HB4766 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 18555 NHT 44276 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4766

Introduced 02/04/04, by Elaine Nekritz

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/14-7.03	from Ch. 122, par. 14-7.03
105 ILCS 5/18-3	from Ch. 122, par. 18-3

Amends the School Code. Makes technical changes in Sections concerning special education classes and tuition for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes, and in-State housing units.

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 Code is amended by changing Sections 14-7.03 and 18-3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/14-7.03) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-7.03)

Sec. 14-7.03. Special Education Classes for Children from Orphanages, Foster Family Homes, Children's Homes, or in State Housing Units. If a school district maintains special education classes on the site of orphanages and children's homes, or if children from the orphanages, children's homes, foster family homes, other State agencies, or State residential units for children attend classes for children with disabilities in which the school district is a participating member of a joint agreement, or if the children from the orphanages, children's homes, foster family homes, other State agencies, or State residential units attend classes for the children with disabilities maintained by the school district, then reimbursement shall be paid to eligible districts in accordance with the provisions of this Section by the Comptroller as directed by the State Superintendent of Education.

The amount of tuition for such children shall be determined by the actual cost of maintaining such classes, using the per capita cost formula set forth in Section 14-7.01 of this Code, such program and cost to be pre-approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

On forms prepared by the State Superintendent of Education, the district shall certify to the regional superintendent the following:

(1) The name of the home or State residential unit with the name of the owner or proprietor and address of those maintaining it;

(2) That no service charges or other payments authorized by law were collected in lieu of taxes therefrom or on account thereof during either of the calendar years included in the school year for which claim is being made;

(3) The number of children qualifying under this Act in special education classes for instruction on the site of the orphanages and children's homes;

(4) The number of children attending special education classes for children with disabilities in which the district is a participating member of a special education joint agreement;

(5) The number of children attending special education classes for children with disabilities maintained by the district;

(6) The computed amount of tuition payment claimed as due, as approved by the State Superintendent of Education, for maintaining these classes.

If a school district makes a claim for reimbursement under Section 18-3 or 18-4 of this Act it shall not include in any claim filed under this Section a claim for such children. Payments authorized by law, including State or federal grants for education of children included in this Section, shall be deducted in determining the tuition amount.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to prohibit reimbursement for the tuition of children placed in for profit facilities. Private facilities shall provide adequate space at the facility for special education classes provided by a school district or joint agreement for children with disabilities who are residents of the facility at no cost to the school district or joint agreement upon request of the school district or joint agreement. If such a private facility provides space at no cost to the district or joint agreement for special education classes provided to children with disabilities who are residents of the facility, the district or joint agreement shall not include any costs for the use of those facilities in its claim for reimbursement.

Reimbursement for tuition may include the cost of providing summer school programs for children with severe and profound disabilities served under this Section. Claims for that reimbursement shall be filed by November 1 and shall be paid on or before December 15 from appropriations made for the purposes of this Section.

The State Board of Education shall establish such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

Claims filed on behalf of programs operated under this Section housed in a jail, detention center, or county-owned shelter care facility shall be on an individual student basis only for eligible students with disabilities. These claims shall be in accordance with applicable rules.

Each district claiming reimbursement for a program operated as a group program shall have an approved budget on file with the State Board of Education prior to the initiation of the program's operation. On September 30, December 31, and March 31, the State Board of Education shall voucher payments to group programs based upon the approved budget during the year of operation. Final claims for group payments shall be filed on or before July 15. Final claims for group programs received at the State Board of Education on or before June 15 shall be vouchered by June 30. Final claims received at the State Board of Education between June 16 and July 15 shall be vouchered by August 30. Claims for group programs received after July 15 shall not be honored.

Each district claiming reimbursement for individual students shall have the eligibility of those students verified by the State Board of Education. On September 30, December 31, and March 31, the State Board of Education shall voucher payments for individual students based upon an estimated cost calculated from the prior year's claim. Final claims for individual students for the regular school term must be received at the State Board of Education by July 15. Claims for individual students received after July 15 shall not be honored. Final claims for individual students shall be vouchered by August 30.

