SB3156eng 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3156 Engrossed LRB103 36143 RJT 66235 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 Sections 2-3.47a, 2-3.66, 2-3.170, 10-17a, 10-20.12a, 10-20.17a, 10-20.56, 10-22.24b, 10-27.1A, 10-27.1B, 13A-8, 13B-45, 13B-50, 13B-50.10, 13B-50.15, 18-8.15, 21B-45, 21B-50, 26-2, 27-22.2, and 34-8.05 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.47a)

Sec. 2-3.47a. Strategic plan.

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a continuing comprehensive strategic plan for elementary and secondary education. The strategic plan shall address how the State Board of Education will focus its efforts to increase equity in all Illinois schools and shall include, without limitation, all of the following topic areas:

(1) Service and support to school districts to improve student performance.

(2) Programs to improve equitable and strategic resource allocation in all schools.

(3) Efforts to enhance the social-emotional well-being of Illinois students.

(4) (Blank).

(5) (Blank).

(6) (Blank).

(7) (Blank).

(8) (Blank).

(9) (Blank).

(10) (Blank).

(11) (Blank).

(12) (Blank).

(13) (Blank).

(14) Attraction and retention of diverse and qualified teachers and leaders.

(15) (Blank).

The State Board of Education shall consult with the educational community, hold public hearings, and receive input from all interested groups in drafting the strategic plan.

(b) To meet the requirements of this Section, the State Board of Education shall issue to the Governor and General Assembly a preliminary report within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and a final 5-year strategic plan within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. Thereafter, the State Board shall annually review the strategic plan and, if necessary, update its contents. The State Board shall provide updates regarding the topic areas contained in the strategic plan and any updates to its contents, if applicable, shall be updated and issued to the Governor and General Assembly on or before July 1 of each year.

(Source: P.A. 102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.66) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66)

Sec. 2-3.66. Truants' alternative and optional education programs. To establish projects to offer modified instructional programs or other services designed to prevent students from dropping out of school, including programs pursuant to Section 2-3.41, and to serve as a part time or full time option in lieu of regular school attendance and to award grants to local school districts, educational service regions or community college districts from appropriated funds to assist districts in establishing such projects. The education agency may operate its own program or enter into a contract with another not-for-profit entity to implement the program. The projects shall allow dropouts, up to and including age 21, potential dropouts, including truants, uninvolved, unmotivated and disaffected students, as defined by State Board of Education rules and regulations, to enroll, as an alternative to regular school attendance, in an optional education program which may be established by school board policy and is in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Truants' Alternative and Optional Education programs funded pursuant to this Section shall be planned by a student, the student's parents or legal guardians, unless the student is 18 years or older, and school officials and shall culminate in an individualized optional education plan. Such plan shall focus on academic or vocational skills, or both, and may include, but not be limited to, evening school, summer school, community college courses, adult education, preparation courses for high school equivalency testing, vocational training, work experience, programs to enhance self concept and parenting courses. School districts which are awarded grants pursuant to this Section shall be authorized to provide day care services to children of students who are eligible and desire to enroll in programs established and funded under this Section, but only if and to the extent that such day care is necessary to enable those eligible students to attend and participate in the programs and courses which are conducted pursuant to this Section. School districts, intermediate service centers, and regional offices of education may claim general State aid under Section 18-8.05 or evidence-based funding under Section 18-8.15 for students enrolled in truants' alternative and optional education programs, provided that such students are receiving services that are supplemental to a program leading to a high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 or evidence-based funding under Section 18-8.15, as applicable.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.170)

Sec. 2-3.170. Property tax relief pool grants.

(a) As used in this Section,

"EAV" means equalized assessed valuation as defined under Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

"Property tax multiplier" equals one minus the square of the school district's Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

"Local capacity percentage multiplier" means one minus the school district's Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall provide grants to eligible school districts that provide tax relief to the school district's residents, which may be no greater than 1% of EAV for a unit district, 0.69% of EAV for an elementary school district, or 0.31% of EAV for a high school district, as provided in this Section.

(b-5) School districts may apply for property tax relief under this Section concurrently to setting their levy for the fiscal year. The intended relief may not be greater than 1% of the EAV for a unit district, 0.69% of the EAV for an elementary school district, or 0.31% of the EAV for a high school district, multiplied by the school district's local capacity percentage multiplier. The State Board shall process applications for relief, providing a grant to those districts with the highest adjusted operating tax rate, as determined by those districts with the highest percentage of the simple average adjusted operating tax rate of districts of the same type, either elementary, high school, or unit, first, in an amount equal to the intended relief multiplied by the property tax multiplier. The State Board shall provide grants to school districts in order of priority until the property tax relief pool is exhausted. If more school districts apply for relief under this subsection than there are funds available, the State Board must distribute the grants and prorate any remaining funds to the final school district that qualifies for grant relief. The abatement amount for that district must be equal to the grant amount divided by the property tax multiplier.

If a school district receives the State Board's approval of a grant under this Section by March 1 of the fiscal year, the school district shall present a duly authorized and approved abatement resolution by March 30 of the fiscal year to the county clerk of each county in which the school files its levy, authorizing the county clerk to lower the school district's levy by the amount designated in its application to the State Board. When the preceding requisites are satisfied, the county clerk shall reduce the amount collected for the school district by the amount indicated in the school district's abatement resolution for that fiscal year.

(c) (Blank).

(d) School districts seeking grants under this Section shall apply to the State Board each year. All applications to the State Board for grants shall include the amount of the tax relief intended by the school district.

(e) Each year, based on the most recent available data provided by school districts pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code, the State Board shall calculate the order of priority for grant eligibility under subsection (b-5) and publish a list of the school districts eligible for relief. The State Board shall provide grants in the manner provided under subsection (b-5).

(f) The State Board shall publish a final list of eligible grant recipients and provide payment of the grants by March 1 of each year.

(g) If notice of eligibility from the State Board is received by a school district by March 1, then by March 30, the school district shall file an abatement of its property tax levy in an amount equal to the grant received under this Section divided by the property tax multiplier. Payment of all grant amounts shall be made by June 1 each fiscal year. The State Superintendent of Education shall establish the timeline in such cases in which notice cannot be made by March 1.

(h) The total property tax relief allowable to a school district under this Section shall be calculated based on the total amount of reduction in the school district's aggregate extension. The total grant shall be equal to the reduction, multiplied by the property tax multiplier. The reduction shall be equal to 1% of a district's EAV for a unit school district, 0.69% for an elementary school district, or 0.31% for a high school district, multiplied by the school district's local capacity percentage multiplier.

(i) If the State Board does not expend all appropriations allocated pursuant to this Section, then any remaining funds shall be allocated pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

(j) The State Board shall prioritize payments under Section 18-8.15 of this Code over payments under this Section, if necessary.

(k) Any grants received by a school district shall be included in future calculations of that school district's Base Funding Minimum under Section 18-8.15 of this Code. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2020, if a school district receives a grant under this Section, the school district must present to the county clerk a duly authorized and approved abatement resolution by March 30 for the year in which the school district receives the grant and the successive fiscal year following the receipt of the grant, authorizing the county clerk to lower the school district's levy by the amount designated in its original application to the State Board. After receiving a resolution, the county clerk must reduce the amount collected for the school district by the amount indicated in the school district's abatement resolution for that fiscal year. If a school district does not abate in this amount for the successive fiscal year, the grant amount may not be included in the school district's Base Funding Minimum under Section 18-8.15 in the fiscal year following the tax year in which the abatement is not authorized and in any future fiscal year thereafter, and the county clerk must notify the State Board of the increase no later 30 days after it occurs.

(l) In the immediate 2 consecutive tax years following receipt of a Property Tax Pool Relief Grant, the aggregate extension base of any school district receiving a grant under this Section, for purposes of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, shall include the tax relief the school district provided in the previous taxable year under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-582, eff. 3-23-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-17, eff. 6-14-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-17a)

Sec. 10-17a. State, school district, and school report cards; Expanded High School Snapshot Report.

(1) By October 31, 2013 and October 31 of each subsequent school year, the State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a State report card, school district report cards, and school report cards, and shall by the most economical means provide to each school district in this State, including special charter districts and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, the report cards for the school district and each of its schools. Because of the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency during school year 2020-2021, the State Board of Education shall have until December 31, 2021 to prepare and provide the report cards that would otherwise be due by October 31, 2021. During a school year in which the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the report cards for the school districts and each of its schools shall be prepared by December 31.

(2) In addition to any information required by federal law, the State Superintendent shall determine the indicators and presentation of the school report card, which must include, at a minimum, the most current data collected and maintained by the State Board of Education related to the following:

(A) school characteristics and student demographics, including average class size, average teaching experience, student racial/ethnic breakdown, and the percentage of students classified as low-income; the percentage of students classified as English learners, the number of students who graduate from a bilingual or English learner program, and the number of students who graduate from, transfer from, or otherwise leave bilingual programs; the percentage of students who have individualized education plans or 504 plans that provide for special education services; the number and the percentage of all students in grades kindergarten through 8, disaggregated by the student students demographics described in this paragraph (A), in each of the following categories: (i) those who have been assessed for placement in a gifted education program or accelerated placement, (ii) those who have enrolled in a gifted education program or in accelerated placement, and (iii) for each of categories (i) and (ii), those who received direct instruction from a teacher who holds a gifted education endorsement; the number and the percentage of all students in grades 9 through 12, disaggregated by the student demographics described in this paragraph (A), who have been enrolled in an advanced academic program; the percentage of students scoring at the "exceeds expectations" level on the assessments required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code; the percentage of students who annually transferred in or out of the school district; average daily attendance; the per-pupil operating expenditure of the school district; and the per-pupil State average operating expenditure for the district type (elementary, high school, or unit);

(B) curriculum information, including, where applicable, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or equivalent courses, dual credit courses, foreign language classes, computer science courses, school personnel resources (including Career Technical Education teachers), before and after school programs, extracurricular activities, subjects in which elective classes are offered, health and wellness initiatives (including the average number of days of Physical Education per week per student), approved programs of study, awards received, community partnerships, and special programs such as programming for the gifted and talented, students with disabilities, and work-study students;

(C) student outcomes, including, where applicable, the percentage of students deemed proficient on assessments of State standards, the percentage of students in the eighth grade who pass Algebra, the percentage of students who participated in workplace learning experiences, the percentage of students enrolled in post-secondary institutions (including colleges, universities, community colleges, trade/vocational schools, and training programs leading to career certification within 2 semesters of high school graduation), the percentage of students graduating from high school who are college and career ready, the percentage of graduates enrolled in community colleges, colleges, and universities who are in one or more courses that the community college, college, or university identifies as a developmental course, and the percentage of students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Article 14 of this Code who have fulfilled the minimum State graduation requirements set forth in Section 27-22 of this Code and have been issued a regular high school diploma;

(D) student progress, including, where applicable, the percentage of students in the ninth grade who have earned 5 credits or more without failing more than one core class, a measure of students entering kindergarten ready to learn, a measure of growth, and the percentage of students who enter high school on track for college and career readiness;

(E) the school environment, including, where applicable, high school dropout rate by grade level, the percentage of students with less than 10 absences in a school year, the percentage of teachers with less than 10 absences in a school year for reasons other than professional development, leaves taken pursuant to the federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, long-term disability, or parental leaves, the 3-year average of the percentage of teachers returning to the school from the previous year, the number of different principals at the school in the last 6 years, the number of teachers who hold a gifted education endorsement, the process and criteria used by the district to determine whether a student is eligible for participation in a gifted education program or advanced academic program and the manner in which parents and guardians are made aware of the process and criteria, the number of teachers who are National Board Certified Teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 2 or more indicators from any school climate survey selected or approved by the State and administered pursuant to Section 2-3.153 of this Code, with the same or similar indicators included on school report cards for all surveys selected or approved by the State pursuant to Section 2-3.153 of this Code, the combined percentage of teachers rated as proficient or excellent in their most recent evaluation, and, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, data on the number of incidents of violence that occurred on school grounds or during school-related activities and that resulted in an out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or removal to an alternative setting, as reported pursuant to Section 2-3.162;

(F) a school district's and its individual schools' balanced accountability measure, in accordance with Section 2-3.25a of this Code;

(G) the total and per pupil normal cost amount the State contributed to the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois in the prior fiscal year for the school's employees, which shall be reported to the State Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois;

(H) for a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code only, State contributions to the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago and State contributions for health care for employees of that school district;

(I) a school district's Final Percent of Adequacy, as defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code;

(J) a school district's Local Capacity Target, as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;

(K) a school district's Real Receipts, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, divided by a school district's Adequacy Target, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;

(L) a school district's administrative costs;

(M) whether or not the school has participated in the Illinois Youth Survey. In this paragraph (M), "Illinois Youth Survey" means a self-report survey, administered in school settings every 2 years, designed to gather information about health and social indicators, including substance abuse patterns and the attitudes of students in grades 8, 10, and 12;

(N) whether the school offered its students career and technical education opportunities; and

(O) beginning Beginning with the October 2024 report card, the total number of school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, and school psychologists by school, district, and State, the average number of students per school counselor in the school, district, and State, the average number of students per school social worker in the school, district, and State, the average number of students per school nurse in the school, district, and State, and the average number of students per school psychologist in the school, district, and State.

The school report card shall also provide information that allows for comparing the current outcome, progress, and environment data to the State average, to the school data from the past 5 years, and to the outcomes, progress, and environment of similar schools based on the type of school and enrollment of low-income students, special education students, and English learners.

As used in this subsection (2):

"Accelerated placement" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 14A-17 of this Code.

"Administrative costs" means costs associated with executive, administrative, or managerial functions within the school district that involve planning, organizing, managing, or directing the school district.

"Advanced academic program" means a course of study, including, but not limited to, accelerated placement, advanced placement coursework, International Baccalaureate coursework, dual credit, or any course designated as enriched or honors, that a student is enrolled in based on advanced cognitive ability or advanced academic achievement compared to local age peers and in which the curriculum is substantially differentiated from the general curriculum to provide appropriate challenge and pace.

"Computer science" means the study of computers and algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society. "Computer science" does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding or accessing the Internet.

"Gifted education" means educational services, including differentiated curricula and instructional methods, designed to meet the needs of gifted children as defined in Article 14A of this Code.

For the purposes of paragraph (A) of this subsection (2), "average daily attendance" means the average of the actual number of attendance days during the previous school year for any enrolled student who is subject to compulsory attendance by Section 26-1 of this Code at each school and charter school.

(2.5) For any school report card prepared after July 1, 2025, for all high school graduation completion rates that are reported on the school report card as required under this Section or by any other State or federal law, the State Superintendent of Education shall also report the percentage of students who did not meet the requirements of high school graduation completion for any reason and, of those students, the percentage that are classified as students who fulfill the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code.

The State Superintendent shall ensure that for the 2023-2024 school year there is a specific code for districts to report students who fulfill the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code to ensure accurate reporting under this Section.

All reporting requirements under this subsection (2.5) shall be included on the school report card where high school graduation completion rates are reported, along with a brief explanation of how fulfilling the requirements of Section 14-16 of this Code is different from receiving a regular high school diploma.

(3) At the discretion of the State Superintendent, the school district report card shall include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) of subsection (2) of this Section, as well as information relating to the operating expense per pupil and other finances of the school district, and the State report card shall include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) and paragraph (N) of subsection (2) of this Section. The school district report card shall include the average daily attendance, as that term is defined in subsection (2) of this Section, of students who have individualized education programs and students who have 504 plans that provide for special education services within the school district.

(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, in consultation with key education stakeholders, the State Superintendent shall at any time have the discretion to amend or update any and all metrics on the school, district, or State report card.

(5) Annually, no more than 30 calendar days after receipt of the school district and school report cards from the State Superintendent of Education, each school district, including special charter districts and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, shall present such report cards at a regular school board meeting subject to applicable notice requirements, post the report cards on the school district's Internet web site, if the district maintains an Internet web site, make the report cards available to a newspaper of general circulation serving the district, and, upon request, send the report cards home to a parent (unless the district does not maintain an Internet web site, in which case the report card shall be sent home to parents without request). If the district posts the report card on its Internet web site, the district shall send a written notice home to parents stating (i) that the report card is available on the web site, (ii) the address of the web site, (iii) that a printed copy of the report card will be sent to parents upon request, and (iv) the telephone number that parents may call to request a printed copy of the report card.

(6) Nothing contained in Public Act 98-648 repeals, supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in lawsuits pending on July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-648) in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of Public Act 97-8.

(7) As used in this subsection (7):

"Advanced Advanced-track coursework or programs" means any high school courses, sequence of courses, or class or grouping of students organized to provide more rigorous, enriched, advanced, accelerated, gifted, or above grade-level instruction. This may include, but is not limited to, Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, honors, weighted, advanced, or enriched courses, or gifted or accelerated programs, classrooms, or courses.

"Course" means any high school class or course offered by a school that is assigned a school course code by the State Board of Education.

"High school" means a school that maintains any of grades 9 through 12.

"English learner coursework or English learner program" means a high school English learner course or program designated to serve English learners, who may be designated as English language learners or limited English proficiency learners.

"Standard coursework or programs" means any high school courses or classes other than advanced advanced-track coursework or programs, English learner coursework or programs, or special education coursework or programs.

