SB0345 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 26215 RJT 52574 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB0345

Introduced 2/2/2023, by Sen. Christopher Belt

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 230/5-5
105 ILCS 230/5-30
105 ILCS 230/5-60

Amends the School Construction Law. Provides that for school districts that have consolidated or approved a cooperative high school within a prior fiscal year, the grant index shall be calculated for each of those school districts that form the new school district or cooperative high school. Provides that whichever grant index is the highest shall be used as the grant index for the newly consolidated school district or approved cooperative high school. Amends the priority of school construction projects by adding 2 additional categories of capital needs and reordering the priority of the remaining categories of capital needs. Makes a related change. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Construction Law is amended by changing Sections 5-5, 5-30, and 5-60 as follows:

(105 ILCS 230/5-5)

Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Article:

"Conditional grant award" means the formal notification by the Capital Development Board to a school district of its conditional intent to award a grant to a school district to pay a portion of the recognized project cost for a school construction project. The grant award is conditioned upon receiving proof from the school district that it has funds available to cover the cost of the required local match.

"Grant award amount" means an amount equal to the recognized project cost determined by the Capital Development Board for a school construction project multiplied by the grant award percentage and then adjusted as may be required pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 5-15.

"Grant award percentage" means a percentage equal to one minus the required local match percentage.

"Grant index" means a figure for each school district equal to one minus the ratio of the district's equalized assessed valuation per pupil in average daily attendance to the equalized assessed valuation per pupil in average daily attendance of the district located at the 90th percentile for all districts of the same category. This definition applies only to completed or partially completed, as determined by the Capital Development Board, school construction projects for which a grant application was filed for the 2004, 2005, or 2006 application cycle by a school district included on the State Board of Education's 2004, 2005, or 2006 School Construction Project Application Cycle listing and only for the purpose of determining the amount of any adjustment pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 5-15 to a grant award amount for a project funded during the first application cycle opened after June 30, 2022. For the purpose of calculating the grant index, school districts are grouped into 2 categories, Category I and Category II. Category I consists of elementary and unit school districts. The equalized assessed valuation per pupil in average daily attendance of each school district in Category I shall be computed using its grades kindergarten through 8 average daily attendance figure. A unit school district's Category I grant index shall be used for projects or portions of projects constructed for elementary school pupils. Category II consists of high school and unit school districts. The equalized assessed valuation per pupil in average daily attendance of each school district in Category II shall be computed using its grades 9 through 12 average daily attendance figure. A unit school district's Category II grant index shall be used for projects or portions of projects constructed for high school pupils. The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly apply to all grants made on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act, provided that for grants not yet made on the effective date of this amendatory Act but made in fiscal year 2001 and for grants made in fiscal year 2002, the grant index for a school district shall be the greater of (i) the grant index as calculated under this Law on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act or (ii) the grant index as calculated under this Law before the effective date of this amendatory Act. The grant index shall be no less than 0.35 and no greater than 0.75 for each district; provided that the grant index for districts whose equalized assessed valuation per pupil in average daily attendance is at the 99th percentile and above for all districts of the same type shall be 0.00. For school districts that have consolidated or approved a cooperative high school within a prior fiscal year, the grant index shall be calculated for each of those school districts that form the new school district or cooperative high school. Whichever grant index is the highest shall be used as the grant index for the newly consolidated school district or approved cooperative high school.

The grant index shall be calculated for each of those school districts forming a reorganized school district or cooperative high school if one or more of the following happen within the current or prior 2 fiscal years:

(1) a new school district is created in accordance with Article 11E of the School Code;

(2) an existing school district annexes all of the territory of one or more entire other school districts in accordance with Article 7 of the School Code; or

(3) a cooperative high school is formed in accordance with Section 10-22.22c of the School Code. The average grant index of those school districts shall be used as the grant index for the newly reorganized district or cooperative high school.

"Recognized project cost" means the total project cost for a school construction project determined by the Capital Development Board to be taken into account in calculating the grant award amount and the required local match for a school construction project.

"Required local match" means an amount equal to the product of the recognized project cost determined by the Capital Development Board multiplied by a school district's required local match percentage, and then adjusted as may be required pursuant to Section 5-15.

"Required local match percentage" means a percentage equal to a school district's Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code, and as calculated by the State Superintendent of Education in the fiscal year in which the school district applies for a grant to be awarded pursuant to this Article, provided that the required local match percentage shall be no less than 10% and no greater than 90% for any district. With respect to a Type 40 area vocational center cooperative, a special education cooperative, or a cooperative high school, the required local match percentage is calculated by first multiplying each cooperative member district's average student enrollment utilized to calculate its latest Evidence-Based Funding, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code, by the respective district's latest Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code, to obtain a weighted average student enrollment. Then, the required local match percentage is calculated by taking the sum of all the member districts' weighted average student enrollment and dividing that sum by the sum of all the member districts' average student enrollment utilized to calculate the latest Evidence-Based Funding.

"School construction project" means the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities consisting of buildings, structures, durable equipment, and land for educational purposes.

"School district" means a school district or a Type 40 area vocational center or special education cooperative that is jointly owned, if the joint agreement includes language that specifies how the debt obligation is to be paid, including in the event that an entity withdraws from the joint agreement.

"School district" includes a cooperative high school, if the cooperative agreement includes language that specifies how the debt obligation is to be paid, including if an entity withdraws from the cooperative agreement or the cooperative agreement is terminated.

"School maintenance project" means a project, other than a school construction project, intended to provide for the maintenance or upkeep of buildings or structures for educational purposes, but does not include ongoing operational costs.

(Source: P.A. 102-723, eff. 5-6-22.)

(105 ILCS 230/5-30)

Sec. 5-30. Priority of school construction projects. The State Board of Education shall develop standards for the determination of priority needs concerning school construction projects based upon approved district facilities plans. Such standards shall call for prioritization based on the degree of need and project type in the following order:

(1) Replacement, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of school buildings destroyed or damaged by flood, tornado, fire, earthquake, mine subsidence, or other disasters, either man-made or produced by nature;

(1.5) Rehabilitation or reconstruction of school facilities determined to be severe and continuing health or life safety hazards;

(1.10) Rehabilitation of school facilities to alleviate:

(A) a shortage of classrooms due to population growth; or

(B) aging school buildings;

(2) (Blank); Projects designed to alleviate a shortage of classrooms due to population growth or to replace or rehabilitate aging school buildings;

(3) Projects resulting from interdistrict reorganization of school districts contingent on local referenda;

(3.5) Projects other than rehabilitation specified in paragraph (1.10) designed to alleviate a shortage of classrooms due to population growth or to replace aging school buildings;

(4) Replacement, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of school facilities determined to be severe and continuing health or life safety hazards;

(5) Alterations necessary to provide accessibility for qualified individuals with disabilities; and

(6) Other unique solutions to facility needs.

(Source: P.A. 102-723, eff. 5-6-22.)

(105 ILCS 230/5-60)

Sec. 5-60. School capital needs assessment. The State Board of Education and the Capital Development Board shall file with the General Assembly a comprehensive assessment report of the capital needs of all school districts in this State before January 1, 2005 and every 2 years thereafter. This assessment shall include without limitation an analysis of the 6 categories of capital needs prioritized in Section 5-30 of this Law.

(Source: P.A. 93-489, eff. 8-8-03.)

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