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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 2-3.66 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66)
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7 | Sec. 2-3.66. Truants' alternative and optional education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | programs. To
establish pilot projects to offer modified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | instructional programs or other
services designed to prevent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | students from dropping out of school,
including programs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | pursuant to Section 2-3.41, and to serve as a part time
or full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | time option in lieu of regular school attendance and to award
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13 | grants to local school districts, educational service regions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | or community
college districts from appropriated funds to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | assist districts in
establishing such projects. In the awarding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | of grants, the chronic truant and dropout rates of the areas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | served by the projects as compared to State averages must be | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | taken into consideration first, and the population of the areas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | served, striving to serve as many students as possible with the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | funds available, must be taken into consideration second. The | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | education agency may operate its own
program or enter into a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | contract with another not-for-profit entity to
implement the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | program. The pilot projects shall allow dropouts, up to and
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1 | including age 21, potential dropouts, including truants, | ||||||
2 | uninvolved,
unmotivated and disaffected students, as defined | ||||||
3 | by State Board of
Education rules and regulations, to enroll, | ||||||
4 | as an alternative to regular
school attendance, in an optional | ||||||
5 | education program which may be
established by school board | ||||||
6 | policy and is in conformance with rules adopted
by the State | ||||||
7 | Board of Education. Truants' Alternative and Optional
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8 | Education programs funded pursuant to this Section shall be
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9 | planned by a student, the student's parents or legal guardians, | ||||||
10 | unless the
student is 18 years or older, and school officials | ||||||
11 | and shall culminate in
an individualized optional education | ||||||
12 | plan. Such plan shall focus
on academic or vocational skills, | ||||||
13 | or both, and may include, but not be
limited to, evening | ||||||
14 | school, summer school, community college courses, adult
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15 | education, preparation courses for the high school level test | ||||||
16 | of General
Educational Development, vocational training, work | ||||||
17 | experience, programs to
enhance self concept and parenting | ||||||
18 | courses. School districts which are
awarded grants pursuant to | ||||||
19 | this Section shall be authorized to provide day
care services | ||||||
20 | to children of students who are eligible and desire to enroll
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21 | in programs established and funded under this Section, but only | ||||||
22 | if and to
the extent that such day care is necessary to enable | ||||||
23 | those eligible
students to attend and participate in the | ||||||
24 | programs and courses which are
conducted pursuant to this | ||||||
25 | Section. The Board shall report
on the status of the pilot | ||||||
26 | projects pursuant to Section 1A-4.
School districts and |
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1 | regional offices of education may claim general State
aid under | ||||||
2 | Section 18-8.05 for students enrolled in truants' alternative | ||||||
3 | and
optional education programs, provided that such students | ||||||
4 | are receiving services
that are supplemental to a program | ||||||
5 | leading to a high school diploma and are
otherwise eligible to | ||||||
6 | be claimed for general State aid under Section 18-8.05.
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7 | (Source: P.A. 90-802, eff. 12-15-98.)
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8 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
9 | 2007.
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