By December October 31, 2027 and by December October 31 of each subsequent year, the State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a stand-alone report covering all public high schools in this State, to be referred to as the Expanded High School Coursework Snapshot Report. The State Board shall post the Report on the State Board's Internet website. Each school district with a high school enrollment for the reporting year shall include on the school district's Internet website, if the district maintains an Internet website, a hyperlink to the Report on the State Board's Internet website titled "Expanded High School Coursework Snapshot Report". Hyperlinks under this subsection (7) shall be displayed in a manner that is easily accessible to the public.

The Expanded High School Coursework Snapshot Report shall include:

(A) a listing of all standard coursework or programs that have offered by a high school student enrollment;

(B) a listing of all advanced advanced-track coursework or programs that have offered by a high school student enrollment;

(C) a listing of all English learner coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners offered by a high school;

(D) a listing of all special education coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by students with disabilities offered by a high school;

(E) data tables and graphs comparing advanced advanced-track coursework or programs enrollment with standard coursework or programs enrollment according to the following parameters:

(i) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach advanced advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(ii) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach special education coursework or programs that have high school enrollment by students with disabilities compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are not assigned to teach standard coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by students with disabilities;

(iii) the average years of experience of all teachers in a high school who are assigned to teach English learner coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners compared with the average years of experience of all teachers in the high school who are not assigned to teach standard coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners;

(iv) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach advanced coursework advanced -track courses or programs compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach standard coursework or programs;

(v) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach special education coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by students with disabilities compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are not assigned to teach standard coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by students with disabilities;

(vi) the number of high school teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are assigned to teach English learner coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners compared with the number of teachers who possess bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or higher doctorate degrees and who are not assigned to teach standard coursework or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners;

(vii) the average student enrollment and class size of advanced advanced-track coursework or programs offered in a high school compared with the average student enrollment and class size of standard coursework or programs;

(viii) the percentages of high school students, delineated by race, gender, and program student group, who are enrolled in advanced advanced-track coursework or programs in a high school compared with the gender of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(ix) (blank); the percentages of students delineated by gender who are enrolled in special education coursework or programs in a high school compared with the percentages of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(x) (blank); the percentages of students delineated by gender who are enrolled in English learner coursework or programs in a high school compared with the gender of students enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xi) (blank); the percentages of high school students in each individual race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the percentages of students in each individual race and ethnicity category enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xii) (blank); the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in special education coursework or programs compared with the percentages of students in each of the race and ethnicity categories who are enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xiii) (blank); the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, who are enrolled in English learner coursework or programs in a high school compared with the percentages of high school students in each of the race and ethnicity categories who are enrolled in standard coursework or programs;

(xiv) the percentage of high school students, by race, gender, and program student group, who earn reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in one or more advanced advanced-track coursework or programs compared with the percentage of high school students, by race, gender, and program student group, who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in one or more standard coursework or programs;

(xv) (blank); the percentage of high school students who reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in special education coursework or programs compared with the percentage of high school students who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in standard coursework or programs; and

(xvi) (blank); and the percentage of high school students who reach proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in English learner coursework or programs compared with the percentage of high school students who earn proficiency (the equivalent of a C grade or higher on a grade A through F scale) in standard coursework or programs; and

(F) data tables and graphs for each race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, describing:

(i) the total student number and student percentage for of Advanced Placement courses taken by race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census;

(ii) the total student number and student percentage for of International Baccalaureate courses taken by race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census;

(iii) (blank); for each race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the percentage of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses;

(iv) (blank); and for each race and ethnicity category and gender category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the percentage of high school students enrolled in International Baccalaureate courses; and

(v) for each race and ethnicity category, as defined in the most recent federal decennial census, the total student number and student percentage of high school students who earn a score of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement exam associated with an Advanced Placement course.

For data on teacher experience and education under this subsection (7), a teacher who teaches a combination of courses designated as advanced advanced-track coursework or programs, courses or programs that have high school student enrollment by English learners learner coursework or programs, or standard coursework or programs shall be included in all relevant categories and the teacher's level of experience shall be added to the categories.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-294, eff. 1-1-22; 102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-594, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-116, eff. 6-30-23; 103-263, eff. 6-30-23; 103-413, eff, 1-1-24; 103-503, eff. 1-1-24; revised 9-12-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.12a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.12a)

Sec. 10-20.12a. Tuition for non-resident pupils.

(a) To charge non-resident pupils who attend the schools of the district tuition in an amount not exceeding 110% of the per capita cost of maintaining the schools of the district for the preceding school year.

Such per capita cost shall be computed by dividing the total cost of conducting and maintaining the schools of the district by the average daily attendance, including tuition pupils. Depreciation on the buildings and equipment of the schools of the district, and the amount of annual depreciation on such buildings and equipment shall be dependent upon the useful life of such property.

The tuition charged shall in no case exceed 110% of the per capita cost of conducting and maintaining the schools of the district attended, as determined with reference to the most recent audit prepared under Section 3-7 which is available at the commencement of the current school year. Non-resident pupils attending the schools of the district for less than the school term shall have their tuition apportioned, however pupils who become non-resident during a school term shall not be charged tuition for the remainder of the school term in which they became non-resident pupils.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, a school district may adopt a policy to waive tuition costs for a non-resident pupil who if the pupil is the a child of a district employee if the district adopts a policy approving such waiver. For purposes of this paragraph, "child" means a district employee's child who is a biological child, adopted child, foster child, stepchild, or a child for which the employee serves as a legal guardian.

(b) Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties involved and where the educational services are not otherwise provided for, educational services for an Illinois student under the age of 21 (and not eligible for services pursuant to Article 14 of this Code) in any residential program shall be provided by the district in which the facility is located and financed as follows. The cost of educational services shall be paid by the district in which the student resides in an amount equal to the cost of providing educational services in the residential facility. Payments shall be made by the district of the student's residence and shall be made to the district wherein the facility is located no less than once per month unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.

The funding provision of this subsection (b) applies to all Illinois students under the age of 21 (and not eligible for services pursuant to Article 14 of this Code) receiving educational services in residential facilities, irrespective of whether the student was placed therein pursuant to this Code or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 or by an Illinois public agency or a court. The changes to this subsection (b) made by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly apply to all placements in effect on July 1, 2007 and all placements thereafter. For purposes of this subsection (b), a student's district of residence shall be determined in accordance with subsection (a) of Section 10-20.12b of this Code. The placement of a student in a residential facility shall not affect the residency of the student. When a dispute arises over the determination of the district of residence under this subsection (b), any person or entity, including without limitation a school district or residential facility, may make a written request for a residency decision to the State Superintendent of Education, who, upon review of materials submitted and any other items or information he or she may request for submission, shall issue his or her decision in writing. The decision of the State Superintendent of Education is final.

(Source: P.A. 103-111, eff. 6-29-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.17a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.17a)

Sec. 10-20.17a. Hazardous materials training. To enhance the safety of pupils and staff by providing in-service training programs on the safe handling and use of hazardous or toxic materials for personnel in the district who work with such materials on a regular basis. Such programs may shall be identified approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Illinois Department of Public Health, for use by school boards in implementing this Section.

(Source: P.A. 84-1294.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)

Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish and maintain, for implementation in school districts, a program for use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described in this Section. School districts may utilize a program approved under this Section for use during remote learning days and blended remote learning days under Section 10-30 or 34-18.66.

(b) The school board of a school district may, by resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit student instruction to be received electronically while students are not physically present in lieu of the district's scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this Code or because a school was selected to be a polling place under Section 11-4.1 of the Election Code. The research-based program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be verified annually by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district before the implementation of any e-learning days in that school year on or before September 1st annually to ensure access for all students. The regional office of education or intermediate service center shall ensure that the specific needs of all students are met, including special education students and English learners, and that all mandates are still met using the proposed research-based program. The e-learning program may utilize the Internet, telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar means of electronic communication for instruction and interaction between teachers and students that meet the needs of all learners. The e-learning program shall address the school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access to any and all hardware and software that may be required for the program. If a proposed program does not address this responsibility, the school district must propose an alternate program.

(c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school board must hold a public hearing on a school district's initial proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of such a program, at a regular or special meeting of the school board, in which the terms of the proposal must be substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public comments must be provided. Notice of such public hearing must be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by:

(1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district;

(2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the school district; and

(3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school district employees and all those employees not in a collective bargaining unit.

(d) The regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district must timely verify that a proposal for an e-learning program has met the requirements specified in this Section and that the proposal contains provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish the following:

(1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of instruction or school work, as required under Section 10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning day;

(2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate remote facility for all students participating, including computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic communication that must be utilized in the proposed program;

(2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made available to students participating in the program who do not have access to the required technology or to participating teachers or students who are prevented from accessing the required technology;

(3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for students with special needs;

(4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic participation;

(5) to address the extent to which student participation is within the student's control as to the time, pace, and means of learning;

(6) to provide effective notice to students and their parents or guardians of the use of particular days for e-learning;

(7) to provide staff and students with adequate training for e-learning days' participation;

(8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school district's employees that would be legally required, including all classifications of school district employees who are represented by collective bargaining agreements and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning day;

(9) to review and revise the program as implemented to address difficulties confronted; and

(10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general expectations and responsibilities of the program is communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30 days prior to utilizing an e-learning day in a school year.

The school board's approval of a school district's initial e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall be for a term of 3 school years, beginning with the first school year in which the program was approved and verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district.

(d-5) A school district shall pay to its contractors who provide educational support services to the district, including, but not limited to, custodial, transportation, or food service providers, their daily, regular rate of pay or billings rendered for any e-learning day that is used because a school was selected to be a polling place under Section 11-4.1 of the Election Code, except that this requirement does not apply to contractors who are paid under contracts that are entered into, amended, or renewed on or after March 15, 2022 or to contracts that otherwise address compensation for such e-learning days.

(d-10) A school district shall pay to its employees who provide educational support services to the district, including, but not limited to, custodial employees, building maintenance employees, transportation employees, food service providers, classroom assistants, or administrative staff, their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits rendered for any school closure or e-learning day if the closure precludes them from performing their regularly scheduled duties and the employee would have reported for work but for the closure, except this requirement does not apply if the day is rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services are rendered.

(d-15) A school district shall make full payment that would have otherwise been paid to its contractors who provide educational support services to the district, including, but not limited to, custodial, building maintenance, transportation, food service providers, classroom assistants, or administrative staff, their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits rendered for any school closure or e-learning day if any closure precludes them from performing their regularly scheduled duties and employees would have reported for work but for the closure. The employees who provide the support services covered by such contracts shall be paid their daily bid package rates and benefits as defined by their local operating agreements or collective bargaining agreements, except this requirement does not apply if the day is rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services are rendered.

(d-20) A school district shall make full payment or reimbursement to an employee or contractor as specified in subsection (d-10) or (d-15) of this Section for any school closure or e-learning day in the 2021-2022 school year that occurred prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly if the employee or contractor did not receive pay or was required to use earned paid time off, except this requirement does not apply if the day is rescheduled and the employee will be paid their daily, regular rate of pay and benefits for the rescheduled day when services are rendered.

(e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules consistent with the provision of this Section.

(f) For purposes of subsections (d-10), (d-15), and (d-20) of this Section:

"Employee" means anyone employed by a school district on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

"School district" includes charter schools established under Article 27A of this Code, but does not include the Department of Juvenile Justice School District.

(Source: P.A. 101-12, eff. 7-1-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-584, eff. 6-1-22; 102-697, eff. 4-5-22.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-22.24b)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-542)

Sec. 10-22.24b. School counseling services. School counseling services in public schools may be provided by school counselors as defined in Section 10-22.24a of this Code or by individuals who hold a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school counseling under Section 21B-25 of this Code.

School counseling services may include, but are not limited to:

(1) designing and delivering a comprehensive school counseling program through a standards-based, data-informed program that promotes student achievement and wellness;

(2) (blank); incorporating the common core language into the school counselor's work and role;

(3) school counselors working as culturally skilled professionals who act sensitively to promote social justice and equity in a pluralistic society;

(4) providing individual and group counseling;

(5) providing a core counseling curriculum that serves all students and addresses the knowledge and skills appropriate to their developmental level through a collaborative model of delivery involving the school counselor, classroom teachers, and other appropriate education professionals, and including prevention and pre-referral activities;

(6) making referrals when necessary to appropriate offices or outside agencies;

(7) providing college and career development activities and counseling;

(8) developing individual career plans with students, which includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school as described in paragraph (55);

(9) assisting all students with a college or post-secondary education plan, which must include a discussion on all post-secondary education options, including 4-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and vocational schools, and includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school as described in paragraph (55);

(10) (blank); intentionally addressing the career and college needs of first generation students;

(11) educating all students on scholarships, financial aid, and preparation of the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid;

(12) collaborating with institutions of higher education and local community colleges so that students understand post-secondary education options and are ready to transition successfully;

(13) providing crisis intervention and contributing to the development of a specific crisis plan within the school setting in collaboration with multiple stakeholders;

(14) providing educational opportunities for educating students, teachers, and parents on mental health anxiety, depression, cutting, and suicide issues and intervening with students who present with these issues;

(15) providing counseling and other resources to students who are in crisis;

(16) working to address barriers that prohibit or limit access providing resources for those students who do not have access to mental health services;

(17) addressing bullying and conflict resolution with all students;

(18) teaching communication skills and helping students develop positive relationships;

(19) using culturally sensitive skills in working with all students to promote wellness;

(20) working to address addressing the needs of all undocumented students with regard to citizenship status in the school, as well as students who are legally in the United States, but whose parents are undocumented;

(21) (blank); contributing to a student's functional behavioral assessment, as well as assisting in the development of non-aversive behavioral intervention strategies;

(22) providing academic, social-emotional, and college and career supports to all students irrespective of special education or Section 504 status (i) assisting students in need of special education services by implementing the academic supports and social-emotional and college or career development counseling services or interventions per a student's individualized education program (IEP); (ii) participating in or contributing to a student's IEP and completing a social-developmental history; or (iii) providing services to a student with a disability under the student's IEP or federal Section 504 plan, as recommended by the student's IEP team or Section 504 plan team and in compliance with federal and State laws and rules governing the provision of educational and related services and school-based accommodations to students with disabilities and the qualifications of school personnel to provide such services and accommodations;

(23) assisting students in goal setting and success skills for classroom behavior, study skills, test preparation, internal motivation, and intrinsic rewards the development of a personal educational plan with each student;

(24) (blank); educating students on dual credit and learning opportunities on the Internet;

(25) providing information for all students in the selection of courses that will lead to post-secondary education opportunities toward a successful career;

(26) interpreting achievement test results and guiding students in appropriate directions;

(27) (blank); counseling with students, families, and teachers, in compliance with federal and State laws;

(28) providing families with opportunities for education and counseling as appropriate in relation to the student's educational assessment;

(29) consulting and collaborating with teachers and other school personnel regarding behavior management and intervention plans and inclusion in support of students;

(30) teaming and partnering with staff, parents, businesses, and community organizations to support student achievement and social-emotional learning standards for all students;

(31) developing and implementing school-based prevention programs, including, but not limited to, mediation and violence prevention, implementing social and emotional education programs and services, and establishing and implementing bullying prevention and intervention programs;

(32) developing culturally sensitive assessment instruments for measuring school counseling prevention and intervention effectiveness and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data;

(33) participating on school and district committees to advocate for student programs and resources, as well as establishing a school counseling advisory council that includes representatives of key stakeholders selected to review and advise on the implementation of the school counseling program;

(34) acting as a liaison between the public schools and community resources and building relationships with important stakeholders, such as families, administrators, teachers, and board members;

(35) maintaining organized, clear, and useful records in a confidential manner consistent with Section 5 of the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;

(36) presenting an annual agreement to the administration, including a formal discussion of the alignment of school and school counseling program missions and goals and detailing specific school counselor responsibilities;

(37) identifying and implementing culturally sensitive measures of success for student competencies in each of the 3 domains of academic, social and emotional, and college and career learning based on planned and periodic assessment of the comprehensive developmental school counseling program;

(38) collaborating as a team member in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Response to Intervention (RtI) and other school initiatives;

(39) conducting observations and participating in recommendations or interventions regarding the placement of children in educational programs or special education classes;

(40) analyzing data and results of school counseling program assessments, including curriculum, small-group, and closing-the-gap results reports, and designing strategies to continue to improve program effectiveness;

(41) analyzing data and results of school counselor competency assessments;

(42) following American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors to demonstrate high standards of integrity, leadership, and professionalism;

(43) using student competencies to assess student growth and development to inform decisions regarding strategies, activities, and services that help students achieve the highest academic level possible knowing and embracing common core standards by using common core language;

(44) practicing as a culturally skilled school counselor by infusing the multicultural competencies within the role of the school counselor, including the practice of culturally sensitive attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills;

(45) infusing the Social-Emotional Standards, as presented in the State Board of Education standards, across the curriculum and in the counselor's role in ways that empower and enable students to achieve academic success across all grade levels;

(46) providing services only in areas in which the school counselor has appropriate training or expertise, as well as only providing counseling or consulting services within his or her employment to any student in the district or districts which employ such school counselor, in accordance with professional ethics;

(47) having adequate training in supervision knowledge and skills in order to supervise school counseling interns enrolled in graduate school counselor preparation programs that meet the standards established by the State Board of Education;

(48) being involved with State and national professional associations;

(49) participating, at least once every 2 years, in an in-service training program for school counselors conducted by persons with expertise in domestic and sexual violence and the needs of expectant and parenting youth, which shall include training concerning (i) communicating with and listening to youth victims of domestic or sexual violence and expectant and parenting youth, (ii) connecting youth victims of domestic or sexual violence and expectant and parenting youth to appropriate in-school services and other agencies, programs, and services as needed, and (iii) implementing the school district's policies, procedures, and protocols with regard to such youth, including confidentiality; at a minimum, school personnel must be trained to understand, provide information and referrals, and address issues pertaining to youth who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual violence;

(50) participating, at least every 2 years, in an in-service training program for school counselors conducted by persons with expertise in anaphylactic reactions and management;

(51) participating, at least once every 2 years, in an in-service training on educator ethics, teacher-student conduct, and school employee-student conduct for all personnel;

(52) participating, in addition to other topics at in-service training programs, in training to identify the warning signs of mental illness and suicidal behavior in adolescents and teenagers and learning appropriate intervention and referral techniques;

(53) (blank); obtaining training to have a basic knowledge of matters relating to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), including the nature of the disease, its causes and effects, the means of detecting it and preventing its transmission, and the availability of appropriate sources of counseling and referral and any other information that may be appropriate considering the age and grade level of the pupils; the school board shall supervise such training and the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health shall jointly develop standards for such training;

(54) (blank); and participating in mandates from the State Board of Education for bullying education and social-emotional literacy; and

(55) promoting career and technical education by assisting each student to determine an appropriate postsecondary plan based upon the student's skills, strengths, and goals and assisting the student to implement the best practices that improve career or workforce readiness after high school.

