SB2257eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2257 Engrossed LRB094 15073 RAS 50233 b

AN ACT in relation to education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 14-7.03 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/14-7.03) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-7.03)

Sec. 14-7.03. Special Education Classes for Children from Orphanages, Foster Family Homes, Children's Homes, or in State Housing Units. If a school district maintains special education classes on the site of orphanages and children's homes, or if children from the orphanages, children's homes, foster family homes, other State agencies, or State residential units for children attend classes for children with disabilities in which the school district is a participating member of a joint agreement, or if the children from the orphanages, children's homes, foster family homes, other State agencies, or State residential units attend classes for the children with disabilities maintained by the school district, then reimbursement shall be paid to eligible districts in accordance with the provisions of this Section by the Comptroller as directed by the State Superintendent of Education. If a child who was eligible to receive services under this Section (i) is eligible for the subsidized adoption program available through the Department of Children and Family Services or is under subsidized guardianship and (ii) continues to receive support services from the Department of Children and Family Services, then the child shall continue to be eligible to receive services under this Section and the school district shall continue to be reimbursed under this Section. The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly apply only to children who are eligible for the subsidized adoption program or who are under subsidized guardianship on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.

The amount of tuition for such children under this Section shall be determined by the actual cost of maintaining such classes, using the per capita cost formula set forth in Section 14-7.01, such program and cost to be pre-approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

On forms prepared by the State Superintendent of Education, the district shall certify to the regional superintendent the following:

(1) The name of the home or State residential unit with the name of the owner or proprietor and address of those maintaining it;

(2) That no service charges or other payments authorized by law were collected in lieu of taxes therefrom or on account thereof during either of the calendar years included in the school year for which claim is being made;

(3) The number of children qualifying under this Act in special education classes for instruction on the site of the orphanages and children's homes;

(4) The number of children attending special education classes for children with disabilities in which the district is a participating member of a special education joint agreement;

(5) The number of children attending special education classes for children with disabilities maintained by the district;

(6) The computed amount of tuition payment claimed as due, as approved by the State Superintendent of Education, for maintaining these classes.

If a school district makes a claim for reimbursement under Section 18-3 or 18-4 of this Act it shall not include in any claim filed under this Section a claim for such children. Payments authorized by law, including State or federal grants for education of children included in this Section, shall be deducted in determining the tuition amount.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to prohibit reimbursement for the tuition of children placed in for profit facilities. Private facilities shall provide adequate space at the facility for special education classes provided by a school district or joint agreement for children with disabilities who are residents of the facility at no cost to the school district or joint agreement upon request of the school district or joint agreement. If such a private facility provides space at no cost to the district or joint agreement for special education classes provided to children with disabilities who are residents of the facility, the district or joint agreement shall not include any costs for the use of those facilities in its claim for reimbursement.

Reimbursement for tuition may include the cost of providing summer school programs for children with severe and profound disabilities served under this Section. Claims for that reimbursement shall be filed by November 1 and shall be paid on or before December 15 from appropriations made for the purposes of this Section.

The State Board of Education shall establish such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

Claims filed on behalf of programs operated under this Section housed in a jail, detention center, or county-owned shelter care facility shall be on an individual student basis only for eligible students with disabilities. These claims shall be in accordance with applicable rules.

Each district claiming reimbursement for a program operated as a group program shall have an approved budget on file with the State Board of Education prior to the initiation of the program's operation. On September 30, December 31, and March 31, the State Board of Education shall voucher payments to group programs based upon the approved budget during the year of operation. Final claims for group payments shall be filed on or before July 15. Final claims for group programs received at the State Board of Education on or before June 15 shall be vouchered by June 30. Final claims received at the State Board of Education between June 16 and July 15 shall be vouchered by August 30. Claims for group programs received after July 15 shall not be honored.

Each district claiming reimbursement for individual students shall have the eligibility of those students verified by the State Board of Education. On September 30, December 31, and March 31, the State Board of Education shall voucher payments for individual students based upon an estimated cost calculated from the prior year's claim. Final claims for individual students for the regular school term must be received at the State Board of Education by July 15. Claims for individual students received after July 15 shall not be honored. Final claims for individual students shall be vouchered by August 30.

Reimbursement shall be made based upon approved group programs or individual students. The State Superintendent of Education shall direct the Comptroller to pay a specified amount to the district by the 30th day of September, December, March, June, or August, respectively. However, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section or the School Code, beginning with fiscal year 1994 and each fiscal year thereafter, if the amount appropriated for any fiscal year is less than the amount required for purposes of this Section, the amount required to eliminate any insufficient reimbursement for each district claim under this Section shall be reimbursed on August 30 of the next fiscal year. Payments required to eliminate any insufficiency for prior fiscal year claims shall be made before any claims are paid for the current fiscal year.

The claim of a school district otherwise eligible to be reimbursed in accordance with Section 14-12.01 for the 1976-77 school year but for this amendatory Act of 1977 shall not be paid unless the district ceases to maintain such classes for one entire school year.

If a school district's current reimbursement payment for the 1977-78 school year only is less than the prior year's reimbursement payment owed, the district shall be paid the amount of the difference between the payments in addition to the current reimbursement payment, and the amount so paid shall be subtracted from the amount of prior year's reimbursement payment owed to the district.

Regional superintendents may operate special education classes for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes or State housing units located within the educational services region upon consent of the school board otherwise so obligated. In electing to assume the powers and duties of a school district in providing and maintaining such a special education program, the regional superintendent may enter into joint agreements with other districts and may contract with public or private schools or the orphanage, foster family home, children's home or State housing unit for provision of the special education program. The regional superintendent exercising the powers granted under this Section shall claim the reimbursement authorized by this Section directly from the State Board of Education.

Any child who is not a resident of Illinois who is placed in a child welfare institution, private facility, foster family home, State operated program, orphanage or children's home shall have the payment for his educational tuition and any related services assured by the placing agent.

Commencing July 1, 1992, for each disabled student who is placed residentially by a State agency or the courts for care or custody or both care and custody, welfare, medical or mental health treatment or both medical and mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and protection, whether placed there on, before, or after July 1, 1992, the costs for educating the student are eligible for reimbursement under this Section providing the placing agency or court has notified the appropriate school district authorities of the status of student residency where applicable prior to or upon placement.

The district of residence of the parent, guardian, or disabled student as defined in Sections 14-1.11 and 14-1.11a is responsible for the actual costs of the student's special education program and is eligible for reimbursement under this Section when placement is made by a State agency or the courts. Payments shall be made by the resident district to the district wherein the facility is located no less than once per quarter unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties.

When a dispute arises over the determination of the district of residence, the district or districts may appeal the decision in writing to the State Superintendent of Education. The decision of the State Superintendent of Education shall be final.

In the event a district does not make a tuition payment to another district that is providing the special education program and services, the State Board of Education shall immediately withhold 125% of the then remaining annual tuition cost from the State aid or categorical aid payment due to the school district that is determined to be the resident school district. All funds withheld by the State Board of Education shall immediately be forwarded to the school district where the student is being served.

When a child eligible for services under this Section 14-7.03 must be placed in a nonpublic facility, that facility shall meet the programmatic requirements of Section 14-7.02 and its regulations, and the educational services shall be funded only in accordance with this Section 14-7.03.

(Source: P.A. 92-597, eff. 7-1-02; 92-877, eff. 1-7-03; 93-609, eff. 11-20-03.)

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