Reimbursement shall be made based upon approved group programs or individual students. The State Superintendent of Education shall direct the Comptroller to pay a specified amount to the district by the 30th day of September, December, March, June, or August, respectively. However, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section or the School Code, beginning with fiscal year 1994 and each fiscal year thereafter, if the amount appropriated for any fiscal year is less than the amount required for purposes of this Section, the amount required to eliminate any insufficient reimbursement for each district claim under this Section shall be reimbursed on August 30 of the next fiscal year. Payments required to eliminate any insufficiency for prior fiscal year claims shall be made before any claims are paid for the current fiscal year.

The claim of a school district otherwise eligible to be reimbursed in accordance with Section 14-12.01 for the 1976-77 school year but for this amendatory Act of 1977 shall not be paid unless the district ceases to maintain such classes for one entire school year.

If a school district's current reimbursement payment for the 1977-78 school year only is less than the prior year's reimbursement payment owed, the district shall be paid the amount of the difference between the payments in addition to the current reimbursement payment, and the amount so paid shall be subtracted from the amount of prior year's reimbursement payment owed to the district.

Regional superintendents may operate special education classes for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes or State housing units located within the educational services region upon consent of the school board otherwise so obligated. In electing to assume the powers and duties of a school district in providing and maintaining such a special education program, the regional superintendent may enter into joint agreements with other districts and may contract with public or private schools or the orphanage, foster family home, children's home or State housing unit for provision of the special education program. The regional superintendent exercising the powers granted under this Section shall claim the reimbursement authorized by this Section directly from the State Board of Education.

Any child who is not a resident of Illinois who is placed in a child welfare institution, private facility, foster family home, State operated program, orphanage or children's home shall have the payment for his educational tuition and any related services assured by the placing agent.

Commencing July 1, 1992, for each disabled student who is placed residentially by a State agency or the courts for care or custody or both care and custody, welfare, medical or mental health treatment or both medical and mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and protection, whether placed there on, before, or after July 1, 1992, the costs for educating the student are eligible for reimbursement under this Section providing the placing agency or court has notified the appropriate school district authorities of the status of student residency where applicable prior to or upon placement.

The district of residence of the parent, guardian, or disabled student as defined in Sections 14-1.11 and 14-1.11a is responsible for the actual costs of the student's special education program and is eligible for reimbursement under this Section when placement is made by a State agency or the courts. Payments shall be made by the resident district to the district wherein the facility is located no less than once per quarter unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties.

When a dispute arises over the determination of the district of residence, the district or districts may appeal the decision in writing to the State Superintendent of Education. The decision of the State Superintendent of Education shall be final.

In the event a district does not make a tuition payment to another district that is providing the special education program and services, the State Board of Education shall immediately withhold 125% of the then remaining annual tuition cost from the State aid or categorical aid payment due to the school district that is determined to be the resident school district. All funds withheld by the State Board of Education shall immediately be forwarded to the school district where the student is being served.

When a child eligible for services under this Section 14-7.03 must be placed in a nonpublic facility, that facility shall meet the programmatic requirements of Section 14-7.02 and its regulations, and the educational services shall be funded only in accordance with this Section 14-7.03.

(Source: P.A. 92-597, eff. 7-1-02; 92-877, eff. 1-7-03; 93-609, eff. 11-20-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/18-3) (from Ch. 122, par. 18-3)

Sec. 18-3. Tuition of children from orphanages and children's homes.

When the children from any home for orphans, dependent, abandoned or maladjusted children maintained by any organization or association admitting to such home children from the State in general or when children residing in a school district wherein the State of Illinois maintains and operates any welfare or penal institution on property owned by the State of Illinois, which contains houses, housing units or housing accommodations within a school district, attend grades kindergarten through 12 of the public schools maintained by that school district, the State Superintendent of Education shall direct the State Comptroller to pay a specified amount sufficient to pay the annual tuition cost of such children who attended such public schools during the regular school year ending on June 30 or the summer term for that school year, and the Comptroller shall pay the amount after receipt of a voucher submitted by the State Superintendent of Education.

The amount of the tuition for such children attending the public schools of the district shall be determined by the State Superintendent of Education by multiplying the number of such children in average daily attendance in such schools by 1.2 times the total annual per capita cost of administering the schools of the district. Such total annual per capita cost shall be determined by totaling all expenses of the school district in the educational, operations and maintenance, bond and interest, transportation, Illinois municipal retirement, and rent funds for the school year preceding the filing of such tuition claims less expenditures not applicable to the regular K-12 program, less offsetting revenues from State sources except those from the common school fund, less offsetting revenues from federal sources except those from federal impaction aid, less student and community service revenues, plus a depreciation allowance; and dividing such total by the average daily attendance for the year.