School districts may employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain the national and State recommended student-counselor ratio of 250 to 1. School districts may have school counselors spend at least 80% of his or her work time in direct contact with students.

Nothing in this Section prohibits other qualified professionals, including other endorsed school support personnel, from providing the services listed in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-876, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-542)

Sec. 10-22.24b. School counseling services. School counseling services in public schools may be provided by school counselors as defined in Section 10-22.24a of this Code or by individuals who hold a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school counseling under Section 21B-25 of this Code.

School counseling services may include, but are not limited to:

(1) designing and delivering a comprehensive school counseling program through a standards-based, data-informed program that promotes student achievement and wellness;

(2) (blank); incorporating the common core language into the school counselor's work and role;

(3) school counselors working as culturally skilled professionals who act sensitively to promote social justice and equity in a pluralistic society;

(4) providing individual and group counseling;

(5) providing a core counseling curriculum that serves all students and addresses the knowledge and skills appropriate to their developmental level through a collaborative model of delivery involving the school counselor, classroom teachers, and other appropriate education professionals, and including prevention and pre-referral activities;

(6) making referrals when necessary to appropriate offices or outside agencies;

(7) providing college and career development activities and counseling;

(8) developing individual career plans with students, which includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school as described in paragraph (55);

(9) assisting all students with a college or post-secondary education plan, which must include a discussion on all post-secondary education options, including 4-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and vocational schools, and includes planning for post-secondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school as described in paragraph (55);

(10) (blank); intentionally addressing the career and college needs of first generation students;

(11) educating all students on scholarships, financial aid, and preparation of the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid;

(12) collaborating with institutions of higher education and local community colleges so that students understand post-secondary education options and are ready to transition successfully;

(13) providing crisis intervention and contributing to the development of a specific crisis plan within the school setting in collaboration with multiple stakeholders;

(14) providing educational opportunities for educating students, teachers, and parents on mental health anxiety, depression, cutting, and suicide issues and intervening with students who present with these issues;

(15) providing counseling and other resources to students who are in crisis;

(16) working to address barriers that prohibit or limit access providing resources for those students who do not have access to mental health services;

(17) addressing bullying and conflict resolution with all students;

(18) teaching communication skills and helping students develop positive relationships;

(19) using culturally sensitive skills in working with all students to promote wellness;

(20) working to address addressing the needs of all undocumented students with regard to citizenship status in the school, as well as students who are legally in the United States, but whose parents are undocumented;

(21) (blank); contributing to a student's functional behavioral assessment, as well as assisting in the development of non-aversive behavioral intervention strategies;

(22) providing academic, social-emotional, and college and career supports to all students irrespective of special education or Section 504 status; (i) assisting students in need of special education services by implementing the academic supports and social-emotional and college or career development counseling services or interventions per a student's individualized education program (IEP); (ii) participating in or contributing to a student's IEP and completing a social-developmental history; or (iii) providing services to a student with a disability under the student's IEP or federal Section 504 plan, as recommended by the student's IEP team or Section 504 plan team and in compliance with federal and State laws and rules governing the provision of educational and related services and school-based accommodations to students with disabilities and the qualifications of school personnel to provide such services and accommodations;

(23) assisting students in goal setting and success skills for classroom behavior, study skills, test preparation, internal motivation, and intrinsic rewards the development of a personal educational plan with each student;

(24) (blank); educating students on dual credit and learning opportunities on the Internet;

(25) providing information for all students in the selection of courses that will lead to post-secondary education opportunities toward a successful career;

(26) interpreting achievement test results and guiding students in appropriate directions;

(27) (blank); counseling with students, families, and teachers, in compliance with federal and State laws;

(28) providing families with opportunities for education and counseling as appropriate in relation to the student's educational assessment;

(29) consulting and collaborating with teachers and other school personnel regarding behavior management and intervention plans and inclusion in support of students;

(30) teaming and partnering with staff, parents, businesses, and community organizations to support student achievement and social-emotional learning standards for all students;

(31) developing and implementing school-based prevention programs, including, but not limited to, mediation and violence prevention, implementing social and emotional education programs and services, and establishing and implementing bullying prevention and intervention programs;

(32) developing culturally sensitive assessment instruments for measuring school counseling prevention and intervention effectiveness and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data;

(33) participating on school and district committees to advocate for student programs and resources, as well as establishing a school counseling advisory council that includes representatives of key stakeholders selected to review and advise on the implementation of the school counseling program;

(34) acting as a liaison between the public schools and community resources and building relationships with important stakeholders, such as families, administrators, teachers, and board members;

(35) maintaining organized, clear, and useful records in a confidential manner consistent with Section 5 of the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;

(36) presenting an annual agreement to the administration, including a formal discussion of the alignment of school and school counseling program missions and goals and detailing specific school counselor responsibilities;

(37) identifying and implementing culturally sensitive measures of success for student competencies in each of the 3 domains of academic, social and emotional, and college and career learning based on planned and periodic assessment of the comprehensive developmental school counseling program;

(38) collaborating as a team member in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Response to Intervention (RtI) and other school initiatives;

(39) conducting observations and participating in recommendations or interventions regarding the placement of children in educational programs or special education classes;

(40) analyzing data and results of school counseling program assessments, including curriculum, small-group, and closing-the-gap results reports, and designing strategies to continue to improve program effectiveness;

(41) analyzing data and results of school counselor competency assessments;

(42) following American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors to demonstrate high standards of integrity, leadership, and professionalism;

(43) using student competencies to assess student growth and development to inform decisions regarding strategies, activities, and services that help students achieve the highest academic level possible knowing and embracing common core standards by using common core language;

(44) practicing as a culturally skilled school counselor by infusing the multicultural competencies within the role of the school counselor, including the practice of culturally sensitive attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills;

(45) infusing the Social-Emotional Standards, as presented in the State Board of Education standards, across the curriculum and in the counselor's role in ways that empower and enable students to achieve academic success across all grade levels;

(46) providing services only in areas in which the school counselor has appropriate training or expertise, as well as only providing counseling or consulting services within his or her employment to any student in the district or districts which employ such school counselor, in accordance with professional ethics;

(47) having adequate training in supervision knowledge and skills in order to supervise school counseling interns enrolled in graduate school counselor preparation programs that meet the standards established by the State Board of Education;

(48) being involved with State and national professional associations;

(49) complete the required training as outlined in Section 10-22.39;

(50) (blank);

(51) (blank);

(52) (blank);

(53) (blank);

(54) (blank); and participating in mandates from the State Board of Education for bullying education and social-emotional literacy; and

(55) promoting career and technical education by assisting each student to determine an appropriate postsecondary plan based upon the student's skills, strengths, and goals and assisting the student to implement the best practices that improve career or workforce readiness after high school.

School districts may employ a sufficient number of school counselors to maintain the national and State recommended student-counselor ratio of 250 to 1. School districts may have school counselors spend at least 80% of his or her work time in direct contact with students.

Nothing in this Section prohibits other qualified professionals, including other endorsed school support personnel, from providing the services listed in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-876, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-542, eff. 7-1-24 (see Section 905 of P.A. 103-563 for effective date of P.A. 103-542.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-27.1A)

Sec. 10-27.1A. Firearms in schools.

(a) All school officials, including teachers, school counselors, and support staff, shall immediately notify the office of the principal in the event that they observe any person in possession of a firearm on school grounds; provided that taking such immediate action to notify the office of the principal would not immediately endanger the health, safety, or welfare of students who are under the direct supervision of the school official or the school official. If the health, safety, or welfare of students under the direct supervision of the school official or of the school official is immediately endangered, the school official shall notify the office of the principal as soon as the students under his or her supervision and he or she are no longer under immediate danger. A report is not required by this Section when the school official knows that the person in possession of the firearm is a law enforcement official engaged in the conduct of his or her official duties. Any school official acting in good faith who makes such a report under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred as a result of making the report. The identity of the school official making such report shall not be disclosed except as expressly and specifically authorized by law. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor.

(b) Upon receiving a report from any school official pursuant to this Section, or from any other person, the principal or his or her designee shall immediately notify a local law enforcement agency. If the person found to be in possession of a firearm on school grounds is a student, the principal or his or her designee shall also immediately notify that student's parent or guardian. Any principal or his or her designee acting in good faith who makes such reports under this Section shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of making the reports. Knowingly and willfully failing to comply with this Section is a petty offense. A second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. If the person found to be in possession of the firearm on school grounds is a minor, the law enforcement agency shall detain that minor until such time as the agency makes a determination pursuant to clause (a) of subsection (1) of Section 5-401 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, as to whether the agency reasonably believes that the minor is delinquent. If the law enforcement agency determines that probable cause exists to believe that the minor committed a violation of item (4) of subsection (a) of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 while on school grounds, the agency shall detain the minor for processing pursuant to Section 5-407 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(c) Upon receipt of any written, electronic, or verbal report from any school personnel regarding a verified incident involving a firearm in a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, the superintendent or his or her designee shall report all such firearm-related incidents occurring in a school or on school property to the local law enforcement authorities immediately, who shall report to the Illinois State Police in a form, manner, and frequency as prescribed by the Illinois State Police.

The State Board of Education shall receive an annual statistical compilation and related data associated with incidents involving firearms in schools from the Illinois State Police. The State Board of Education shall compile this information by school district and make it available to the public.

(c-5) Schools shall report any written, electronic, or verbal report of a verified incident involving a firearm made under subsection (c) to the State Board of Education through existing school incident reporting systems as they occur during the year by no later than July 31 for the previous school year. The State Board of Education shall report data by school district, as collected from school districts, and make it available to the public via its website. The local law enforcement authority shall, by March 1 of each year, report the required data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which shall be included in its annual Crime in Illinois report.

(d) As used in this Section, the term "firearm" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act.

As used in this Section, the term "school" means any public or private elementary or secondary school.

As used in this Section, the term "school grounds" includes the real property comprising any school, any conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a school to transport students to or from school or a school-related activity, or any public way within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising any school.

(Source: P.A. 102-197, eff. 7-30-21; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-34, eff. 6-9-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-27.1B)

Sec. 10-27.1B. Reporting drug-related incidents in schools.

(a) In this Section:

"Drug" means "cannabis" as defined under subsection (a) of Section 3 of the Cannabis Control Act, "narcotic drug" as defined under subsection (aa) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or "methamphetamine" as defined under Section 10 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.

"School" means any public or private elementary or secondary school.

(b) Upon receipt of any written, electronic, or verbal report from any school personnel regarding a verified incident involving drugs in a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, the superintendent or his or her designee, or other appropriate administrative officer for a private school, shall report all such drug-related incidents occurring in a school or on school property to the local law enforcement authorities immediately and to the Illinois State Police in a form, manner, and frequency as prescribed by the Illinois State Police.

(c) (Blank). The State Board of Education shall receive an annual statistical compilation and related data associated with drug-related incidents in schools from the Illinois State Police. The State Board of Education shall compile this information by school district and make it available to the public.

(d) Schools shall report any written, electronic, or verbal report of an incident involving drugs made under subsection (b) to the State Board of Education through existing school incident reporting systems as they occur during the year by no later than July 31 for the previous school year. The State Board of Education shall report data by school district, as collected from school districts, and make it available to the public via its website. The local law enforcement authority shall, by March 1 of each year, report the required data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which shall be included in its annual Crime in Illinois report.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

(105 ILCS 5/13A-8)

Sec. 13A-8. Funding.

(a) The State of Illinois shall provide funding for the alternative school programs within each educational service region and within the Chicago public school system by line item appropriation made to the State Board of Education for that purpose. This money, when appropriated, shall be provided to the regional superintendent and to the Chicago Board of Education, who shall establish a budget, including salaries, for their alternative school programs. Each program shall receive funding in the amount of $30,000 plus an amount based on the ratio of the region's or Chicago's best 3 months' average daily attendance in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 to the statewide totals of these amounts. For purposes of this calculation, the best 3 months' average daily attendance for each region or Chicago shall be calculated by adding to the best 3 months' average daily attendance the number of low-income students identified in the most recently available federal census multiplied by one-half times the percentage of the region's or Chicago's low-income students to the State's total low-income students. The State Board of Education shall retain up to 1.1% of the appropriation to be used to provide technical assistance, professional development, and evaluations for the programs.

(a-5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, for the 1998-1999 fiscal year, the total amount distributed under subsection (a) for an alternative school program shall be not less than the total amount that was distributed under that subsection for that alternative school program for the 1997-1998 fiscal year. If an alternative school program is to receive a total distribution under subsection (a) for the 1998-1999 fiscal year that is less than the total distribution that the program received under that subsection for the 1997-1998 fiscal year, that alternative school program shall also receive, from a separate appropriation made for purposes of this subsection (a-5), a supplementary payment equal to the amount by which its total distribution under subsection (a) for the 1997-1998 fiscal year exceeds the amount of the total distribution that the alternative school program receives under that subsection for the 1998-1999 fiscal year. If the amount appropriated for supplementary payments to alternative school programs under this subsection (a-5) is insufficient for that purpose, those supplementary payments shall be prorated among the alternative school programs entitled to receive those supplementary payments according to the aggregate amount of the appropriation made for purposes of this subsection (a-5).

(b) Regional offices of education or intermediate service centers that operate an An alternative school program shall be entitled to receive, for those students enrolled in the alternative school program, general State aid as calculated in subsection (K) of Section 18-8.05 or evidence-based funding as calculated in subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15 upon filing a claim as provided therein. Any time that a student who is enrolled in an alternative school program spends in work-based learning, community service, or a similar alternative educational setting shall be included in determining the student's minimum number of clock hours of daily school work that constitute a day of attendance for purposes of calculating general State aid or evidence-based funding.

(c) An alternative school program may receive additional funding from its school districts in such amount as may be agreed upon by the parties and necessary to support the program. In addition, an alternative school program is authorized to accept and expend gifts, legacies, and grants, including but not limited to federal grants, from any source for purposes directly related to the conduct and operation of the program.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-45)

Sec. 13B-45. Days and hours of attendance. An alternative learning opportunities program shall provide students with at least the minimum number of days of pupil attendance required under Section 10-19 of this Code and the minimum number of daily hours of school work required under Section 10-19.05 of this Code, provided that the State Board may approve exceptions to these requirements if the program meets all of the following conditions:

(1) The district plan submitted under Section 13B-25.15 of this Code establishes that a program providing the required minimum number of days of attendance or daily hours of school work would not serve the needs of the program's students.

(2) Each day of attendance shall provide no fewer than 3 clock hours of school work, as defined under Section 10-19.05 of this Code.

(3) Each day of attendance that provides fewer than 5 clock hours of school work shall also provide supplementary services, including without limitation work-based learning, student assistance programs, counseling, case management, health and fitness programs, or life-skills or conflict resolution training, in order to provide a total daily program to the student of 5 clock hours. A program may claim evidence-based funding for up to 2 hours of the time each day that a student is receiving supplementary services.

