Public Act 098-1008
 
SB3554 EnrolledLRB098 18059 NHT 55671 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
14-7.02 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14-7.02)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14-7.02)
    Sec. 14-7.02. Children attending private schools, public
out-of-state schools, public school residential facilities or
private special education facilities. The General Assembly
recognizes that non-public schools or special education
facilities provide an important service in the educational
system in Illinois.
    If because of his or her disability the special education
program of a district is unable to meet the needs of a child
and the child attends a non-public school or special education
facility, a public out-of-state school or a special education
facility owned and operated by a county government unit that
provides special educational services required by the child and
is in compliance with the appropriate rules and regulations of
the State Superintendent of Education, the school district in
which the child is a resident shall pay the actual cost of
tuition for special education and related services provided
during the regular school term and during the summer school
term if the child's educational needs so require, excluding
room, board and transportation costs charged the child by that
non-public school or special education facility, public
out-of-state school or county special education facility, or
$4,500 per year, whichever is less, and shall provide him any
necessary transportation. "Nonpublic special education
facility" shall include a residential facility, within or
without the State of Illinois, which provides special education
and related services to meet the needs of the child by
utilizing private schools or public schools, whether located on
the site or off the site of the residential facility.
    The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and
regulations for determining when placement in a private special
education facility is appropriate. Such rules and regulations
shall take into account the various types of services needed by
a child and the availability of such services to the particular
child in the public school. In developing these rules and
regulations the State Board of Education shall consult with the
Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities and
hold public hearings to secure recommendations from parents,
school personnel, and others concerned about this matter.
    The State Board of Education shall also promulgate rules
and regulations for transportation to and from a residential
school. Transportation to and from home to a residential school
more than once each school term shall be subject to prior
approval by the State Superintendent in accordance with the
rules and regulations of the State Board.
    A school district making tuition payments pursuant to this
Section is eligible for reimbursement from the State for the
amount of such payments actually made in excess of the district
per capita tuition charge for students not receiving special
education services. Such reimbursement shall be approved in
accordance with Section 14-12.01 and each district shall file
its claims, computed in accordance with rules prescribed by the
State Board of Education, on forms prescribed by the State
Superintendent of Education. Data used as a basis of
reimbursement claims shall be for the preceding regular school
term and summer school term. Each school district shall
transmit its claims to the State Board of Education on or
before August 15. The State Board of Education, before
approving any such claims, shall determine their accuracy and
whether they are based upon services and facilities provided
under approved programs. Upon approval the State Board shall
cause vouchers to be prepared showing the amount due for
payment of reimbursement claims to school districts, for
transmittal to the State Comptroller on the 30th day of
September, December, and March, respectively, and the final
voucher, no later than June 20. If the money appropriated by
the General Assembly for such purpose for any year is
insufficient, it shall be apportioned on the basis of the
claims approved.
    No child shall be placed in a special education program
pursuant to this Section if the tuition cost for special
education and related services increases more than 10 percent
over the tuition cost for the previous school year or exceeds
$4,500 per year unless such costs have been approved by the
Illinois Purchased Care Review Board. The Illinois Purchased
Care Review Board shall consist of the following persons, or
their designees: the Directors of Children and Family Services,
Public Health, Public Aid, and the Governor's Office of
Management and Budget; the Secretary of Human Services; the
State Superintendent of Education; and such other persons as
the Governor may designate. The Review Board shall also consist
of one non-voting member who is an administrator of a private,
nonpublic, special education school. The Review Board shall
establish rules and regulations for its determination of
allowable costs and payments made by local school districts for
special education, room and board, and other related services
provided by non-public schools or special education facilities
and shall establish uniform standards and criteria which it
shall follow.
    The Review Board shall establish uniform definitions and
criteria for accounting separately by special education, room
and board and other related services costs. The Board shall
also establish guidelines for the coordination of services and
financial assistance provided by all State agencies to assure
that no otherwise qualified disabled child receiving services
under Article 14 shall be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity provided by any State agency.
    The Review Board shall review the costs for special
education and related services provided by non-public schools
or special education facilities and shall approve or disapprove
such facilities in accordance with the rules and regulations
established by it with respect to allowable costs.
