Section 365.20  Eligible Applicants

a)         Eligible applicants shall be school districts in which either:

1)         one or more schools are in Academic Early Warning or Academic Watch status under Section 2-3.25d of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.25d]; or

2)         a significant percentage of the students served have identified needs that make the use of technological devices more necessary or effective in their education than is the case for the student population as a whole.

b)         For purposes of this Part, any public school operated by an agency of the State of Illinois shall be treated as a "school district".

c)         Public university laboratory schools approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 18-8.05(K) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/18-8.05(K)] and charter schools shall be eligible to apply on the same basis as school districts; see 105 ILCS 5/2-3.109a and 27A-11.5, respectively.

d)         Eligibility shall be limited to entities having State-approved technology integration plans.

e)         An applicant chosen for funding shall not subsequently lose eligibility due solely to improvement in the status of the schools served relative to Section 2-3.25d of the School Code.