093_SB0066enr SB66 Enrolled LRB093 02025 NHT 02025 b 1 AN ACT concerning schools. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 5 2-3.61a as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.61a new) 7 Sec. 2-3.61a. 21st Century Community Learning Center 8 Grant Program. 9 (a) The State Board of Education shall be the designated 10 agency responsible for the administration of programs under 11 Part I of Subchapter X of Chapter 70 of the federal 12 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 13 (b) The State Board of Education shall establish and 14 implement a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant 15 Program, in accordance with federal guidelines, to provide 16 grants to support academically focused after-school programs 17 for students who attend high-poverty, low-performing schools. 18 These grants shall be used to help those students who attend 19 high-poverty, low-performing schools meet State and local 20 performance standards in core academic subjects and to offer 21 families of participating students opportunities for improved 22 literacy and related educational development. 23 The State Board of Education shall award grants to 24 applicants that are of sufficient size and scope to support 25 high-quality, effective after-school programs, to ensure 26 reasonable success of achieving the goals identified in the 27 grant application, and to offer those activities that are 28 necessary to achieve these goals. 29 (c) Using State funds, subject to appropriation, and any 30 federal funds received for this purpose, the State Board of 31 Education may establish any other grant programs that are SB66 Enrolled -2- LRB093 02025 NHT 02025 b 1 necessary to establish high-quality, academically based, 2 after-school programs that include family-centered education 3 activities. 4 (d) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules 5 necessary to implement this Section. 6 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 7 becoming law.