Public Act 103-0265
 
SB2391 EnrolledLRB103 27206 RJT 53576 b

    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
2-3.152 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.152)
    Sec. 2-3.152. Community schools.
    (a) This Section applies beginning with the 2024-2025
2009-2010 school year.
    (b) 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.
        (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 public school or nonpublic
    school that establishes a set of strategic partnerships
    between the school and other community resources that
    promote student achievement, positive learning conditions,
    and the well-being of students by providing wraparound
    services and 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
    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.
    (c) Subject to an appropriation or the availability of
State or federal 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 subsection (c). 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
Section and other factors developed and adopted by the State
Board of Education. 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.
    (d) As used in this subsection (d), "trauma-informed
intervention" means a method for understanding and responding
to an individual with symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma
or traumatic stress.
    In order to qualify for a community school grant under
this Section, a school may must, at a minimum, provide the
following have the following components:
        (1) Before and after-school programming each school
    day to meet the identified needs of students.
        (2) Weekend programming.
        (3) Summer 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, or
    community school 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 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,
    trauma-informed intervention, 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.
        (11) Wraparound services, including:
            (A) safe transportation to school;
            (B) vision and dental care services;
            (C) established or expanded school-based health
        center services;
            (D) additional social workers, mentors,
        counselors, psychologists, and restorative practice
        coaches and enhancing physical wellness, including
        providing healthy food for in-school and out-of-school
        time and linkages to community providers;
            (E) enhanced behavioral health services, including
        access to mental health practitioners and providing
        professional development to school staff to provide
        trauma-informed interventions;
            (F) family and community engagement and support,
        including informing parents of academic course
        offerings, language classes, workforce development
        training, opportunities for children, and available
        social services, as well as educating families on how
        to monitor a child's learning;
            (G) student enrichment experiences; and
            (H) professional development for teachers and
        school staff to quickly identify students who are in
        need of these resources.
(Source: P.A. 96-746, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1,
2024.