(4) Each program shall provide no fewer than 174 days of actual pupil attendance during the school term; however, approved evening programs that meet the requirements of Section 13B-45 of this Code may offer less than 174 days of actual pupil attendance during the school term.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-50)

Sec. 13B-50. Eligibility to receive general State aid or evidence-based funding. In order to receive general State aid or evidence-based funding, the entity that operates an alternative learning opportunities program programs must ensure that the program meets meet the requirements for claiming general State aid as specified in Section 18-8.05 of this Code or evidence-based funding as specified in Section 18-8.15 of this Code, as applicable, with the exception of the length of the instructional day, which may be less than 5 hours of school work if the program meets the criteria set forth under Sections 13B-50.5 and 13B-50.10 of this Code and if the program is approved by the State Board.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-50.10)

Sec. 13B-50.10. Additional criteria for general State aid or evidence-based funding. In order to claim general State aid or evidence-based funding, an entity that operates an alternative learning opportunities program must ensure that the program meets meet the following criteria:

(1) Teacher professional development plans should include education in the instruction of at-risk students.

(2) Facilities must meet the health, life, and safety requirements in this Code.

(3) The program must comply with all other State and federal laws applicable to education providers.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/13B-50.15)

Sec. 13B-50.15. Level of funding. Entities that operate approved Approved alternative learning opportunities programs are entitled to claim general State aid or evidence-based funding, subject to Sections 13B-50, 13B-50.5, and 13B-50.10 of this Code. Approved programs operated by regional offices of education are entitled to receive general State aid at the foundation level of support. A school district or consortium must ensure that an approved program receives supplemental general State aid, transportation reimbursements, and special education resources, if appropriate, for students enrolled in the program.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)

(105 ILCS 5/18-8.15)

Sec. 18-8.15. Evidence-Based Funding for student success for the 2017-2018 and subsequent school years.

(a) General provisions.

(1) The purpose of this Section is to ensure that, by June 30, 2027 and beyond, this State has a kindergarten through grade 12 public education system with the capacity to ensure the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities in accordance with Section 1 of Article X of the Constitution of the State of Illinois. To accomplish that objective, this Section creates a method of funding public education that is evidence-based; is sufficient to ensure every student receives a meaningful opportunity to learn irrespective of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or community-income level; and is sustainable and predictable. When fully funded under this Section, every school shall have the resources, based on what the evidence indicates is needed, to:

(A) provide all students with a high quality education that offers the academic, enrichment, social and emotional support, technical, and career-focused programs that will allow them to become competitive workers, responsible parents, productive citizens of this State, and active members of our national democracy;

(B) ensure all students receive the education they need to graduate from high school with the skills required to pursue post-secondary education and training for a rewarding career;

(C) reduce, with a goal of eliminating, the achievement gap between at-risk and non-at-risk students by raising the performance of at-risk students and not by reducing standards; and

(D) ensure this State satisfies its obligation to assume the primary responsibility to fund public education and simultaneously relieve the disproportionate burden placed on local property taxes to fund schools.

(2) The Evidence-Based Funding formula under this Section shall be applied to all Organizational Units in this State. The Evidence-Based Funding formula outlined in this Act is based on the formula outlined in Senate Bill 1 of the 100th General Assembly, as passed by both legislative chambers. As further defined and described in this Section, there are 4 major components of the Evidence-Based Funding model:

(A) First, the model calculates a unique Adequacy Target for each Organizational Unit in this State that considers the costs to implement research-based activities, the unit's student demographics, and regional wage differences.

(B) Second, the model calculates each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity, or the amount each Organizational Unit is assumed to contribute toward its Adequacy Target from local resources.

(C) Third, the model calculates how much funding the State currently contributes to the Organizational Unit and adds that to the unit's Local Capacity to determine the unit's overall current adequacy of funding.

(D) Finally, the model's distribution method allocates new State funding to those Organizational Units that are least well-funded, considering both Local Capacity and State funding, in relation to their Adequacy Target.

(3) An Organizational Unit receiving any funding under this Section may apply those funds to any fund so received for which that Organizational Unit is authorized to make expenditures by law.

(4) As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this paragraph (4):

"Adequacy Target" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Section.

"Adjusted EAV" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Adjusted Local Capacity Target" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Adjusted Operating Tax Rate" means a tax rate for all Organizational Units, for which the State Superintendent shall calculate and subtract for the Operating Tax Rate a transportation rate based on total expenses for transportation services under this Code, as reported on the most recent Annual Financial Report in Pupil Transportation Services, function 2550 in both the Education and Transportation funds and functions 4110 and 4120 in the Transportation fund, less any corresponding fiscal year State of Illinois scheduled payments excluding net adjustments for prior years for regular, vocational, or special education transportation reimbursement pursuant to Section 29-5 or subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 of this Code divided by the Adjusted EAV. If an Organizational Unit's corresponding fiscal year State of Illinois scheduled payments excluding net adjustments for prior years for regular, vocational, or special education transportation reimbursement pursuant to Section 29-5 or subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 of this Code exceed the total transportation expenses, as defined in this paragraph, no transportation rate shall be subtracted from the Operating Tax Rate.

"Allocation Rate" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"Alternative Education Program School" means a public school serving students in any of grades kindergarten through 12 that is created and operated by a regional superintendent of schools office of education or an intermediate service center and approved by the State Board and includes (i) a program established under Section 2-3.66 or 2-3.41 or (ii) a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center under Article 13A or 13B.

"Applicable Tax Rate" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Assessment" means any of those benchmark, progress monitoring, formative, diagnostic, and other assessments, in addition to the State accountability assessment, that assist teachers' needs in understanding the skills and meeting the needs of the students they serve.

"Assistant principal" means a school administrator duly endorsed to be employed as an assistant principal in this State.

"At-risk student" means a student who is at risk of not meeting the Illinois Learning Standards or not graduating from elementary or high school and who demonstrates a need for vocational support or social services beyond that provided by the regular school program. All students included in an Organizational Unit's Low-Income Count, as well as all English learner and disabled students attending the Organizational Unit, shall be considered at-risk students under this Section.

"Average Student Enrollment" or "ASE" for fiscal year 2018 means, for an Organizational Unit, the greater of the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 in the immediately preceding school year, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services of 2 or more hours a day as reported to the State Board on December 1 in the immediately preceding school year, or the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services of 2 or more hours a day as reported to the State Board on December 1, for each of the immediately preceding 3 school years. For fiscal year 2019 and each subsequent fiscal year, "Average Student Enrollment" or "ASE" means, for an Organizational Unit, the greater of the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 and March 1 in the immediately preceding school year, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services as reported to the State Board on October 1 and March 1 in the immediately preceding school year, or the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 and March 1, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services as reported to the State Board on October 1 and March 1, for each of the immediately preceding 3 school years. For the purposes of this definition, "enrolled in the Organizational Unit" means the number of students reported to the State Board who are enrolled in schools within the Organizational Unit that the student attends or would attend if not placed or transferred to another school or program to receive needed services. For the purposes of calculating "ASE", all students, grades K through 12, excluding those attending kindergarten for a half day and students attending an alternative education program operated by a regional office of education or intermediate service center, shall be counted as 1.0. All students attending kindergarten for a half day shall be counted as 0.5, unless in 2017 by June 15 or by March 1 in subsequent years, the school district reports to the State Board of Education the intent to implement full-day kindergarten district-wide for all students, then all students attending kindergarten shall be counted as 1.0. Special education pre-kindergarten students shall be counted as 0.5 each. If the State Board does not collect or has not collected both an October 1 and March 1 enrollment count by grade or a December 1 collection of special education pre-kindergarten students as of August 31, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-465), it shall establish such collection for all future years. For any year in which a count by grade level was collected only once, that count shall be used as the single count available for computing a 3-year average ASE. Funding for students enrolled in alternative education programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be calculated using the Evidence-Based Funding formula under this Section for the 2019-2020 school year and each subsequent school year until a separate adequacy formula is developed formulas are developed and adopted for each type of program. ASE for a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be determined by the March 1 enrollment for its alternative education programs the program. For the 2019-2020 school year, the ASE used in the calculation must be the first-year ASE and, in that year only, the assignment of students served by a regional office of education or intermediate service center shall not result in a reduction of the March enrollment for any school district. For the 2020-2021 school year, the ASE must be the greater of the current-year ASE or the 2-year average ASE. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the ASE must be the greater of the current-year ASE or the 3-year average ASE. School districts shall submit the data for the ASE calculation to the State Board within 45 days of the dates required in this Section for submission of enrollment data in order for it to be included in the ASE calculation. For fiscal year 2018 only, the ASE calculation shall include only enrollment taken on October 1. In recognition of the impact of COVID-19, the definition of "Average Student Enrollment" or "ASE" shall be adjusted for calculations under this Section for fiscal years 2022 through 2024. For fiscal years 2022 through 2024, the enrollment used in the calculation of ASE representing the 2020-2021 school year shall be the greater of the enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year or the 2019-2020 school year.

"Base Funding Guarantee" is defined in paragraph (10) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"Base Funding Minimum" is defined in subsection (e) of this Section.

"Base Tax Year" means the property tax levy year used to calculate the Budget Year allocation of primary State aid.

"Base Tax Year's Extension" means the product of the equalized assessed valuation utilized by the county clerk in the Base Tax Year multiplied by the limiting rate as calculated by the county clerk and defined in PTELL.

"Bilingual Education Allocation" means the amount of an Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to bilingual education divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the product of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to bilingual education shall include all additional investments in English learner students' adequacy elements.

"Budget Year" means the school year for which primary State aid is calculated and awarded under this Section.

"Central office" means individual administrators and support service personnel charged with managing the instructional programs, business and operations, and security of the Organizational Unit.

"Comparable Wage Index" or "CWI" means a regional cost differentiation metric that measures systemic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not educators. The CWI utilized for this Section shall, for the first 3 years of Evidence-Based Funding implementation, be the CWI initially developed by the National Center for Education Statistics, as most recently updated by Texas A & M University. In the fourth and subsequent years of Evidence-Based Funding implementation, the State Superintendent shall re-determine the CWI using a similar methodology to that identified in the Texas A & M University study, with adjustments made no less frequently than once every 5 years.

"Computer technology and equipment" means computers servers, notebooks, network equipment, copiers, printers, instructional software, security software, curriculum management courseware, and other similar materials and equipment.

"Computer technology and equipment investment allocation" means the final Adequacy Target amount of an Organizational Unit assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 in the prior school year attributable to the additional $285.50 per student computer technology and equipment investment grant divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the result of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit assigned to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 final Adequacy Target attributable to the received computer technology and equipment investment grant shall include all additional investments in computer technology and equipment adequacy elements.

"Core subject" means mathematics; science; reading, English, writing, and language arts; history and social studies; world languages; and subjects taught as Advanced Placement in high schools.

"Core teacher" means a regular classroom teacher in elementary schools and teachers of a core subject in middle and high schools.

"Core Intervention teacher (tutor)" means a licensed teacher providing one-on-one or small group tutoring to students struggling to meet proficiency in core subjects.

"CPPRT" means corporate personal property replacement tax funds paid to an Organizational Unit during the calendar year one year before the calendar year in which a school year begins, pursuant to "An Act in relation to the abolition of ad valorem personal property tax and the replacement of revenues lost thereby, and amending and repealing certain Acts and parts of Acts in connection therewith", certified August 14, 1979, as amended (Public Act 81-1st S.S.-1).

"EAV" means equalized assessed valuation as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of this Section and calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"ECI" means the Bureau of Labor Statistics' national employment cost index for civilian workers in educational services in elementary and secondary schools on a cumulative basis for the 12-month calendar year preceding the fiscal year of the Evidence-Based Funding calculation.

"EIS Data" means the employment information system data maintained by the State Board on educators within Organizational Units.

"Employee benefits" means health, dental, and vision insurance offered to employees of an Organizational Unit, the costs associated with the statutorily required payment of the normal cost of the Organizational Unit's teacher pensions, Social Security employer contributions, and Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund employer contributions.

"English learner" or "EL" means a child included in the definition of "English learners" under Section 14C-2 of this Code participating in a program of transitional bilingual education or a transitional program of instruction meeting the requirements and program application procedures of Article 14C of this Code. For the purposes of collecting the number of EL students enrolled, the same collection and calculation methodology as defined above for "ASE" shall apply to English learners, with the exception that EL student enrollment shall include students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.

"Essential Elements" means those elements, resources, and educational programs that have been identified through academic research as necessary to improve student success, improve academic performance, close achievement gaps, and provide for other per student costs related to the delivery and leadership of the Organizational Unit, as well as the maintenance and operations of the unit, and which are specified in paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Section.

"Evidence-Based Funding" means State funding provided to an Organizational Unit pursuant to this Section.

"Extended day" means academic and enrichment programs provided to students outside the regular school day before and after school or during non-instructional times during the school day.

"Extension Limitation Ratio" means a numerical ratio in which the numerator is the Base Tax Year's Extension and the denominator is the Preceding Tax Year's Extension.

"Final Percent of Adequacy" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Final Resources" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Full-time equivalent" or "FTE" means the full-time equivalency compensation for staffing the relevant position at an Organizational Unit.

"Funding Gap" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g).

"Hybrid District" means a partial elementary unit district created pursuant to Article 11E of this Code.

"Instructional assistant" means a core or special education, non-licensed employee who assists a teacher in the classroom and provides academic support to students.

"Instructional facilitator" means a qualified teacher or licensed teacher leader who facilitates and coaches continuous improvement in classroom instruction; provides instructional support to teachers in the elements of research-based instruction or demonstrates the alignment of instruction with curriculum standards and assessment tools; develops or coordinates instructional programs or strategies; develops and implements training; chooses standards-based instructional materials; provides teachers with an understanding of current research; serves as a mentor, site coach, curriculum specialist, or lead teacher; or otherwise works with fellow teachers, in collaboration, to use data to improve instructional practice or develop model lessons.

"Instructional materials" means relevant instructional materials for student instruction, including, but not limited to, textbooks, consumable workbooks, laboratory equipment, library books, and other similar materials.

"Laboratory School" means a public school that is created and operated by a public university and approved by the State Board.

"Librarian" means a teacher with an endorsement as a library information specialist or another individual whose primary responsibility is overseeing library resources within an Organizational Unit.

"Limiting rate for Hybrid Districts" means the combined elementary school and high school limiting rates.

"Local Capacity" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Percentage" is defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Ratio" is defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Target" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Low-Income Count" means, for an Organizational Unit in a fiscal year, the higher of the average number of students for the prior school year or the immediately preceding 3 school years who, as of July 1 of the immediately preceding fiscal year (as determined by the Department of Human Services), are eligible for at least one of the following low-income programs: Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, excluding pupils who are eligible for services provided by the Department of Children and Family Services. Until such time that grade level low-income populations become available, grade level low-income populations shall be determined by applying the low-income percentage to total student enrollments by grade level. The low-income percentage is determined by dividing the Low-Income Count by the Average Student Enrollment. The low-income percentage for programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be set to the weighted average of the low-income percentages of all of the school districts in the service region. The weighted low-income percentage is the result of multiplying the low-income percentage of each school district served by the regional office of education or intermediate service center by each school district's Average Student Enrollment, summarizing those products and dividing the total by the total Average Student Enrollment for the service region.

"Maintenance and operations" means custodial services, facility and ground maintenance, facility operations, facility security, routine facility repairs, and other similar services and functions.

"Minimum Funding Level" is defined in paragraph (9) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds" means, for any given fiscal year, all State funds appropriated under Section 2-3.170 of this Code.

"New State Funds" means, for a given school year, all State funds appropriated for Evidence-Based Funding in excess of the amount needed to fund the Base Funding Minimum for all Organizational Units in that school year.

"Nurse" means an individual licensed as a certified school nurse, in accordance with the rules established for nursing services by the State Board, who is an employee of and is available to provide health care-related services for students of an Organizational Unit.

"Operating Tax Rate" means the rate utilized in the previous year to extend property taxes for all purposes, except Bond and Interest, Summer School, Rent, Capital Improvement, and Vocational Education Building purposes. For Hybrid Districts, the Operating Tax Rate shall be the combined elementary and high school rates utilized in the previous year to extend property taxes for all purposes, except Bond and Interest, Summer School, Rent, Capital Improvement, and Vocational Education Building purposes.

"Organizational Unit" means a Laboratory School or any public school district that is recognized as such by the State Board and that contains elementary schools typically serving kindergarten through 5th grades, middle schools typically serving 6th through 8th grades, or high schools typically serving 9th through 12th grades, a program established under Section 2-3.66 or 2-3.41, or a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center that operates one or more alternative education programs under Article 13A or 13B. The General Assembly acknowledges that the actual grade levels served by a particular Organizational Unit may vary slightly from what is typical.

"Organizational Unit CWI" is determined by calculating the CWI in the region and original county in which an Organizational Unit's primary administrative office is located as set forth in this paragraph, provided that if the Organizational Unit CWI as calculated in accordance with this paragraph is less than 0.9, the Organizational Unit CWI shall be increased to 0.9. Each county's current CWI value shall be adjusted based on the CWI value of that county's neighboring Illinois counties, to create a "weighted adjusted index value". This shall be calculated by summing the CWI values of all of a county's adjacent Illinois counties and dividing by the number of adjacent Illinois counties, then taking the weighted value of the original county's CWI value and the adjacent Illinois county average. To calculate this weighted value, if the number of adjacent Illinois counties is greater than 2, the original county's CWI value will be weighted at 0.25 and the adjacent Illinois county average will be weighted at 0.75. If the number of adjacent Illinois counties is 2, the original county's CWI value will be weighted at 0.33 and the adjacent Illinois county average will be weighted at 0.66. The greater of the county's current CWI value and its weighted adjusted index value shall be used as the Organizational Unit CWI.

