Senate Sponsors: BUTLER. House Sponsors: WINKEL-MITCHELL-MAUTINO-CURRIE-BOLAND Short description: SCH CD-ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to annually cause an audit to be made of the financial statements of all accounts, funds, and moneys of all educational service centers (other than those of an educational service center serving a school district located in Chicago) in the same manner as such audits are made of the financial statements of the accounts, funds, and moneys in the care, custody, or control of regional superintendents. Effective immediately. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.66 from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66 105 ILCS 5/10-22.20 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.20 105 ILCS 5/13A-8 105 ILCS 5/18-8.05 Further amends the School Code. Permits school districts and regional offices of education to claim general State aid for students enrolled in truants' alternative and optional education programs, if those students are receiving services supplemental to a program leading to a high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed for general State aid. Provides that a school district claiming reimbursement for providing services under an approved adult education program may also claim general State aid for those students in the program who are under age 21, who are enrolled in courses accepted for graduation from elementary or high school, and who otherwise meet the requirements of the general State aid formula applicable to Illinois school districts. Establishes a formula for providing funding for alternative school programs operated under the Safe Schools Law. From amounts annually appropriated for such alternative school programs provides that each program will receive $30,000 plus an additional amount based on average daily attendance and low-income eligible pupil counts. Provides for a hold-harmless level of funding for FY 99 with distributions for FY 98 serving as the base year. Authorizes the State Board of Education to retain up to 1.1% of the funding provided during the fiscal year for the alternative school programs for use in assisting in the implementation of and in evaluating those programs. In the State aid formula applicable to alternative schools in the 1998-99 and subsequent school years, authorizes a regional superintendent of schools to contract with a school district or public community college to operate an alternative school, and provides that alternative schools serving more than one educational service region may be operated under such terms as the regional superintendents of those regions may agree. These provisions effective July 1, 1998. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2. Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/1A-8 from Ch. 122, par. 1A-8 105 ILCS 5/1B-8 from Ch. 122, par. 1B-8 Changes the title and further amends the School Code. Authorizes the State Board of Education to certify a school district to be in financial difficulty if the district previously has been so certified and requests to be recertified due to continuing financial problems. Authorizes appropriations to the State Board of Education from the School District Emergency Financial Assistance Fund for distribution to school districts as emergency financial assistance grants in amounts not exceeding $250 per enrolled pupil, and provides that districts may receive emergency financial assistance loans (as permitted under current law) as well as emergency financial assistance grants. FISCAL NOTE, H-AMS 1 & 2 (State Board of Education) Fiscal impact: ISC audits, $45,000; increased general State Aid, negligible; hold harmless provisions, $110,000 to $350,000; financial difficulty amendatory language, as much as $56,250,000 to 20 eligible decertified districts. STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE, H-AMS 1 & 2 (SBE) No change from SBE fiscal note, H-ams 1 & 2. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 3. Changes the interest rate payable on approved loans made to school districts from the School District Emergency Financial Assistance Fund from a simple interest rate of 4% to a simple interest rate equal to 50% of the discount rate on one-year U.S. Treasury Bills as determined by the last auction of those bills that precedes the date on which a district's loan is approved by the State Board of Education. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 4. In the provisions of the State aid formula applicable to alternative schools beginning on July 1, 1998, replaces a proposal under which an alternative school serving more than one educational service region could be operated under such terms as the regional superintendents of those regions agree with a proposal to authorize such an alternative school to be established by the regional superintendents of the regions to be served by that school. GOVERNOR'S AMENDATORY VETO MESSAGE In the provision allowing the State Board of Education to certify a school district to be in financial difficulty if the district previously has been so certified and requests to be recertified due to continuing financial problems, recommends limiting the provision to districts that had an enrollment of no fewer than 4,000 pupils during the 1997-1998 school year. Recommends that no recertification be made under the provision after December 31, 1999. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 90-0802 Last action date: 98-12-15 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 4 SENATE - 0 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status