    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative
and staff support for the Review Board as deemed reasonable by
the State Superintendent of Education. This support shall not
include travel expenses or other compensation for any Review
Board member other than the State Superintendent of Education.
    The Review Board shall seek the advice of the Advisory
Council on Education of Children with Disabilities on the rules
and regulations to be promulgated by it relative to providing
special education services.
    If a child has been placed in a program in which the actual
per pupil costs of tuition for special education and related
services based on program enrollment, excluding room, board and
transportation costs, exceed $4,500 and such costs have been
approved by the Review Board, the district shall pay such total
costs which exceed $4,500. A district making such tuition
payments in excess of $4,500 pursuant to this Section shall be
responsible for an amount in excess of $4,500 equal to the
district per capita tuition charge and shall be eligible for
reimbursement from the State for the amount of such payments
actually made in excess of the districts per capita tuition
charge for students not receiving special education services.
    If a child has been placed in an approved individual
program and the tuition costs including room and board costs
have been approved by the Review Board, then such room and
board costs shall be paid by the appropriate State agency
subject to the provisions of Section 14-8.01 of this Act. Room
and board costs not provided by a State agency other than the
State Board of Education shall be provided by the State Board
of Education on a current basis. In no event, however, shall
the State's liability for funding of these tuition costs begin
until after the legal obligations of third party payors have
been subtracted from such costs. If the money appropriated by
the General Assembly for such purpose for any year is
insufficient, it shall be apportioned on the basis of the
claims approved. Each district shall submit estimated claims to
the State Superintendent of Education. Upon approval of such
claims, the State Superintendent of Education shall direct the
State Comptroller to make payments on a monthly basis. The
frequency for submitting estimated claims and the method of
determining payment shall be prescribed in rules and
regulations adopted by the State Board of Education. Such
current state reimbursement shall be reduced by an amount equal
to the proceeds which the child or child's parents are eligible
to receive under any public or private insurance or assistance
program. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as
relieving an insurer or similar third party from an otherwise
valid obligation to provide or to pay for services provided to
a disabled child.
    If it otherwise qualifies, a school district is eligible
for the transportation reimbursement under Section 14-13.01
and for the reimbursement of tuition payments under this
Section whether the non-public school or special education
facility, public out-of-state school or county special
education facility, attended by a child who resides in that
district and requires special educational services, is within
or outside of the State of Illinois. However, a district is not
eligible to claim transportation reimbursement under this
Section unless the district certifies to the State
Superintendent of Education that the district is unable to
provide special educational services required by the child for
the current school year.
    Nothing in this Section authorizes the reimbursement of a
school district for the amount paid for tuition of a child
attending a non-public school or special education facility,
public out-of-state school or county special education
facility unless the school district certifies to the State
Superintendent of Education that the special education program
of that district is unable to meet the needs of that child
because of his disability and the State Superintendent of
Education finds that the school district is in substantial
compliance with Section 14-4.01. However, if a child is
unilaterally placed by a State agency or any court in a
non-public school or special education facility, public
out-of-state school, or county special education facility, a
school district shall not be required to certify to the State
Superintendent of Education, for the purpose of tuition
reimbursement, that the special education program of that
district is unable to meet the needs of a child because of his
or her disability.
    Any educational or related services provided, pursuant to
this Section in a non-public school or special education
facility or a special education facility owned and operated by
a county government unit shall be at no cost to the parent or
guardian of the child. However, current law and practices
relative to contributions by parents or guardians for costs
other than educational or related services are not affected by
this amendatory Act of 1978.
    Reimbursement for children attending public school
residential facilities shall be made in accordance with the
provisions of this Section.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school
district receiving a payment under this Section or under
Section 14-7.02b, 14-13.01, or 29-5 of this Code may classify
all or a portion of the funds that it receives in a particular
fiscal year or from general State aid pursuant to Section
18-8.05 of this Code 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 referenced in 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
payments or general State aid to be classified under this
paragraph 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
paragraph 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 paragraph by a district shall in
any way relieve the district from or affect any requirements
that otherwise would apply with respect to that funding
program, including any accounting of funds by source, reporting
expenditures by original source and purpose, reporting
requirements, or requirements of providing services.
(Source: P.A. 93-1022, eff. 8-24-04; 94-177, eff. 7-12-05.)