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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, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Education for Homeless Children Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by adding Section 1-50 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 45/1-50 new) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 1-50. Education of Homeless Children and Youth State
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8 | Grant Program. | ||||||
9 | (a) It is the purpose and intent of this Section to
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10 | establish a State grant program that parallels and supplements,
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11 | but operates independently of, the federal grant program
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12 | allocating funds for assistance under Subtitle B of Title VII
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13 | of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 | ||||||
14 | U.S.C. 11431
et seq.) and to establish a State grant program to | ||||||
15 | support
school districts throughout this State in facilitating | ||||||
16 | the
enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children | ||||||
17 | and
youth. | ||||||
18 | (b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education
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19 | shall award competitive grants under an Education of Homeless
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20 | Children and Youth State Grant Program to applicant school
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21 | districts in accordance with this Section. Services provided by
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22 | school districts through the use of grant funds may not replace
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23 | the regular academic program and must be designed to expand
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1 | upon or improve services provided for homeless students as part
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2 | of the school's regular academic program. | ||||||
3 | (c) A school district that desires to receive a grant under
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4 | this Section shall submit an application to the State Board of
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5 | Education at such time, in such manner, and containing or
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6 | accompanied by such information as the State Board of Education
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7 | may reasonably require. | ||||||
8 | (d) Grants must be awarded on the basis of the need of the
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9 | school district for assistance under this Section and the
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10 | quality of the applications submitted. | ||||||
11 | (1) In determining need under this subsection (d), the
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12 | State Board of Education may consider the number of
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13 | homeless children and youths enrolled in preschool,
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14 | elementary school, and secondary school within the school
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15 | district and shall consider the needs of such children and
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16 | youths and the ability of the district to meet such needs.
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17 | The State Board of Education may also consider the
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18 | following: | ||||||
19 | (A) The extent to which the proposed use of funds
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20 | will facilitate the enrollment, retention, and
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21 | educational success of homeless children and youths. | ||||||
22 | (B) The extent to which the application (i)
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23 | reflects coordination with other local and State
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24 | agencies that serve homeless children and youths and
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25 | (ii) describes how the applicant will meet the
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26 | requirements of this Act and the federal
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1 | McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance
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2 | Improvements Act of 2001. | ||||||
3 | (C) The extent to which the applicant exhibits in
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4 | the application and in current practice a commitment to
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5 | education for all homeless children and youths. | ||||||
6 | (D) Such other criteria as the State Board
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7 | determines is appropriate. | ||||||
8 | (2) In determining the quality of applications under
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9 | this subsection (d), the State Board of Education shall
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10 | consider the following: | ||||||
11 | (A) The applicant's assessment of needs and the
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12 | likelihood that the services presented in the
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13 | application will meet such needs. | ||||||
14 | (B) The types, intensity, and coordination of the
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15 | services to be provided. | ||||||
16 | (C) The involvement of parents or guardians of
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17 | homeless children or youths in the education of these
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18 | children. | ||||||
19 | (D) The extent to which homeless children and
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20 | youths are effectively integrated within the regular
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21 | education program. | ||||||
22 | (E) The quality of the applicant's evaluation plan
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23 | for the services. | ||||||
24 | (F) The extent to which services provided will be
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25 | coordinated with other services available to homeless
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26 | children and youths and their families. |
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1 | (G) Such other measures as the State Board
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2 | considers indicative of high-quality services, such
as | ||||||
3 | the extent to which the school district will provide
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4 | case management or related services to unaccompanied
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5 | youths. | ||||||
6 | (e) Grants awarded under this Section shall be for terms
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7 | not to exceed 3 years, but are subject to annual appropriation | ||||||
8 | for
the Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant | ||||||
9 | Program. School districts shall use funds awarded under this | ||||||
10 | Section only for those activities set forth in Section 723(d) | ||||||
11 | of Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless | ||||||
12 | Assistance Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 11433(d)). | ||||||
13 | (f) The State Board of Education may use up to 5% of the
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14 | funds appropriated for the purposes of this Section for
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15 | administrative costs, including the hiring of positions for the
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16 | implementation and administration of the grant program,
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17 | provided that if no appropriation is made to the State Board of | ||||||
18 | Education
for a given fiscal year for the purposes of the grant | ||||||
19 | program,
then the State Board of Education is not required to | ||||||
20 | make any expenditures
in support of the program during that | ||||||
21 | fiscal year.
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