Public Act 094-0894
 		





SB2882 Enrolled
LRB094 19085 NHT 54594 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 Section 
2-3.136 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.136)

    Sec. 2-3.136. Class
K-3 class size reduction grant programs

program. 
    (a) A K-3 class size
reduction grant program is created.  
The program shall be implemented
and
administered by the State 
Board of Education.  From
appropriations made for purposes of 
this Section, the State Board shall award grants to schools 
that meet
the criteria established by this subsection (a)

Section for the award of those grants.

    Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application.  The form 
and manner of
applications and the criteria for the award of 
grants shall be prescribed by
the State Board of Education.  The 
grant criteria as so prescribed, however,
shall provide that 
only those schools that are on the State
Board of Education 
Early
Academic Warning List or the academic
watch list
under 
Section 2-3.25d that maintain grades kindergarten through 3 are 
grant eligible.

    Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection 
(a)
Section shall be used and
applied by the schools to defray 
the costs and expenses of operating and
maintaining classes in 
grades kindergarten through 3 with an average class size within 
a specific grade of no more than 20 pupils. If a school's 
facilities are inadequate to allow for this specified class 
size, then a school may use the grant funds for teacher aides 
instead.

    (b) A K-3 pilot class size reduction grant program is 
created. The program shall be implemented and administered by 
the State Board of Education. From appropriations made for 
purposes of this subsection (b), the State Board shall award 
grants to schools that meet the criteria established by this 
Section for the award of those grants.
    Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The form 
and manner of application and the criteria for the award of 
grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of Education.
    Grants awarded to eligible schools under this subsection 
(b)  shall be used and applied by the schools to defray the 
costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in 
grades kindergarten through 3 of no more than 15 pupils per 
teacher per class. A teacher aide may not be used to meet this 
requirement.

    (c) If a school board determines that a school is using 
funds awarded under this Section for purposes not authorized by 
this Section, then the school board, rather than the school, 
shall determine how the funds are used.

    (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules, 
consistent with the
requirements of this Section, that are 
necessary to implement and administer
the K-3 class size 
reduction grant programs
program.


(Source: P.A. 93-814, eff. 7-27-04; 94-566, eff. 1-1-06.)
 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
2006.






Effective Date:  7/1/2006