"Preceding Tax Year" means the property tax levy year immediately preceding the Base Tax Year.

"Preceding Tax Year's Extension" means the product of the equalized assessed valuation utilized by the county clerk in the Preceding Tax Year multiplied by the Operating Tax Rate.

"Preliminary Percent of Adequacy" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Preliminary Resources" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Principal" means a school administrator duly endorsed to be employed as a principal in this State.

"Professional development" means training programs for licensed staff in schools, including, but not limited to, programs that assist in implementing new curriculum programs, provide data focused or academic assessment data training to help staff identify a student's weaknesses and strengths, target interventions, improve instruction, encompass instructional strategies for English learner, gifted, or at-risk students, address inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, or implicit bias, or otherwise provide professional support for licensed staff.

"Prototypical" means 450 special education pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through grade 5 students for an elementary school, 450 grade 6 through 8 students for a middle school, and 600 grade 9 through 12 students for a high school.

"PTELL" means the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

"PTELL EAV" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Pupil support staff" means a nurse, psychologist, social worker, family liaison personnel, or other staff member who provides support to at-risk or struggling students.

"Real Receipts" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Regionalization Factor" means, for a particular Organizational Unit, the figure derived by dividing the Organizational Unit CWI by the Statewide Weighted CWI.

"School counselor" means a licensed school counselor who provides guidance and counseling support for students within an Organizational Unit.

"School site staff" means the primary school secretary and any additional clerical personnel assigned to a school.

"Special education" means special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code.

"Special Education Allocation" means the amount of an Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to special education divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the product of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to special education shall include all special education investment adequacy elements.

"Specialist teacher" means a teacher who provides instruction in subject areas not included in core subjects, including, but not limited to, art, music, physical education, health, driver education, career-technical education, and such other subject areas as may be mandated by State law or provided by an Organizational Unit.

"Specially Funded Unit" means a an Alternative School, safe school, Department of Juvenile Justice school, special education cooperative or entity recognized by the State Board as a special education cooperative, or State-approved charter school, or alternative learning opportunities program that received direct funding from the State Board during the 2016-2017 school year through any of the funding sources included within the calculation of the Base Funding Minimum or Glenwood Academy.

"Supplemental Grant Funding" means supplemental general State aid funding received by an Organizational Unit during the 2016-2017 school year pursuant to subsection (H) of Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed).

"State Adequacy Level" is the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Organizational Units.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

"State Superintendent" means the State Superintendent of Education.

"Statewide Weighted CWI" means a figure determined by multiplying each Organizational Unit CWI times the ASE for that Organizational Unit creating a weighted value, summing all Organizational Units' weighted values, and dividing by the total ASE of all Organizational Units, thereby creating an average weighted index.

"Student activities" means non-credit producing after-school programs, including, but not limited to, clubs, bands, sports, and other activities authorized by the school board of the Organizational Unit.

"Substitute teacher" means an individual teacher or teaching assistant who is employed by an Organizational Unit and is temporarily serving the Organizational Unit on a per diem or per period-assignment basis to replace another staff member.

"Summer school" means academic and enrichment programs provided to students during the summer months outside of the regular school year.

"Supervisory aide" means a non-licensed staff member who helps in supervising students of an Organizational Unit, but does so outside of the classroom, in situations such as, but not limited to, monitoring hallways and playgrounds, supervising lunchrooms, or supervising students when being transported in buses serving the Organizational Unit.

"Target Ratio" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (g).

"Tier 1", "Tier 2", "Tier 3", and "Tier 4" are defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (g).

"Tier 1 Aggregate Funding", "Tier 2 Aggregate Funding", "Tier 3 Aggregate Funding", and "Tier 4 Aggregate Funding" are defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g).

(b) Adequacy Target calculation.

(1) Each Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target is the sum of the Organizational Unit's cost of providing Essential Elements, as calculated in accordance with this subsection (b), with the salary amounts in the Essential Elements multiplied by a Regionalization Factor calculated pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (b).

(2) The Essential Elements are attributable on a pro rata basis related to defined subgroups of the ASE of each Organizational Unit as specified in this paragraph (2), with investments and FTE positions pro rata funded based on ASE counts in excess of or less than the thresholds set forth in this paragraph (2). The method for calculating attributable pro rata costs and the defined subgroups thereto are as follows:

(A) Core class size investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding required to support that number of FTE core teacher positions as is needed to keep the respective class sizes of the Organizational Unit to the following maximum numbers:

(i) For grades kindergarten through 3, the Organizational Unit shall receive funding required to support one FTE core teacher position for every 15 Low-Income Count students in those grades and one FTE core teacher position for every 20 non-Low-Income Count students in those grades.

(ii) For grades 4 through 12, the Organizational Unit shall receive funding required to support one FTE core teacher position for every 20 Low-Income Count students in those grades and one FTE core teacher position for every 25 non-Low-Income Count students in those grades.

The number of non-Low-Income Count students in a grade shall be determined by subtracting the Low-Income students in that grade from the ASE of the Organizational Unit for that grade.

(B) Specialist teacher investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover that number of FTE specialist teacher positions that correspond to the following percentages:

(i) if the Organizational Unit operates an elementary or middle school, then 20.00% of the number of the Organizational Unit's core teachers, as determined under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (2); and

(ii) if such Organizational Unit operates a high school, then 33.33% of the number of the Organizational Unit's core teachers.

(C) Instructional facilitator investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE instructional facilitator position for every 200 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students of the Organizational Unit.

(D) Core intervention teacher (tutor) investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE teacher position for each prototypical elementary, middle, and high school.

(E) Substitute teacher investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover substitute teacher costs that is equal to 5.70% of the minimum pupil attendance days required under Section 10-19 of this Code for all full-time equivalent core, specialist, and intervention teachers, school nurses, special education teachers and instructional assistants, instructional facilitators, and summer school and extended day teacher positions, as determined under this paragraph (2), at a salary rate of 33.33% of the average salary for grade K through 12 teachers and 33.33% of the average salary of each instructional assistant position.

(F) Core school counselor investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE school counselor for each 450 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE school counselor for each 250 grades 6 through 8 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE school counselor for each 250 grades 9 through 12 ASE high school students.

(G) Nurse investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE nurse for each 750 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students across all grade levels it serves.

(H) Supervisory aide investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE for each 225 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE for each 225 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE for each 200 ASE high school students.

(I) Librarian investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE librarian for each prototypical elementary school, middle school, and high school and one FTE aide or media technician for every 300 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students.

(J) Principal investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE principal position for each prototypical elementary school, plus one FTE principal position for each prototypical middle school, plus one FTE principal position for each prototypical high school.

(K) Assistant principal investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical elementary school, plus one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical middle school, plus one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical high school.

(L) School site staff investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed for one FTE position for each 225 ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE position for each 225 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE position for each 200 ASE high school students.

(M) Gifted investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $40 per kindergarten through grade 12 ASE.

(N) Professional development investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $125 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students for trainers and other professional development-related expenses for supplies and materials.

(O) Instructional material investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $190 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover instructional material costs.

(P) Assessment investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $25 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover assessment costs.

(Q) Computer technology and equipment investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $285.50 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover computer technology and equipment costs. For the 2018-2019 school year and subsequent school years, Organizational Units assigned to Tier 1 and Tier 2 in the prior school year shall receive an additional $285.50 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover computer technology and equipment costs in the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target. The State Board may establish additional requirements for Organizational Unit expenditures of funds received pursuant to this subparagraph (Q), including a requirement that funds received pursuant to this subparagraph (Q) may be used only for serving the technology needs of the district. It is the intent of Public Act 100-465 that all Tier 1 and Tier 2 districts receive the addition to their Adequacy Target in the following year, subject to compliance with the requirements of the State Board.

(R) Student activities investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the following funding amounts to cover student activities: $100 per kindergarten through grade 5 ASE student in elementary school, plus $200 per ASE student in middle school, plus $675 per ASE student in high school.

(S) Maintenance and operations investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $1,038 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students for day-to-day maintenance and operations expenditures, including salary, supplies, and materials, as well as purchased services, but excluding employee benefits. The proportion of salary for the application of a Regionalization Factor and the calculation of benefits is equal to $352.92.

(T) Central office investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $742 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover central office operations, including administrators and classified personnel charged with managing the instructional programs, business and operations of the school district, and security personnel. The proportion of salary for the application of a Regionalization Factor and the calculation of benefits is equal to $368.48.

(U) Employee benefit investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive 30% of the total of all salary-calculated elements of the Adequacy Target, excluding substitute teachers and student activities investments, to cover benefit costs. For central office and maintenance and operations investments, the benefit calculation shall be based upon the salary proportion of each investment. If at any time the responsibility for funding the employer normal cost of teacher pensions is assigned to school districts, then that amount certified by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois to be paid by the Organizational Unit for the preceding school year shall be added to the benefit investment. For any fiscal year in which a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code is responsible for paying the employer normal cost of teacher pensions, then that amount of its employer normal cost plus the amount for retiree health insurance as certified by the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago to be paid by the school district for the preceding school year that is statutorily required to cover employer normal costs and the amount for retiree health insurance shall be added to the 30% specified in this subparagraph (U). The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois and the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago shall submit such information as the State Superintendent may require for the calculations set forth in this subparagraph (U).

(V) Additional investments in low-income students. In addition to and not in lieu of all other funding under this paragraph (2), each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover the costs of:

(i) one FTE intervention teacher (tutor) position for every 125 Low-Income Count students;

(ii) one FTE pupil support staff position for every 125 Low-Income Count students;

(iii) one FTE extended day teacher position for every 120 Low-Income Count students; and

(iv) one FTE summer school teacher position for every 120 Low-Income Count students.

(W) Additional investments in English learner students. In addition to and not in lieu of all other funding under this paragraph (2), each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover the costs of:

(i) one FTE intervention teacher (tutor) position for every 125 English learner students;

(ii) one FTE pupil support staff position for every 125 English learner students;

(iii) one FTE extended day teacher position for every 120 English learner students;

(iv) one FTE summer school teacher position for every 120 English learner students; and

(v) one FTE core teacher position for every 100 English learner students.

(X) Special education investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover special education as follows:

(i) one FTE teacher position for every 141 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students;

(ii) one FTE instructional assistant for every 141 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students; and

(iii) one FTE psychologist position for every 1,000 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students.

(3) For calculating the salaries included within the Essential Elements, the State Superintendent shall annually calculate average salaries to the nearest dollar using the employment information system data maintained by the State Board, limited to public schools only and excluding special education and vocational cooperatives, schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, and charter schools, for the following positions:

(A) Teacher for grades K through 8.

(B) Teacher for grades 9 through 12.

(C) Teacher for grades K through 12.

(D) School counselor for grades K through 8.

(E) School counselor for grades 9 through 12.

(F) School counselor for grades K through 12.

(G) Social worker.

(H) Psychologist.

(I) Librarian.

(J) Nurse.

(K) Principal.

(L) Assistant principal.

For the purposes of this paragraph (3), "teacher" includes core teachers, specialist and elective teachers, instructional facilitators, tutors, special education teachers, pupil support staff teachers, English learner teachers, extended day teachers, and summer school teachers. Where specific grade data is not required for the Essential Elements, the average salary for corresponding positions shall apply. For substitute teachers, the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 shall apply.

For calculating the salaries included within the Essential Elements for positions not included within EIS Data, the following salaries shall be used in the first year of implementation of Evidence-Based Funding:

(i) school site staff, $30,000; and

(ii) non-instructional assistant, instructional assistant, library aide, library media tech, or supervisory aide: $25,000.

In the second and subsequent years of implementation of Evidence-Based Funding, the amounts in items (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (3) shall annually increase by the ECI.

The salary amounts for the Essential Elements determined pursuant to subparagraphs (A) through (L), (S) and (T), and (V) through (X) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Section shall be multiplied by a Regionalization Factor.

(c) Local Capacity calculation.

(1) Each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity represents an amount of funding it is assumed to contribute toward its Adequacy Target for purposes of the Evidence-Based Funding formula calculation. "Local Capacity" means either (i) the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target as calculated in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) if its Real Receipts are equal to or less than its Local Capacity Target or (ii) the Organizational Unit's Adjusted Local Capacity, as calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (c) if Real Receipts are more than its Local Capacity Target.

(2) "Local Capacity Target" means, for an Organizational Unit, that dollar amount that is obtained by multiplying its Adequacy Target by its Local Capacity Ratio.

(A) An Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Percentage is the conversion of the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio, as such ratio is determined in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (2), into a cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking to determine each Organizational Unit's relative position to all other Organizational Units in this State. The calculation of Local Capacity Percentage is described in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (2).

(B) An Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio in a given year is the percentage obtained by dividing its Adjusted EAV or PTELL EAV, whichever is less, by its Adequacy Target, with the resulting ratio further adjusted as follows:

(i) for Organizational Units serving grades kindergarten through 12 and Hybrid Districts, no further adjustments shall be made;

(ii) for Organizational Units serving grades kindergarten through 8, the ratio shall be multiplied by 9/13;

(iii) for Organizational Units serving grades 9 through 12, the Local Capacity Ratio shall be multiplied by 4/13; and

(iv) for an Organizational Unit with a different grade configuration than those specified in items (i) through (iii) of this subparagraph (B), the State Superintendent shall determine a comparable adjustment based on the grades served.

(C) The Local Capacity Percentage is equal to the percentile ranking of the district. Local Capacity Percentage converts each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio to a cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking to determine each Organizational Unit's relative position to all other Organizational Units in this State. The Local Capacity Percentage cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking for each Organizational Unit shall be calculated using the standard normal distribution of the score in relation to the weighted mean and weighted standard deviation and Local Capacity Ratios of all Organizational Units. If the value assigned to any Organizational Unit is in excess of 90%, the value shall be adjusted to 90%. For Laboratory Schools, the Local Capacity Percentage shall be set at 10% in recognition of the absence of EAV and resources from the public university that are allocated to the Laboratory School. For programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center, the Local Capacity Percentage must be set at 10% in recognition of the absence of EAV and resources from school districts that are allocated to the regional office of education or intermediate service center. The weighted mean for the Local Capacity Percentage shall be determined by multiplying each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio times the ASE for the unit creating a weighted value, summing the weighted values of all Organizational Units, and dividing by the total ASE of all Organizational Units. The weighted standard deviation shall be determined by taking the square root of the weighted variance of all Organizational Units' Local Capacity Ratio, where the variance is calculated by squaring the difference between each unit's Local Capacity Ratio and the weighted mean, then multiplying the variance for each unit times the ASE for the unit to create a weighted variance for each unit, then summing all units' weighted variance and dividing by the total ASE of all units.

(D) For any Organizational Unit, the Organizational Unit's Adjusted Local Capacity Target shall be reduced by either (i) the school board's remaining contribution pursuant to paragraph (ii) of subsection (b-4) of Section 16-158 of the Illinois Pension Code in a given year or (ii) the board of education's remaining contribution pursuant to paragraph (iv) of subsection (b) of Section 17-129 of the Illinois Pension Code absent the employer normal cost portion of the required contribution and amount allowed pursuant to subdivision (3) of Section 17-142.1 of the Illinois Pension Code in a given year. In the preceding sentence, item (i) shall be certified to the State Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois and item (ii) shall be certified to the State Board of Education by the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of the City of Chicago.

(3) If an Organizational Unit's Real Receipts are more than its Local Capacity Target, then its Local Capacity shall equal an Adjusted Local Capacity Target as calculated in accordance with this paragraph (3). The Adjusted Local Capacity Target is calculated as the sum of the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target and its Real Receipts Adjustment. The Real Receipts Adjustment equals the Organizational Unit's Real Receipts less its Local Capacity Target, with the resulting figure multiplied by the Local Capacity Percentage.

As used in this paragraph (3), "Real Percent of Adequacy" means the sum of an Organizational Unit's Real Receipts, CPPRT, and Base Funding Minimum, with the resulting figure divided by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target.

(d) Calculation of Real Receipts, EAV, and Adjusted EAV for purposes of the Local Capacity calculation.

(1) An Organizational Unit's Real Receipts are the product of its Applicable Tax Rate and its Adjusted EAV. An Organizational Unit's Applicable Tax Rate is its Adjusted Operating Tax Rate for property within the Organizational Unit.

(2) The State Superintendent shall calculate the equalized assessed valuation, or EAV, of all taxable property of each Organizational Unit as of September 30 of the previous year in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (d). The State Superintendent shall then determine the Adjusted EAV of each Organizational Unit in accordance with paragraph (4) of this subsection (d), which Adjusted EAV figure shall be used for the purposes of calculating Local Capacity.

(3) To calculate Real Receipts and EAV, the Department of Revenue shall supply to the State Superintendent the value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property of every Organizational Unit, together with (i) the applicable tax rate used in extending taxes for the funds of the Organizational Unit as of September 30 of the previous year and (ii) the limiting rate for all Organizational Units subject to property tax extension limitations as imposed under PTELL.

