from other sources.
(c) The educational services block grant shall include the following
programs: Regular and Vocational Transportation, State Lunch and
Free Breakfast Program, Special Education (Personnel,
 Transportation, Orphanage, Private Tuition), funding
for children requiring special education services, Summer School,
Educational Service Centers, and Administrator's Academy.  This subsection (c)
does not relieve the district of its obligation to provide the services
required under a program that is included within the educational services block
grant.  It is the intention of the General Assembly in enacting the provisions
of this subsection (c) to relieve the district of the administrative burdens
that impede efficiency and accompany single-program funding.  The General
Assembly encourages the board to pursue mandate waivers pursuant to Section
2-3.25g.
The funding program included in the educational services block grant
for funding for children requiring special education services in each fiscal
year shall be treated in that fiscal year as a payment to the school district
in respect of services provided or costs incurred in the prior fiscal year,
calculated in each case as provided in this Section.  Nothing in this Section
shall change the nature of payments for any program that, apart from this
Section, would be or, prior to adoption or amendment of this Section, was on
the basis of a payment in a fiscal year in respect of services provided or
costs incurred in the prior fiscal year, calculated in each case as provided
in this Section.
(d) For fiscal year 1996 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount
of the district's block grants shall be determined as follows:
(i) with respect to each program that is included within each block grant, the
district shall receive an amount equal to the same percentage of the current
fiscal year appropriation made for that program as the percentage of the
appropriation received by the district from the 1995 fiscal year appropriation
made for that program, and
(ii) the total amount that is due the district under the block grant shall be
the aggregate of the amounts that the district is entitled to receive for the
fiscal year with respect to each program that is included within the block
grant that the State Board of Education shall award the district under this
Section for that fiscal year.  In the case of the Summer Bridges program,
the amount of the district's block grant shall be equal to 44% of the amount
of the current fiscal year appropriation made for that program.
(e) The district is not required to file any application or other claim in
order to receive the block grants to which it is entitled under this Section.
The State Board of Education shall make payments to the district of amounts due
under the district's block grants on a schedule determined by the State Board
of Education.
(f) A school district to which this Section applies shall report to the
State Board of Education on its use of the block grants in such form and detail
as the State Board of Education may specify. In addition, the report must include the following description for the district, which must also be reported to the General Assembly: block grant allocation and expenditures by program; population and service levels by program; and administrative expenditures by program. The State Board of Education shall ensure that the reporting requirements for the district are the same as for all other school districts in this State.
(g) This paragraph provides for the treatment of block grants under Article
1C for purposes of calculating the amount of block grants for a district under
this Section.  Those block grants under Article 1C are, for this
purpose, treated as included in the amount of appropriation for the various
programs set forth in paragraph (b) above.  The appropriation in each current
fiscal year for each block grant under Article 1C shall be treated for these
purposes as appropriations for the individual program included in that block
grant.  The proportion of each block grant so allocated to each such program
included in it shall be the proportion which the appropriation for that program
was of all appropriations for such purposes now in that block grant, in fiscal
1995.
Payments to the school district under this Section with respect to each
program for which payments to school districts generally, as of the date of
this
amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, are on a reimbursement basis
shall continue to be made to the district on a reimbursement basis, pursuant
to the provisions of this Code governing those programs.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district
receiving a block grant under this Section may classify all or a portion of
the funds that it receives in a particular fiscal year from any block grant
authorized under this Code or from general State aid pursuant to Section
18-8.05 of this Code (other than supplemental general State aid) as
funds received in connection with any funding program for which it is
entitled to receive funds from the State in that fiscal year (including,
without limitation, any funding program referred to in subsection (c) of
this Section), regardless of the source or timing of the receipt.  The
district may not classify more funds as funds received in connection
with the funding program than the district is entitled to receive in that
fiscal year for that program.  Any classification by a district must be made by
a resolution
of its board of education.  The resolution must identify the amount of any
block grant or general State aid to be classified under this subsection (h)
and must specify the funding program to which the funds are to be
treated as received in connection therewith.  This resolution is
controlling as to the classification of funds referenced therein.  A certified
copy of the resolution must be sent to the State Superintendent of
Education.
The resolution shall still take effect even though a copy of the resolution
has not been sent to the State
Superintendent of Education in a timely manner.
 No classification under this subsection (h) by a district shall
affect the total amount or timing of money the district is entitled to receive
under this Code.
 No classification under this subsection (h) by a district
shall in any way relieve the district from or affect any
requirements that otherwise would apply with respect to the
block grant as provided in this Section, including any
accounting of funds by source, reporting expenditures by
original source and purpose,
reporting requirements, or requirements of provision of
services.
(Source: P.A. 100-55, eff. 8-11-17.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 100-465)
Sec. 1D-1. Block grant funding.
(a) For fiscal year 1996 through fiscal year 2017, the State Board
of Education shall award to a school district having a population exceeding
500,000 inhabitants a general education block grant and an educational services
block grant, determined as provided in this Section, in lieu of distributing to
the district separate State funding for the programs described in subsections
(b) and (c).  The provisions of this Section, however, do not apply to any
federal funds that the district is entitled to receive.  In accordance with
Section 2-3.32, all block grants are subject to an audit.  Therefore, block
grant receipts and block grant expenditures shall be recorded to the
appropriate fund code for the designated block grant.