Annually on or before June 30 the superintendent of the district upon forms prepared by the State Superintendent of Education shall certify to the regional superintendent the following:

1. The name of the home and of the organization or association maintaining it; or the legal description of the real estate upon which the house, housing units, or housing accommodations are located and that no taxes or service charges or other payments authorized by law to be made in lieu of taxes were collected therefrom or on account thereof during either of the calendar years included in the school year for which claim is being made;

2. The number of children from the home or living in such houses, housing units or housing accommodations and attending the schools of the district;

3. The total number of children attending the schools of the district;

4. The per capita tuition charge of the district; and

5. The computed amount of the tuition payment claimed as due.

Whenever the persons in charge of such home for orphans, dependent, abandoned or maladjusted children have received from the parent or guardian of any such child or by virtue of an order of court a specific allowance for educating such child, such persons shall pay to the school board in the district where the child attends school such amount of the allowance as is necessary to pay the tuition required by such district for the education of the child. If the allowance is insufficient to pay the tuition in full the State Superintendent of Education shall direct the Comptroller to pay to the district the difference between the total tuition charged and the amount of the allowance.

Whenever the facilities of a school district in which such house, housing units or housing accommodations are located, are limited, pupils may be assigned by that district to the schools of any adjacent district to the limit of the facilities of the adjacent district to properly educate such pupils as shall be determined by the school board of the adjacent district, and the State Superintendent of Education shall direct the Comptroller to pay a specified amount sufficient to pay the annual tuition of the children so assigned to and attending public schools in the adjacent districts and the Comptroller shall draw his warrant upon the State Treasurer for the payment of such amount for the benefit of the adjacent school districts in the same manner as for districts in which the houses, housing units or housing accommodations are located.

The school district shall certify to the State Superintendent of Education the report of claims due for such tuition payments on or before July 31. Failure on the part of the school board to certify its claim on July 31 shall constitute a forfeiture by the district of its right to the payment of any such tuition claim for the school year. The State Superintendent of Education shall direct the Comptroller to pay to the district, on or before August 15, the amount due the district for the school year in accordance with the calculation of the claim as set forth in this Section.

Claims for tuition for children from any home for orphans or dependent, abandoned, or maladjusted children beginning with the 1993-1994 school year shall be paid on a current year basis. On September 30, December 31, and March 31, the State Board of Education shall voucher payments for districts with those students based on an estimated cost calculated from the prior year's claim. Final claims for those students for the regular school term and summer term must be received at the State Board of Education by July 31 following the end of the regular school year. Final claims for those students shall be vouchered by August 15. During fiscal year 1994 both the 1992-1993 school year and the 1993-1994 school year shall be paid in order to change the cycle of payment from a reimbursement basis to a current year funding basis of payment. However, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section or the School Code, beginning with fiscal year 1994 and each fiscal year thereafter , if the amount appropriated for any fiscal year is less than the amount required for purposes of this Section, the amount required to eliminate any insufficient reimbursement for each district claim under this Section shall be reimbursed on August 30 of the next fiscal year. Payments required to eliminate any insufficiency for prior fiscal year claims shall be made before any claims are paid for the current fiscal year.

If a school district makes a claim for reimbursement under Section 18-4 or 14-7.03 it shall not include in any claim filed under this Section children residing on the property of State institutions included in its claim under Section 18-4 or 14-7.03.

Any child who is not a resident of Illinois who is placed in a child welfare institution, private facility, State operated program, orphanage or children's home shall have the payment for his educational tuition and any related services assured by the placing agent.

In order to provide services appropriate to allow a student under the legal guardianship or custodianship of the State to participate in local school district educational programs, costs may be incurred in appropriate cases by the district that are in excess of 1.2 times the district per capita tuition charge allowed under the provisions of this Section. In the event such excess costs are incurred, they must be documented in accordance with cost rules established under the authority of this Section and may then be claimed for reimbursement under this Section.

Planned services for students eligible for this funding must be a collaborative effort between the appropriate State agency or the student's group home or institution and the local school district.

(Source: P.A. 92-94, eff. 1-1-02; 92-597, eff. 7-1-02; 93-609, eff. 11-20-03.)