(A) The Department of Revenue shall add to the equalized assessed value of all taxable property of each Organizational Unit situated entirely or partially within a county that is or was subject to the provisions of Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code (i) an amount equal to the total amount by which the homestead exemption allowed under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code for real property situated in that Organizational Unit exceeds the total amount that would have been allowed in that Organizational Unit if the maximum reduction under Section 15-176 was (I) $4,500 in Cook County or $3,500 in all other counties in tax year 2003 or (II) $5,000 in all counties in tax year 2004 and thereafter and (ii) an amount equal to the aggregate amount for the taxable year of all additional exemptions under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of $30,000 or less. The county clerk of any county that is or was subject to the provisions of Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code shall annually calculate and certify to the Department of Revenue for each Organizational Unit all homestead exemption amounts under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code and all amounts of additional exemptions under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of $30,000 or less. It is the intent of this subparagraph (A) that if the general homestead exemption for a parcel of property is determined under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code rather than Section 15-175, then the calculation of EAV shall not be affected by the difference, if any, between the amount of the general homestead exemption allowed for that parcel of property under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code and the amount that would have been allowed had the general homestead exemption for that parcel of property been determined under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code. It is further the intent of this subparagraph (A) that if additional exemptions are allowed under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of less than $30,000, then the calculation of EAV shall not be affected by the difference, if any, because of those additional exemptions.

(B) With respect to any part of an Organizational Unit within a redevelopment project area in respect to which a municipality has adopted tax increment allocation financing pursuant to the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act, Division 74.4 of Article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code, or the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law, Division 74.6 of Article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code, no part of the current EAV of real property located in any such project area that is attributable to an increase above the total initial EAV of such property shall be used as part of the EAV of the Organizational Unit, until such time as all redevelopment project costs have been paid, as provided in Section 11-74.4-8 of the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act or in Section 11-74.6-35 of the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law. For the purpose of the EAV of the Organizational Unit, the total initial EAV or the current EAV, whichever is lower, shall be used until such time as all redevelopment project costs have been paid.

(B-5) The real property equalized assessed valuation for a school district shall be adjusted by subtracting from the real property value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, for the district an amount computed by dividing the amount of any abatement of taxes under Section 18-170 of the Property Tax Code by 3.00% for a district maintaining grades kindergarten through 12, by 2.30% for a district maintaining grades kindergarten through 8, or by 1.05% for a district maintaining grades 9 through 12 and adjusted by an amount computed by dividing the amount of any abatement of taxes under subsection (a) of Section 18-165 of the Property Tax Code by the same percentage rates for district type as specified in this subparagraph (B-5).

(C) For Organizational Units that are Hybrid Districts, the State Superintendent shall use the lesser of the adjusted equalized assessed valuation for property within the partial elementary unit district for elementary purposes, as defined in Article 11E of this Code, or the adjusted equalized assessed valuation for property within the partial elementary unit district for high school purposes, as defined in Article 11E of this Code.

(D) If a school district's boundaries span multiple counties, then the Department of Revenue shall send to the State Board, for the purposes of calculating Evidence-Based Funding, the limiting rate and individual rates by purpose for the county that contains the majority of the school district's equalized assessed valuation.

(4) An Organizational Unit's Adjusted EAV shall be the average of its EAV over the immediately preceding 3 years or the lesser of its EAV in the immediately preceding year or the average of its EAV over the immediately preceding 3 years if the EAV in the immediately preceding year has declined by 10% or more when comparing the 2 most recent years. In the event of Organizational Unit reorganization, consolidation, or annexation, the Organizational Unit's Adjusted EAV for the first 3 years after such change shall be as follows: the most current EAV shall be used in the first year, the average of a 2-year EAV or its EAV in the immediately preceding year if the EAV declines by 10% or more when comparing the 2 most recent years for the second year, and the lesser of a 3-year average EAV or its EAV in the immediately preceding year if the Adjusted EAV declines by 10% or more when comparing the 2 most recent years for the third year. For any school district whose EAV in the immediately preceding year is used in calculations, in the following year, the Adjusted EAV shall be the average of its EAV over the immediately preceding 2 years or the immediately preceding year if that year represents a decline of 10% or more when comparing the 2 most recent years.

"PTELL EAV" means a figure calculated by the State Board for Organizational Units subject to PTELL as described in this paragraph (4) for the purposes of calculating an Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4), the PTELL EAV of an Organizational Unit shall be equal to the product of the equalized assessed valuation last used in the calculation of general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) or Evidence-Based Funding under this Section and the Organizational Unit's Extension Limitation Ratio. If an Organizational Unit has approved or does approve an increase in its limiting rate, pursuant to Section 18-190 of the Property Tax Code, affecting the Base Tax Year, the PTELL EAV shall be equal to the product of the equalized assessed valuation last used in the calculation of general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) or Evidence-Based Funding under this Section multiplied by an amount equal to one plus the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the 12-month calendar year preceding the Base Tax Year, plus the equalized assessed valuation of new property, annexed property, and recovered tax increment value and minus the equalized assessed valuation of disconnected property.

As used in this paragraph (4), "new property" and "recovered tax increment value" shall have the meanings set forth in the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

(e) Base Funding Minimum calculation.

(1) For the 2017-2018 school year, the Base Funding Minimum of an Organizational Unit or a Specially Funded Unit shall be the amount of State funds distributed to the Organizational Unit or Specially Funded Unit during the 2016-2017 school year prior to any adjustments and specified appropriation amounts described in this paragraph (1) from the following Sections, as calculated by the State Superintendent: Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed); Section 5 of Article 224 of Public Act 99-524 (equity grants); Section 14-7.02b of this Code (funding for children requiring special education services); Section 14-13.01 of this Code (special education facilities and staffing), except for reimbursement of the cost of transportation pursuant to Section 14-13.01; Section 14C-12 of this Code (English learners); and Section 18-4.3 of this Code (summer school), based on an appropriation level of $13,121,600. For a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, the Base Funding Minimum also includes (i) the funds allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 1D-1 of this Code attributable to funding programs authorized by the Sections of this Code listed in the preceding sentence and (ii) the difference between (I) the funds allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 1D-1 of this Code attributable to the funding programs authorized by Section 14-7.02 (non-public special education reimbursement), subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 (special education transportation), Section 29-5 (transportation), Section 2-3.80 (agricultural education), Section 2-3.66 (truants' alternative education), Section 2-3.62 (educational service centers), and Section 14-7.03 (special education - orphanage) of this Code and Section 15 of the Childhood Hunger Relief Act (free breakfast program) and (II) the school district's actual expenditures for its non-public special education, special education transportation, transportation programs, agricultural education, truants' alternative education, services that would otherwise be performed by a regional office of education, special education orphanage expenditures, and free breakfast, as most recently calculated and reported pursuant to subsection (f) of Section 1D-1 of this Code. The Base Funding Minimum for Glenwood Academy shall be $952,014. For programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center, the Base Funding Minimum must be the total amount of State funds allocated to those programs in the 2018-2019 school year and amounts provided pursuant to Article 34 of Public Act 100-586 and Section 3-16 of this Code. All programs established after June 5, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-10) and administered by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must have an initial Base Funding Minimum set to an amount equal to the first-year ASE multiplied by the amount of per pupil funding received in the previous school year by the lowest funded similar existing program type. If the enrollment for a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center is zero, then it may not receive Base Funding Minimum funds for that program in the next fiscal year, and those funds must be distributed to Organizational Units under subsection (g).

(2) For the 2018-2019 and subsequent school years, the Base Funding Minimum of Organizational Units and Specially Funded Units shall be the sum of (i) the amount of Evidence-Based Funding for the prior school year, (ii) the Base Funding Minimum for the prior school year, and (iii) any amount received by a school district pursuant to Section 7 of Article 97 of Public Act 100-21.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the Base Funding Minimum of Organizational Units shall be the amounts recalculated by the State Board of Education for Fiscal Year 2019 through Fiscal Year 2022 that were necessary due to average student enrollment errors for districts organized under Article 34 of this Code, plus the Fiscal Year 2022 property tax relief grants provided under Section 2-3.170 of this Code, ensuring each Organizational Unit has the correct amount of resources for Fiscal Year 2023 Evidence-Based Funding calculations and that Fiscal Year 2023 Evidence-Based Funding Distributions are made in accordance with this Section.

(2.5) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the Base Funding Minimum calculated for a regional office of education or intermediate service center shall be equal to the sum of the Base Funding Minimum amounts distributed to all alternative education programs operated by the regional office of education or intermediate service center in the prior school year.

(3) Subject to approval by the General Assembly as provided in this paragraph (3), an Organizational Unit that meets all of the following criteria, as determined by the State Board, shall have District Intervention Money added to its Base Funding Minimum at the time the Base Funding Minimum is calculated by the State Board:

(A) The Organizational Unit is operating under an Independent Authority under Section 2-3.25f-5 of this Code for a minimum of 4 school years or is subject to the control of the State Board pursuant to a court order for a minimum of 4 school years.

(B) The Organizational Unit was designated as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Organizational Unit in the previous school year under paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of this Section.

(C) The Organizational Unit demonstrates sustainability through a 5-year financial and strategic plan.

(D) The Organizational Unit has made sufficient progress and achieved sufficient stability in the areas of governance, academic growth, and finances.

As part of its determination under this paragraph (3), the State Board may consider the Organizational Unit's summative designation, any accreditations of the Organizational Unit, or the Organizational Unit's financial profile, as calculated by the State Board.

If the State Board determines that an Organizational Unit has met the criteria set forth in this paragraph (3), it must submit a report to the General Assembly, no later than January 2 of the fiscal year in which the State Board makes it determination, on the amount of District Intervention Money to add to the Organizational Unit's Base Funding Minimum. The General Assembly must review the State Board's report and may approve or disapprove, by joint resolution, the addition of District Intervention Money. If the General Assembly fails to act on the report within 40 calendar days from the receipt of the report, the addition of District Intervention Money is deemed approved. If the General Assembly approves the amount of District Intervention Money to be added to the Organizational Unit's Base Funding Minimum, the District Intervention Money must be added to the Base Funding Minimum annually thereafter.

For the first 4 years following the initial year that the State Board determines that an Organizational Unit has met the criteria set forth in this paragraph (3) and has received funding under this Section, the Organizational Unit must annually submit to the State Board, on or before November 30, a progress report regarding its financial and strategic plan under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (3). The plan shall include the financial data from the past 4 annual financial reports or financial audits that must be presented to the State Board by November 15 of each year and the approved budget financial data for the current year. The plan shall be developed according to the guidelines presented to the Organizational Unit by the State Board. The plan shall further include financial projections for the next 3 fiscal years and include a discussion and financial summary of the Organizational Unit's facility needs. If the Organizational Unit does not demonstrate sufficient progress toward its 5-year plan or if it has failed to file an annual financial report, an annual budget, a financial plan, a deficit reduction plan, or other financial information as required by law, the State Board may establish a Financial Oversight Panel under Article 1H of this Code. However, if the Organizational Unit already has a Financial Oversight Panel, the State Board may extend the duration of the Panel.

(f) Percent of Adequacy and Final Resources calculation.

(1) The Evidence-Based Funding formula establishes a Percent of Adequacy for each Organizational Unit in order to place such units into tiers for the purposes of the funding distribution system described in subsection (g) of this Section. Initially, an Organizational Unit's Preliminary Resources and Preliminary Percent of Adequacy are calculated pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection (f). Then, an Organizational Unit's Final Resources and Final Percent of Adequacy are calculated to account for the Organizational Unit's poverty concentration levels pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (f).

(2) An Organizational Unit's Preliminary Resources are equal to the sum of its Local Capacity Target, CPPRT, and Base Funding Minimum. An Organizational Unit's Preliminary Percent of Adequacy is the lesser of (i) its Preliminary Resources divided by its Adequacy Target or (ii) 100%.

(3) Except for Specially Funded Units, an Organizational Unit's Final Resources are equal to the sum of its Local Capacity, CPPRT, and Adjusted Base Funding Minimum. The Base Funding Minimum of each Specially Funded Unit shall serve as its Final Resources, except that the Base Funding Minimum for State-approved charter schools shall not include any portion of general State aid allocated in the prior year based on the per capita tuition charge times the charter school enrollment.

(4) An Organizational Unit's Final Percent of Adequacy is its Final Resources divided by its Adequacy Target. An Organizational Unit's Adjusted Base Funding Minimum is equal to its Base Funding Minimum less its Supplemental Grant Funding, with the resulting figure added to the product of its Supplemental Grant Funding and Preliminary Percent of Adequacy.

(g) Evidence-Based Funding formula distribution system.

(1) In each school year under the Evidence-Based Funding formula, each Organizational Unit receives funding equal to the sum of its Base Funding Minimum and the unit's allocation of New State Funds determined pursuant to this subsection (g). To allocate New State Funds, the Evidence-Based Funding formula distribution system first places all Organizational Units into one of 4 tiers in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (g), based on the Organizational Unit's Final Percent of Adequacy. New State Funds are allocated to each of the 4 tiers as follows: Tier 1 Aggregate Funding equals 50% of all New State Funds, Tier 2 Aggregate Funding equals 49% of all New State Funds, Tier 3 Aggregate Funding equals 0.9% of all New State Funds, and Tier 4 Aggregate Funding equals 0.1% of all New State Funds. Each Organizational Unit within Tier 1 or Tier 2 receives an allocation of New State Funds equal to its tier Funding Gap, as defined in the following sentence, multiplied by the tier's Allocation Rate determined pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (g). For Tier 1, an Organizational Unit's Funding Gap equals the tier's Target Ratio, as specified in paragraph (5) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target, with the resulting amount reduced by the Organizational Unit's Final Resources. For Tier 2, an Organizational Unit's Funding Gap equals the tier's Target Ratio, as described in paragraph (5) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target, with the resulting amount reduced by the Organizational Unit's Final Resources and its Tier 1 funding allocation. To determine the Organizational Unit's Funding Gap, the resulting amount is then multiplied by a factor equal to one minus the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target percentage. Each Organizational Unit within Tier 3 or Tier 4 receives an allocation of New State Funds equal to the product of its Adequacy Target and the tier's Allocation Rate, as specified in paragraph (4) of this subsection (g).

(2) To ensure equitable distribution of dollars for all Tier 2 Organizational Units, no Tier 2 Organizational Unit shall receive fewer dollars per ASE than any Tier 3 Organizational Unit. Each Tier 2 and Tier 3 Organizational Unit shall have its funding allocation divided by its ASE. Any Tier 2 Organizational Unit with a funding allocation per ASE below the greatest Tier 3 allocation per ASE shall get a funding allocation equal to the greatest Tier 3 funding allocation per ASE multiplied by the Organizational Unit's ASE. Each Tier 2 Organizational Unit's Tier 2 funding allocation shall be multiplied by the percentage calculated by dividing the original Tier 2 Aggregate Funding by the sum of all Tier 2 Organizational Units' Tier 2 funding allocation after adjusting districts' funding below Tier 3 levels.

(3) Organizational Units are placed into one of 4 tiers as follows:

(A) Tier 1 consists of all Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy less than the Tier 1 Target Ratio. The Tier 1 Target Ratio is the ratio level that allows for Tier 1 Aggregate Funding to be distributed, with the Tier 1 Allocation Rate determined pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (g).

(B) Tier 2 consists of all Tier 1 Units and all other Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy of less than 0.90.

(C) Tier 3 consists of all Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy of at least 0.90 and less than 1.0.

(D) Tier 4 consists of all Organizational Units with a Percent of Adequacy of at least 1.0.

(4) The Allocation Rates for Tiers 1 through 4 are determined as follows:

(A) The Tier 1 Allocation Rate is 30%.

(B) The Tier 2 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 2 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Funding Gaps for all Tier 2 Organizational Units, unless the result of such equation is higher than 1.0. If the result of such equation is higher than 1.0, then the Tier 2 Allocation Rate is 1.0.

(C) The Tier 3 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 3 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Tier 3 Organizational Units.

(D) The Tier 4 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 4 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Tier 4 Organizational Units.

(5) A tier's Target Ratio is determined as follows:

(A) The Tier 1 Target Ratio is the ratio level that allows for Tier 1 Aggregate Funding to be distributed with the Tier 1 Allocation Rate.

(B) The Tier 2 Target Ratio is 0.90.

(C) The Tier 3 Target Ratio is 1.0.

(6) If, at any point, the Tier 1 Target Ratio is greater than 90%, then all Tier 1 funding shall be allocated to Tier 2 and no Tier 1 Organizational Unit's funding may be identified.

(7) In the event that all Tier 2 Organizational Units receive funding at the Tier 2 Target Ratio level, any remaining New State Funds shall be allocated to Tier 3 and Tier 4 Organizational Units.

(8) If any Specially Funded Units, excluding Glenwood Academy, recognized by the State Board do not qualify for direct funding following the implementation of Public Act 100-465 from any of the funding sources included within the definition of Base Funding Minimum, the unqualified portion of the Base Funding Minimum shall be transferred to one or more appropriate Organizational Units as determined by the State Superintendent based on the prior year ASE of the Organizational Units.

(8.5) If a school district withdraws from a special education cooperative, the portion of the Base Funding Minimum that is attributable to the school district may be redistributed to the school district upon withdrawal. The school district and the cooperative must include the amount of the Base Funding Minimum that is to be reapportioned in their withdrawal agreement and notify the State Board of the change with a copy of the agreement upon withdrawal.

