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1 | AN ACT concerning education. | ||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
4 | Section 5. The Education for Homeless Children Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by changing Section 1-50 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 45/1-50) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 1-50. Education of Homeless Children and Youth State | ||||||
8 | Grant Program. | ||||||
9 | (a) It is the purpose and intent of this Section to | ||||||
10 | establish a State grant program that parallels and | ||||||
11 | supplements, but operates independently of, the federal grant | ||||||
12 | program allocating funds for assistance under Subtitle B of | ||||||
13 | Title VII of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance | ||||||
14 | Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) and to establish a State grant | ||||||
15 | program to support school districts throughout this State in | ||||||
16 | facilitating the enrollment, attendance, and success of | ||||||
17 | homeless children and youth. | ||||||
18 | (b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education | ||||||
19 | shall award competitive grants under an Education of Homeless | ||||||
20 | Children and Youth State Grant Program to applicant school | ||||||
21 | districts based on the percentage of students experiencing | ||||||
22 | homelessness in an applicant school district in accordance | ||||||
23 | with this Section. Services provided by school districts |
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1 | through the use of grant funds may not replace the regular | ||||||
2 | academic program and must be designed to expand upon or | ||||||
3 | improve services provided for homeless students as part of the | ||||||
4 | school's regular academic program. | ||||||
5 | (c) A school district that desires to receive a grant | ||||||
6 | under this Section shall submit an application to the State | ||||||
7 | Board of Education at such time, in such manner, and | ||||||
8 | containing or accompanied by such information as the State | ||||||
9 | Board of Education may reasonably require. | ||||||
10 | (d) To award grants Grants must be awarded on the basis of | ||||||
11 | the need of the school district for assistance under this | ||||||
12 | Section , the State Board of Education may consider all of the | ||||||
13 | following: and the quality of the applications submitted. | ||||||
14 | (1) In determining need under this subsection (d), the | ||||||
15 | State Board of Education may consider the number of | ||||||
16 | homeless children and youths enrolled in preschool, | ||||||
17 | elementary school, and secondary school within the school | ||||||
18 | district and shall consider the needs of such children and | ||||||
19 | youths and the ability of the district to meet such needs. | ||||||
20 | The State Board of Education may also consider the | ||||||
21 | following: | ||||||
22 | (A) (Blank). The extent to which the proposed use | ||||||
23 | of funds will facilitate the enrollment, retention, | ||||||
24 | and educational success of homeless children and | ||||||
25 | youths. | ||||||
26 | (B) (Blank). The extent to which the application |
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1 | (i) reflects coordination with other local and State | ||||||
2 | agencies that serve homeless children and youths and | ||||||
3 | (ii) describes how the applicant will meet the | ||||||
4 | requirements of this Act and the federal | ||||||
5 | McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance | ||||||
6 | Improvements Act of 2001. | ||||||
7 | (C) The extent to which the applicant exhibits in | ||||||
8 | the application and in current practice a commitment | ||||||
9 | to education for all homeless children and youths. | ||||||
10 | (D) Such other criteria as the State Board | ||||||
11 | determines is appropriate. | ||||||
12 | (2) In determining the quality of applications under | ||||||
13 | this subsection (d), the State Board of Education shall | ||||||
14 | consider the following: | ||||||
15 | (A) The applicant's assessment of needs and the | ||||||
16 | likelihood that the services presented in the | ||||||
17 | application will meet such needs. | ||||||
18 | (B) The types, intensity, and coordination of the | ||||||
19 | services to be provided. | ||||||
20 | (C) The involvement of parents or guardians of | ||||||
21 | homeless children or youths in the education of these | ||||||
22 | children. | ||||||
23 | (D) The extent to which homeless children and | ||||||
24 | youths are effectively integrated within the regular | ||||||
25 | education program. | ||||||
26 | (E) The quality of the applicant's evaluation plan |
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1 | for the services. | ||||||
2 | (F) The extent to which services provided will be | ||||||
3 | coordinated with other services available to homeless | ||||||
4 | children and youths and their families. | ||||||
5 | (G) Such other measures as the State Board | ||||||
6 | considers indicative of high-quality services, such as | ||||||
7 | the extent to which the school district will provide | ||||||
8 | case management or related services to unaccompanied | ||||||
9 | youths. | ||||||
10 | (e) Grants awarded under this Section shall be for terms | ||||||
11 | not to exceed 3 years, but are subject to annual appropriation | ||||||
12 | for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant | ||||||
13 | Program. School districts shall use funds awarded under this | ||||||
14 | Section only for those activities set forth in Section 723(d) | ||||||
15 | of Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless | ||||||
16 | Assistance Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 11433(d)). | ||||||
17 | Activities eligible for assistance under this Section may | ||||||
18 | include, but are not limited to, all of the following: | ||||||
19 | (1) Rental assistance, which shall include utilities, | ||||||
20 | security and utility deposits, first and last month's | ||||||
21 | rent, rental application fees, moving expenses, and any | ||||||
22 | other eligible expenses to be determined by the State | ||||||
23 | Board. | ||||||
24 | (2) Transportation assistance, including school bus | ||||||
25 | transportation, public transportation passes, and gasoline | ||||||
26 | assistance for a student or family with a vehicle or to a |
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1 | family member with a vehicle who can transport the | ||||||
2 | student. | ||||||
3 | (3) Emergency shelter, including temporary hotel | ||||||
4 | stays. | ||||||
5 | (4) Housing stability case management and housing | ||||||
6 | locator services. | ||||||
7 | (5) Other collaborative housing strategies, including | ||||||
8 | prevention and strength-based safety and housing | ||||||
9 | approaches, including, but not limited to, school | ||||||
10 | supplies, clothing, academic enrichment, tutoring, and | ||||||
11 | parental involvement programs. | ||||||
12 | (6) Activities set forth in Section 723(d) of Subtitle | ||||||
13 | B of Title VII of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless | ||||||
14 | Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11433(d)). | ||||||
15 | (f) The State Board of Education may use up to 25% 5% of | ||||||
16 | the funds appropriated for the purposes of this Section for | ||||||
17 | administrative costs, including the hiring of positions for | ||||||
18 | the implementation and administration of the grant program, | ||||||
19 | provided that if no appropriation is made to the State Board of | ||||||
20 | Education for a given fiscal year for the purposes of the grant | ||||||
21 | program, then the State Board of Education is not required to | ||||||
22 | make any expenditures in support of the program during that | ||||||
23 | fiscal year. | ||||||
24 | (Source: P.A. 96-1229, eff. 1-1-11.) |