(b) The general education block grant shall include the following
programs: REI Initiative, Summer Bridges, Preschool At Risk, K-6
Comprehensive Arts, School Improvement Support, Urban Education, Scientific
Literacy, Substance Abuse Prevention, Second Language Planning, Staff
Development, Outcomes and Assessment, K-6 Reading Improvement, 7-12 Continued
Reading Improvement, Truants'
Optional Education, Hispanic Programs, Agriculture Education,
Parental Education, Prevention Initiative, Report Cards, and Criminal
Background Investigations.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all
amounts paid under the general education block grant from State appropriations
to a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000
inhabitants shall be appropriated and expended by the board of that district
for any of the programs included in the block grant or any of the board's
lawful purposes.
(c) The educational services block grant shall include the following
programs: Regular and Vocational Transportation, State Lunch and
Free Breakfast Program, Special Education (Personnel,
 Transportation, Orphanage, Private Tuition), funding
for children requiring special education services, Summer School,
Educational Service Centers, and Administrator's Academy.  This subsection (c)
does not relieve the district of its obligation to provide the services
required under a program that is included within the educational services block
grant.  It is the intention of the General Assembly in enacting the provisions
of this subsection (c) to relieve the district of the administrative burdens
that impede efficiency and accompany single-program funding.  The General
Assembly encourages the board to pursue mandate waivers pursuant to Section
2-3.25g.
The funding program included in the educational services block grant
for funding for children requiring special education services in each fiscal
year shall be treated in that fiscal year as a payment to the school district
in respect of services provided or costs incurred in the prior fiscal year,
calculated in each case as provided in this Section.  Nothing in this Section
shall change the nature of payments for any program that, apart from this
Section, would be or, prior to adoption or amendment of this Section, was on
the basis of a payment in a fiscal year in respect of services provided or
costs incurred in the prior fiscal year, calculated in each case as provided
in this Section.
(d) For fiscal year 1996 through fiscal year 2017, the amount
of the district's block grants shall be determined as follows:
(i) with respect to each program that is included within each block grant, the
district shall receive an amount equal to the same percentage of the current
fiscal year appropriation made for that program as the percentage of the
appropriation received by the district from the 1995 fiscal year appropriation
made for that program, and
(ii) the total amount that is due the district under the block grant shall be
the aggregate of the amounts that the district is entitled to receive for the
fiscal year with respect to each program that is included within the block
grant that the State Board of Education shall award the district under this
Section for that fiscal year.  In the case of the Summer Bridges program,
the amount of the district's block grant shall be equal to 44% of the amount
of the current fiscal year appropriation made for that program.
(e) The district is not required to file any application or other claim in
order to receive the block grants to which it is entitled under this Section.
The State Board of Education shall make payments to the district of amounts due
under the district's block grants on a schedule determined by the State Board
of Education.
(f) A school district to which this Section applies shall report to the
State Board of Education on its use of the block grants in such form and detail
as the State Board of Education may specify. In addition, the report must include the following description for the district, which must also be reported to the General Assembly: block grant allocation and expenditures by program; population and service levels by program; and administrative expenditures by program. The State Board of Education shall ensure that the reporting requirements for the district are the same as for all other school districts in this State.
(g) Through fiscal year 2017, this paragraph provides for the treatment of block grants under Article
1C for purposes of calculating the amount of block grants for a district under
this Section.  Those block grants under Article 1C are, for this
purpose, treated as included in the amount of appropriation for the various
programs set forth in paragraph (b) above.  The appropriation in each current
fiscal year for each block grant under Article 1C shall be treated for these
purposes as appropriations for the individual program included in that block
grant.  The proportion of each block grant so allocated to each such program
included in it shall be the proportion which the appropriation for that program
was of all appropriations for such purposes now in that block grant, in fiscal
1995.
Payments to the school district under this Section with respect to each
program for which payments to school districts generally, as of the date of
this
amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, are on a reimbursement basis
shall continue to be made to the district on a reimbursement basis, pursuant
to the provisions of this Code governing those programs.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district
receiving a block grant under this Section may classify all or a portion of
the funds that it receives in a particular fiscal year from any block grant
authorized under this Code or from general State aid pursuant to Section
18-8.05 of this Code (other than supplemental general State aid) as
funds received in connection with any funding program for which it is
entitled to receive funds from the State in that fiscal year (including,
without limitation, any funding program referred to in subsection (c) of
this Section), regardless of the source or timing of the receipt.  The
district may not classify more funds as funds received in connection
with the funding program than the district is entitled to receive in that
fiscal year for that program.  Any classification by a district must be made by
a resolution
of its board of education.  The resolution must identify the amount of any
block grant or general State aid to be classified under this subsection (h)
and must specify the funding program to which the funds are to be
treated as received in connection therewith.  This resolution is
controlling as to the classification of funds referenced therein.  A certified
copy of the resolution must be sent to the State Superintendent of
Education.
The resolution shall still take effect even though a copy of the resolution
has not been sent to the State
Superintendent of Education in a timely manner.
 No classification under this subsection (h) by a district shall
affect the total amount or timing of money the district is entitled to receive
under this Code.
 No classification under this subsection (h) by a district
shall in any way relieve the district from or affect any
requirements that otherwise would apply with respect to the
block grant as provided in this Section, including any
accounting of funds by source, reporting expenditures by
original source and purpose,
reporting requirements, or requirements of provision of
services.
(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)