(9) The Minimum Funding Level is intended to establish a target for State funding that will keep pace with inflation and continue to advance equity through the Evidence-Based Funding formula. The target for State funding of New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds is $50,000,000 for State fiscal year 2019 and subsequent State fiscal years. The Minimum Funding Level is equal to $350,000,000. In addition to any New State Funds, no more than $50,000,000 New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds may be counted toward the Minimum Funding Level. If the sum of New State Funds and applicable New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds are less than the Minimum Funding Level, than funding for tiers shall be reduced in the following manner:

(A) First, Tier 4 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level and New State Funds until such time as Tier 4 funding is exhausted.

(B) Next, Tier 3 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level and New State Funds and the reduction in Tier 4 funding until such time as Tier 3 funding is exhausted.

(C) Next, Tier 2 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level and New State Funds and the reduction in Tier 4 and Tier 3.

(D) Finally, Tier 1 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding level and New State Funds and the reduction in Tier 2, 3, and 4 funding. In addition, the Allocation Rate for Tier 1 shall be reduced to a percentage equal to the Tier 1 Allocation Rate set by paragraph (4) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the result of New State Funds divided by the Minimum Funding Level.

(9.5) For State fiscal year 2019 and subsequent State fiscal years, if New State Funds exceed $300,000,000, then any amount in excess of $300,000,000 shall be dedicated for purposes of Section 2-3.170 of this Code up to a maximum of $50,000,000.

(10) In the event of a decrease in the amount of the appropriation for this Section in any fiscal year after implementation of this Section, the Organizational Units receiving Tier 1 and Tier 2 funding, as determined under paragraph (3) of this subsection (g), shall be held harmless by establishing a Base Funding Guarantee equal to the per pupil kindergarten through grade 12 funding received in accordance with this Section in the prior fiscal year. Reductions shall be made to the Base Funding Minimum of Organizational Units in Tier 3 and Tier 4 on a per pupil basis equivalent to the total number of the ASE in Tier 3-funded and Tier 4-funded Organizational Units divided by the total reduction in State funding. The Base Funding Minimum as reduced shall continue to be applied to Tier 3 and Tier 4 Organizational Units and adjusted by the relative formula when increases in appropriations for this Section resume. In no event may State funding reductions to Organizational Units in Tier 3 or Tier 4 exceed an amount that would be less than the Base Funding Minimum established in the first year of implementation of this Section. If additional reductions are required, all school districts shall receive a reduction by a per pupil amount equal to the aggregate additional appropriation reduction divided by the total ASE of all Organizational Units.

(11) The State Superintendent shall make minor adjustments to the distribution formula set forth in this subsection (g) to account for the rounding of percentages to the nearest tenth of a percentage and dollar amounts to the nearest whole dollar.

(h) State Superintendent administration of funding and district submission requirements.

(1) The State Superintendent shall, in accordance with appropriations made by the General Assembly, meet the funding obligations created under this Section.

(2) The State Superintendent shall calculate the Adequacy Target for each Organizational Unit under this Section. No Evidence-Based Funding shall be distributed within an Organizational Unit without the approval of the unit's school board.

(3) Annually, the State Superintendent shall calculate and report to each Organizational Unit the unit's aggregate financial adequacy amount, which shall be the sum of the Adequacy Target for each Organizational Unit. The State Superintendent shall calculate and report separately for each Organizational Unit the unit's total State funds allocated for its students with disabilities. The State Superintendent shall calculate and report separately for each Organizational Unit the amount of funding and applicable FTE calculated for each Essential Element of the unit's Adequacy Target.

(4) Annually, the State Superintendent shall calculate and report to each Organizational Unit the amount the unit must expend on special education and bilingual education and computer technology and equipment for Organizational Units assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 that received an additional $285.50 per student computer technology and equipment investment grant to their Adequacy Target pursuant to the unit's Base Funding Minimum, Special Education Allocation, Bilingual Education Allocation, and computer technology and equipment investment allocation.

(5) Moneys distributed under this Section shall be calculated on a school year basis, but paid on a fiscal year basis, with payments beginning in August and extending through June. Unless otherwise provided, the moneys appropriated for each fiscal year shall be distributed in 22 equal payments at least 2 times monthly to each Organizational Unit. If moneys appropriated for any fiscal year are distributed other than monthly, the distribution shall be on the same basis for each Organizational Unit.

(6) Any school district that fails, for any given school year, to maintain school as required by law or to maintain a recognized school is not eligible to receive Evidence-Based Funding. In case of non-recognition of one or more attendance centers in a school district otherwise operating recognized schools, the claim of the district shall be reduced in the proportion that the enrollment in the attendance center or centers bears to the enrollment of the school district. "Recognized school" means any public school that meets the standards for recognition by the State Board. A school district or attendance center not having recognition status at the end of a school term is entitled to receive State aid payments due upon a legal claim that was filed while it was recognized.

(7) School district claims filed under this Section are subject to Sections 18-9 and 18-12 of this Code, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(8) Each fiscal year, the State Superintendent shall calculate for each Organizational Unit an amount of its Base Funding Minimum and Evidence-Based Funding that shall be deemed attributable to the provision of special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code, in a manner that ensures compliance with maintenance of State financial support requirements under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. An Organizational Unit must use such funds only for the provision of special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code, and must comply with any expenditure verification procedures adopted by the State Board.

(9) All Organizational Units in this State must submit annual spending plans, as part of the budget submission process, no later than October 31 of each year to the State Board. The spending plan shall describe how each Organizational Unit will utilize the Base Funding Minimum and Evidence-Based Funding it receives from this State under this Section with specific identification of the intended utilization of Low-Income, English learner, and special education resources. Additionally, the annual spending plans of each Organizational Unit shall describe how the Organizational Unit expects to achieve student growth and how the Organizational Unit will achieve State education goals, as defined by the State Board. The State Superintendent may, from time to time, identify additional requisites for Organizational Units to satisfy when compiling the annual spending plans required under this subsection (h). The format and scope of annual spending plans shall be developed by the State Superintendent and the State Board of Education. School districts that serve students under Article 14C of this Code shall continue to submit information as required under Section 14C-12 of this Code.

(10) No later than January 1, 2018, the State Superintendent shall develop a 5-year strategic plan for all Organizational Units to help in planning for adequacy funding under this Section. The State Superintendent shall submit the plan to the Governor and the General Assembly, as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act. The plan shall include recommendations for:

(A) a framework for collaborative, professional, innovative, and 21st century learning environments using the Evidence-Based Funding model;

(B) ways to prepare and support this State's educators for successful instructional careers;

(C) application and enhancement of the current financial accountability measures, the approved State plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, and the Illinois Balanced Accountability Measures in relation to student growth and elements of the Evidence-Based Funding model; and

(D) implementation of an effective school adequacy funding system based on projected and recommended funding levels from the General Assembly.

(11) On an annual basis, the State Superintendent must recalibrate all of the following per pupil elements of the Adequacy Target and applied to the formulas, based on the study of average expenses and as reported in the most recent annual financial report:

(A) Gifted under subparagraph (M) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(B) Instructional materials under subparagraph (O) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(C) Assessment under subparagraph (P) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(D) Student activities under subparagraph (R) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(E) Maintenance and operations under subparagraph (S) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(F) Central office under subparagraph (T) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(i) Professional Review Panel.

(1) A Professional Review Panel is created to study and review topics related to the implementation and effect of Evidence-Based Funding, as assigned by a joint resolution or Public Act of the General Assembly or a motion passed by the State Board of Education. The Panel must provide recommendations to and serve the Governor, the General Assembly, and the State Board. The State Superintendent or his or her designee must serve as a voting member and chairperson of the Panel. The State Superintendent must appoint a vice chairperson from the membership of the Panel. The Panel must advance recommendations based on a three-fifths majority vote of Panel members present and voting. A minority opinion may also accompany any recommendation of the Panel. The Panel shall be appointed by the State Superintendent, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection (i) and include the following members:

(A) Two appointees that represent district superintendents, recommended by a statewide organization that represents district superintendents.

(B) Two appointees that represent school boards, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school boards.

(C) Two appointees from districts that represent school business officials, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school business officials.

(D) Two appointees that represent school principals, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school principals.

(E) Two appointees that represent teachers, recommended by a statewide organization that represents teachers.

(F) Two appointees that represent teachers, recommended by another statewide organization that represents teachers.

(G) Two appointees that represent regional superintendents of schools, recommended by organizations that represent regional superintendents.

(H) Two independent experts selected solely by the State Superintendent.

(I) Two independent experts recommended by public universities in this State.

(J) One member recommended by a statewide organization that represents parents.

(K) Two representatives recommended by collective impact organizations that represent major metropolitan areas or geographic areas in Illinois.

(L) One member from a statewide organization focused on research-based education policy to support a school system that prepares all students for college, a career, and democratic citizenship.

(M) One representative from a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code.

The State Superintendent shall ensure that the membership of the Panel includes representatives from school districts and communities reflecting the geographic, socio-economic, racial, and ethnic diversity of this State. The State Superintendent shall additionally ensure that the membership of the Panel includes representatives with expertise in bilingual education and special education. Staff from the State Board shall staff the Panel.

(2) In addition to those Panel members appointed by the State Superintendent, 4 members of the General Assembly shall be appointed as follows: one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. There shall be one additional member appointed by the Governor. All members appointed by legislative leaders or the Governor shall be non-voting, ex officio members.

(3) The Panel must study topics at the direction of the General Assembly or State Board of Education, as provided under paragraph (1). The Panel may also study the following topics at the direction of the chairperson:

(A) The format and scope of annual spending plans referenced in paragraph (9) of subsection (h) of this Section.

(B) The Comparable Wage Index under this Section.

(C) Maintenance and operations, including capital maintenance and construction costs.

(D) "At-risk student" definition.

(E) Benefits.

(F) Technology.

(G) Local Capacity Target.

(H) Funding for Alternative Schools, Laboratory Schools and regional offices of education or intermediate service centers that operate an alternative education program , safe schools, and alternative learning opportunities programs.

(I) Funding for college and career acceleration strategies.

(J) Special education investments.

(K) Early childhood investments, in collaboration with the Illinois Early Learning Council.

(4) (Blank).

(5) Within 5 years after the implementation of this Section, and every 5 years thereafter, the Panel shall complete an evaluative study of the entire Evidence-Based Funding model, including an assessment of whether or not the formula is achieving State goals. The Panel shall report to the State Board, the General Assembly, and the Governor on the findings of the study.

(6) (Blank).

(7) To ensure that (i) the Adequacy Target calculation under subsection (b) accurately reflects the needs of students living in poverty or attending schools located in areas of high poverty, (ii) racial equity within the Evidence-Based Funding formula is explicitly explored and advanced, and (iii) the funding goals of the formula distribution system established under this Section are sufficient to provide adequate funding for every student and to fully fund every school in this State, the Panel shall review the Essential Elements under paragraph (2) of subsection (b). The Panel shall consider all of the following in its review:

(A) The financial ability of school districts to provide instruction in a foreign language to every student and whether an additional Essential Element should be added to the formula to ensure that every student has access to instruction in a foreign language.

(B) The adult-to-student ratio for each Essential Element in which a ratio is identified. The Panel shall consider whether the ratio accurately reflects the staffing needed to support students living in poverty or who have traumatic backgrounds.

(C) Changes to the Essential Elements that may be required to better promote racial equity and eliminate structural racism within schools.

(D) The impact of investing $350,000,000 in additional funds each year under this Section and an estimate of when the school system will become fully funded under this level of appropriation.

(E) Provide an overview of alternative funding structures that would enable the State to become fully funded at an earlier date.

(F) The potential to increase efficiency and to find cost savings within the school system to expedite the journey to a fully funded system.

(G) The appropriate levels for reenrolling and graduating high-risk high school students who have been previously out of school. These outcomes shall include enrollment, attendance, skill gains, credit gains, graduation or promotion to the next grade level, and the transition to college, training, or employment, with an emphasis on progressively increasing the overall attendance.

(H) The evidence-based or research-based practices that are shown to reduce the gaps and disparities experienced by African American students in academic achievement and educational performance, including practices that have been shown to reduce disparities in disciplinary rates, drop-out rates, graduation rates, college matriculation rates, and college completion rates.

On or before December 31, 2021, the Panel shall report to the State Board, the General Assembly, and the Governor on the findings of its review. This paragraph (7) is inoperative on and after July 1, 2022.

(8) On or before April 1, 2024, the Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on annual adjustments to Glenwood Academy's base-funding minimum in a similar fashion to school districts under this Section.

(j) References. Beginning July 1, 2017, references in other laws to general State aid funds or calculations under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) shall be deemed to be references to evidence-based model formula funds or calculations under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-33, eff. 6-25-21; 102-197, eff. 7-30-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-782, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23; revised 8-30-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-45)

Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal.

(a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this Code.

Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a license endorsed in more than one area that has different renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal requirements for the position for which he or she spends the majority of his or her time working.

(b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if a license holder's electronic mail address is available, the State Board of Education shall send him or her notification electronically that his or her license will lapse if not renewed, to be sent no more than 6 months prior to the license lapsing. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i) payment to the State Board of Education by the applicant of a $50 penalty or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the content area that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the license until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid and kept in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this Code concerning an institute fund and the provisions in Article 21B of this Code concerning fees and requirements for registration. Licenses not registered in accordance with Section 21B-40 of this Code shall lapse after a period of 6 months from the expiration of the last year of registration or on January 1 of the fiscal year following initial issuance of the license. An unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school. Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license shall be treated as a revoked license. An Educator License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional endorsement does not lapse.

(c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this Section, each professional educator licensee with an administrative endorsement who is working in a position requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of this Code, per fiscal year.

(c-5) All licenses issued by the State Board of Education under this Article that expire on June 30, 2020 and have not been renewed by the end of the 2020 renewal period shall be extended for one year and shall expire on June 30, 2021.

(d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this Section, each professional educator licensee may create a professional development plan each year. The plan shall address one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her educator position if the licensee is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school, the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the same process.

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the licensee's professional development activities shall align with one or more of the following criteria:

(1) activities are of a type that engages participants over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis, discovery, and application as they relate to student learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being;

(2) professional development aligns to the licensee's performance;

(3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student growth or district improvement;

(4) activities align to State-approved standards; and

(5) higher education coursework.

(e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator licensee shall engage in professional development activities. Prior to renewal, the licensee shall enter electronically into the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name, date, and location of the activity, the number of professional development hours, and the provider's name. The following provisions shall apply concerning professional development activities:

(1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle, any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not working in a position requiring such endorsement is not required to complete Illinois Administrators' Academy courses, as described in Article 2 of this Code. Such licensees must complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course within one year after returning to a position that requires the administrative endorsement.

(3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in addition to 100 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code. However, for the 2021-2022 school year only, a licensee under this paragraph (3) is not required to complete an Illinois Administrators' Academy course.

(4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order to renew the license.

(5) Licensees working in a position that does not require educator licensure or working in a position for less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the license.

(6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits from a State of Illinois retirement system shall be listed as retired, and the license shall be maintained in retired status. For any renewal cycle in which a licensee retires during the renewal cycle, the licensee must complete professional development activities on a prorated basis depending on the number of years during the renewal cycle the educator held an active license. If a licensee retires during a renewal cycle, the license status must be updated using ELIS indicating that the licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status and the licensee must show proof of completion of professional development activities on a prorated basis for all years of that renewal cycle for which the license was active. An individual with a license in retired status shall not be required to complete professional development activities until returning to a position that requires educator licensure. Upon returning to work in a position that requires the Professional Educator License, the license status shall immediately be updated using ELIS and the licensee shall complete renewal requirements for that year. A retired teacher, even if returning to a position that requires educator licensure, shall not be required to pay registration fees. A license in retired status cannot lapse. Beginning on January 6, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-920) through December 31, 2017, any licensee who has retired and whose license has lapsed for failure to renew as provided in this Section may reinstate that license and maintain it in retired status upon providing proof to the State Board of Education using ELIS that the licensee is retired and is not working in a position that requires a Professional Educator License.

(7) For any renewal cycle in which professional development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the minimum professional development hours required in this Section prior to September 1 of that year. Professional development hours used to fulfill the minimum required hours for a renewal cycle may be used for only one renewal cycle. For any fiscal year or renewal cycle in which an Illinois Administrators' Academy course was required but not completed, the licensee shall complete any missed Illinois Administrators' Academy courses prior to September 1 of that year. The licensee may complete all deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' Academy courses while continuing to work in a position that requires that license until September 1 of that year.

(8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional development renewal requirements set forth in this Section at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the license.

(9) If professional development opportunities were unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an extension is approved, the license shall remain valid during the extension period.

(10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610) shall commence the annual renewal process with the first scheduled registration due after December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610).

(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (e), if a licensee earns more than the required number of professional development hours during a renewal cycle, then the licensee may carry over any hours earned from April 1 through June 30 of the last year of the renewal cycle. Any hours carried over in this manner must be applied to the next renewal cycle. Illinois Administrators' Academy courses or hours earned in those courses may not be carried over.

(e-5) The number of professional development hours required under subsection (e) is reduced by 20% for any renewal cycle that includes the 2021-2022 school year.

(f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to the required questions under penalty of perjury.

(f-5) The State Board of Education shall conduct random audits of licensees to verify a licensee's fulfillment of the professional development hours required under this Section. Upon completion of a random audit, if it is determined by the State Board of Education that the licensee did not complete the required number of professional development hours or did not provide sufficient proof of completion, the licensee shall be notified that his or her license has lapsed. A license that has lapsed under this subsection may be reinstated as provided in subsection (b).

(g) The following entities shall be designated as approved to provide professional development activities for the renewal of Professional Educator Licenses:

(1) The State Board of Education.

(2) Regional offices of education and intermediate service centers.

(3) Illinois professional associations representing the following groups that are approved by the State Superintendent of Education:

(A) school administrators;

(B) principals;

(C) school business officials;

(D) teachers, including special education teachers;

(E) school boards;

(F) school districts;

(G) parents; and

(H) school service personnel.

(4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher education that offer Illinois-approved educator preparation programs and public community colleges subject to the Public Community College Act.

(5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this Code for the purposes of providing career and technical education or special education services.

(6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of December 31, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-1147), has had or has a grant from or a contract with the State Board of Education to provide professional development services in the area of English Learning to Illinois school districts, teachers, or administrators.

(7) State agencies, State boards, and State commissions.

(8) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum Disposition of Property Act.

(h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section shall make available professional development opportunities that satisfy at least one of the following:

(1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and district leaders who guide continuous professional development;

(2) improve the learning of students;

(3) organize adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district;

(4) deepen educator's content knowledge;

(5) provide educators with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards;

(6) prepare educators to appropriately use various types of classroom assessments;

(7) use learning strategies appropriate to the intended goals;

(8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate;

(9) prepare educators to apply research to decision making;

(10) provide educators with training on inclusive practices in the classroom that examines instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or without disabilities, in a general education setting; or

(11) beginning on July 1, 2022, provide educators with training on the physical and mental health needs of students, student safety, educator ethics, professional conduct, and other topics that address the well-being of students and improve the academic and social-emotional outcomes of students.

(i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section shall do the following:

(1) align professional development activities to the State-approved national standards for professional learning;

(2) meet the professional development criteria for Illinois licensure renewal;

(3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains how it aligns to State standards and identify the assessment for determining the expected impact on student learning or school improvement;

(4) maintain original documentation for completion of activities;

(5) provide license holders with evidence of completion of activities;

(6) request an Illinois Educator Identification Number (IEIN) for each educator during each professional development activity; and

(7) beginning on July 1, 2019, register annually with the State Board of Education prior to offering any professional development opportunities in the current fiscal year.

(j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual audits of a subset of approved providers, except for school districts, which shall be audited by regional offices of education and intermediate service centers. The State Board of Education shall ensure that each approved provider, except for a school district, is audited at least once every 5 years. The State Board of Education may conduct more frequent audits of providers if evidence suggests the requirements of this Section or administrative rules are not being met.

(1) (Blank).

(2) Approved providers shall comply with the requirements in subsections (h) and (i) of this Section by annually submitting data to the State Board of Education demonstrating how the professional development activities impacted one or more of the following:

(A) educator and student growth in regards to content knowledge or skills, or both;

(B) educator and student social and emotional growth; or

(C) alignment to district or school improvement plans.

(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review the annual data collected by the State Board of Education, regional offices of education, and intermediate service centers in audits conducted under this subsection (j) to determine if the approved provider has met the criteria and should continue to be an approved provider or if further action should be taken as provided in rules.

(k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each 5-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or debit card.

(l) Any professional educator licensee endorsed for school support personnel who is employed and performing services in Illinois public schools and who holds an active and current professional license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or a national certification board, as approved by the State Board of Education, related to the endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional development requirements provided for in this Section. Such individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall complete professional development requirements for the renewal of a Professional Educator License provided for in this Section.

(m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed by rule.

(1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the State Board of Education.

(2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its determination based upon the record of review, which shall consist of the following:

(A) the regional superintendent of education's rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license, if applicable;

(B) any evidence submitted to the State Superintendent along with the individual's electronic statement of assurance for renewal; and

(C) the State Superintendent's rationale for nonrenewal of the license.

(3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle using a form of credit or debit card.

(n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-710, eff. 4-27-22; 102-730, eff. 5-6-22; 102-852, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-50)

Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

(a) There is established an alternative educator licensure program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

(b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

The program shall be comprised of up to 3 phases:

(1) A course of study that at a minimum includes instructional planning; instructional strategies, including special education, reading, and English language learning; classroom management; and the assessment of students and use of data to drive instruction.

(2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to enter the residency. In residency, the candidate must: be assigned an effective, fully licensed teacher by the principal or principal equivalent to act as a mentor and coach the candidate through residency, complete additional program requirements that address required State and national standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance assessment, if required under Section 21B-30, and be recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to be recommended for full licensure or to continue with a second year of the residency.

(3) (Blank).

(4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator, at the end of either the first or the second year of residency. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about the candidate's teaching effectiveness at the end of the first year of residency, a second year of residency shall be required. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators at the end of the second year of residency, the candidate may complete one additional year of residency teaching under a professional development plan developed by the principal or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At the completion of the third year, a candidate must have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator License shall be issued.

Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content matter requirements established by law.

(c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for up to 2 years of teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an individual who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.

(2) (Blank).

(3) Has completed a major in the content area if seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special education endorsement, has completed a major in the content area of early childhood reading, English/language arts, mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual does not have a major in a content area for any level of teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.

(4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection (b) of this Section.

(5) Has passed a content area test required for the specific endorsement for admission into the program, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

A candidate possessing the alternative provisional educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be counted towards tenure.

(d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a school district, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in this State in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State. A recognized institution that partners with a public school district administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. A recognized institution that partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that is not a public school district must require a principal or qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. The program presented for approval by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher during the one-year 1-year or 2-year residency period and if the residency period is to be less than 2 years in length, assurances from the partner school districts to provide intensive mentoring and supports through at least the end of the second full year of teaching for educators who completed the Alternative Educator Educators Licensure Program for Teachers in less than 2 years. These supports must, at a minimum, provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first year of residency.

(e) Upon completion of phases under paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and, if needed, (3) in subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a Professional Educator License.

(f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

(Source: P.A. 103-111, eff. 6-29-23; 103-488, eff. 8-4-23; revised 9-1-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/26-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2)

Sec. 26-2. Enrolled pupils not of compulsory school age.

(a) Any person having custody or control of a child who is below the age of 6 years or is 17 years of age or above and who is enrolled in any of grades kindergarten through 12 in the public school shall cause the child to attend the public school in the district wherein he or she resides when it is in session during the regular school term, unless the child is excused under Section 26-1 of this Code.

(b) A school district shall deny reenrollment in its secondary schools to any child 19 years of age or above who has dropped out of school and who could not, because of age and lack of credits, attend classes during the normal school year and graduate before his or her twenty-first birthday. A district may, however, enroll the child in a graduation incentives program under Section 26-16 of this Code or an alternative learning opportunities program established under Article 13B. No child shall be denied reenrollment for the above reasons unless the school district first offers the child due process as required in cases of expulsion under Section 10-22.6. If a child is denied reenrollment after being provided with due process, the school district must provide counseling to that child and must direct that child to alternative educational programs, including adult education programs, that lead to graduation or receipt of a State of Illinois High School Diploma.

(c) A school or school district may deny enrollment to a student 17 years of age or older for one semester for failure to meet minimum attendance standards if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The student was absent without valid cause for 20% or more of the attendance days in the semester immediately prior to the current semester.

(2) The student and the student's parent or guardian are given written notice warning that the student is subject to denial from enrollment for one semester unless the student is absent without valid cause less than 20% of the attendance days in the current semester.

(3) The student's parent or guardian is provided with the right to appeal the notice, as determined by the State Board of Education in accordance with due process.

(4) The student is provided with attendance remediation services, including without limitation assessment, counseling, and support services.

(5) The student is absent without valid cause for 20% or more of the attendance days in the current semester.

A school or school district may not deny enrollment to a student (or reenrollment to a dropout) who is at least 17 years of age or older but below 19 years for more than one consecutive semester for failure to meet attendance standards.

(d) No child may be denied reenrollment under this Section in violation of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

(e) In this subsection (e), "reenrolled student" means a dropout who has reenrolled full-time in a public school. Each school district shall identify, track, and report on the educational progress and outcomes of reenrolled students as a subset of the district's required reporting on all enrollments. A reenrolled student who again drops out must not be counted again against a district's dropout rate performance measure. The State Board of Education shall set performance standards for programs serving reenrolled students.

(f) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the changes to this Section made by Public Act 93-803.

(Source: P.A. 102-981, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-22.2) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22.2)

Sec. 27-22.2. Career and technical Vocational education elective. Whenever the school board of any school district which maintains grades 9 through 12 establishes a list of courses from which secondary school students each must elect at least one course, to be completed along with other course requirements as a pre-requisite to receiving a high school diploma, that school board must include on the list of such elective courses at least one course in career and technical vocational education.

(Source: P.A. 84-1334; 84-1438.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-8.05)

Sec. 34-8.05. Reporting firearms in schools. On or after January 1, 1997, upon receipt of any written, electronic, or verbal report from any school personnel regarding a verified incident involving a firearm in a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, the general superintendent or his or her designee shall report all such firearm-related incidents occurring in a school or on school property to the local law enforcement authorities no later than 24 hours after the occurrence of the incident and to the Illinois State Police in a form, manner, and frequency as prescribed by the Illinois State Police.

The general superintendent or the general superintendent's designee shall report any written, electronic, or verbal report of a verified incident involving a firearm to the State Board of Education through existing school incident reporting systems as they occur during the year by no later than July 31 for the previous school year. The State Board of Education shall report the data and make it available to the public via its website. The local law enforcement authority shall, by March 1 of each year, report the required data from the previous year to the Illinois State Police's Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which shall be included in its annual Crime in Illinois report.

The State Board of Education shall receive an annual statistical compilation and related data associated with incidents involving firearms in schools from the Illinois State Police. As used in this Section, the term "firearm" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1.1 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

Section 10. The School Safety Drill Act is amended by changing Sections 45 and 50 as follows:

(105 ILCS 128/45)

Sec. 45. Threat assessment procedure.

(a) Each school district must implement a threat assessment procedure that may be part of a school board policy on targeted school violence prevention. The procedure must include the creation of a threat assessment team. The team must include at least one law enforcement official and cross-disciplinary representatives of the district who are most directly familiar with the mental and behavioral health needs of students and staff. Such cross-disciplinary representatives may include all of the following members:

(1) An administrator employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.

(2) A teacher employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.

(3) A school counselor employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.

(4) A school psychologist employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.

(5) A school social worker employed by the school district or a special education cooperative that serves the school district and is available to serve.

(6) (Blank). At least one law enforcement official.

If a school district is unable to establish a threat assessment team with school district staff and resources, it may utilize a regional behavioral threat assessment and intervention team that includes mental health professionals and representatives from the State, county, and local law enforcement agencies.

(b) A school district shall establish the threat assessment team under this Section no later than 180 days after August 23, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-455) and must implement an initial threat assessment procedure no later than 120 days after August 23, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-455). Each year prior to the start of the school year, the school board shall file the threat assessment procedure and a list identifying the members of the school district's threat assessment team or regional behavior threat assessment and intervention team with (i) a local law enforcement agency and (ii) the regional office of education or, with respect to a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code, the State Board of Education.

(b-5) A charter school operating under a charter issued by a local board of education may adhere to the local board's threat assessment procedure or may implement its own threat assessment procedure in full compliance with the requirements of this Section. The charter agreement shall specify in detail how threat assessment procedures will be determined for the charter school.

(b-10) A special education cooperative operating under a joint agreement must implement its own threat assessment procedure in full compliance with the requirements of this Section, including the creation of a threat assessment team, which may consist of individuals employed by the member districts. The procedure must include actions the special education cooperative will take in partnership with its member districts to address a threat.

(c) Any sharing of student information under this Section must comply with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Illinois School Student Records Act.

(d) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 102-791, eff. 5-13-22; 102-894, eff. 5-20-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)

(105 ILCS 128/50)

Sec. 50. Crisis response mapping data grants.

(a) Subject to appropriation, a public school district, a charter school, a special education cooperative or district, an education for employment system, a State-approved area career center, a public university laboratory school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the Department of Juvenile Justice School District, a regional office of education, the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, the Philip J. Rock Center and School, an early childhood or preschool program supported by the Early Childhood Block Grant, or any other public school entity designated by the State Board of Education by rule, may apply to the State Board of Education or the State Board of Education or the State Board's designee for a grant to obtain crisis response mapping data and to provide copies of the crisis response mapping data to appropriate local, county, State, and federal first responders for use in response to emergencies. The crisis response mapping data shall be stored and provided in an electronic or digital format to assist first responders in responding to emergencies at the school.

(b) Subject to appropriation, including funding for any administrative costs reasonably incurred by the State Board of Education or the State Board's designee in the administration of the grant program described by this Section, the State Board shall provide grants to any entity in subsection (a) upon approval of an application submitted by the entity to cover the costs incurred in obtaining crisis response mapping data under this Section. The grant application must include crisis response mapping data for all schools under the jurisdiction of the entity submitting the application, including, in the case of a public school district, any charter schools authorized by the school board for the school district.

(c) To be eligible for a grant under this Section, the crisis response mapping data must, at a minimum:

(1) be compatible and integrate into security software platforms in use by the specific school for which the data is provided without requiring local law enforcement agencies or the school district to purchase additional software or requiring the integration of third-party software to view the data;

(2) be compatible with security software platforms in use by the specific school for which the data is provided without requiring local public safety agencies or the school district to purchase additional software or requiring the integration of third-party software to view the data;

(3) be capable of being provided in a printable format;

(4) be verified for accuracy by an on-site walk-through of the school building and grounds;

(5) be oriented to true north;

(6) be overlaid on current aerial imagery or plans of the school building;

(7) contain site-specific labeling that matches the structure of the school building, including room labels, hallway names, and external door or stairwell numbers and the location of hazards, critical utilities, key boxes, automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits, and that matches the school grounds, including parking areas, athletic fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring properties; and

(8) be overlaid with gridded x/y coordinates.

(d) Subject to appropriation, the crisis response mapping data may be reviewed annually to update the data as necessary.

(e) Crisis response mapping data obtained pursuant to this Section are confidential and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

(f) The State Board may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; revised 1-20-24.)

Section 15. The Vocational Education Act is amended by changing Section 2.1 as follows:

(105 ILCS 435/2.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 697.1)

Sec. 2.1. Gender Equity Advisory Committee.

(a) The Superintendent of the State Board of Education shall appoint a Gender Equity Advisory Committee consisting of at least 9 members to advise and consult with the State Board of Education and the State Board of Education's gender equity liaison coordinator in all aspects relating to ensuring that all students have equal educational opportunities to pursue high wage, high skill, and in-demand occupations leading to economic self-sufficiency.

(b) Membership shall include, without limitation, one regional career and technical education system director with experience in gender equity coordinator, 2 State Board of Education employees, an appointee of the Director of Labor, and 5 citizen appointees who have expertise in one or more of the following areas: nontraditional training and placement; , service delivery to single parents; , service delivery to displaced homemakers; , service delivery to female, male, and nonbinary teens; , service delivery to students of color; service delivery to members of special populations, including, but not limited to, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, English learners, individuals with disabilities, individuals who are out of the workforce, individuals experiencing homelessness, migrants, individuals in foster care, and military students; business and industry experience; , and career and technical education Education-to-Careers experience. Membership also may include employees from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Human Services, and the Illinois Community College Board who have expertise in one or more of the areas listed in this subsection (b) for the citizen appointees. Appointments shall be made taking into consideration expertise of services provided in secondary, postsecondary, and community-based community based programs.

(c) Members shall initially be appointed to one-year one year terms commencing in January 1, 1990, and thereafter, until January 1, 2025, to 2-year two year terms commencing on January 1 of each odd numbered year. Beginning on January 1, 2025, members shall be appointed as follows. The career and technical education system director appointee, one State Board of Education appointee, the appointee of the Director of Labor, and 2 citizen appointees, as determined by the State Superintendent of Education, shall initially be appointed to 3-year terms and thereafter to 2-year terms; the remaining members of the committee shall initially and thereafter be appointed to 2-year terms; and all terms shall commence on January 1. Vacancies shall be filled as prescribed in subsection (b) for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(d) At the first meeting following the start of each calendar year, the Each newly appointed committee shall elect a Chair and Secretary from its members to serve until the first meeting of the subsequent calendar year. Members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Committee shall meet at least bi-annually and at other times at the call of the Chair or at the request of the State Board of Education's gender equity liaison coordinator.

(e) On or before December 15, 2023, the Committee shall submit recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and State Board of Education regarding how school districts and the State Board of Education can better support historically disadvantaged males, including African American students and other students of color, to ensure educational equity.

(f) On and after December 31, 2023, subsection (e) is inoperative.

(Source: P.A. 102-863, eff. 1-1-23.)

Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other Public Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.