Public Act 096-0158
 
SB1957 Enrolled LRB096 04827 NHT 14892 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act is
amended by changing Sections 2.5 and 4 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 125/2.5)
    Sec. 2.5. Breakfast incentive program. The State Board of
Education shall fund a breakfast incentive program comprised of
the components described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
this Section, provided that a separate appropriation is made
for the purposes of this Section. The State Board of Education
may allocate the appropriation among the program components in
whatever manner the State Board of Education finds will best
serve the goal of increasing participation in school breakfast
programs. If the amount of the appropriation allocated under
paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this Section is insufficient to
fund all claims submitted under that particular paragraph, the
claims under that paragraph shall be prorated.
        (1) Additional funding incentive. The State Board of
    Education may reimburse each sponsor of a school breakfast
    program at least an additional $0.10 for each free,
    reduced-price, and paid breakfast served over and above the
    number of such breakfasts served in the same month during
    the preceding year, provided that the number of breakfasts
    served in a participating school building in that month is
    at least 10% greater than the number of breakfasts served
    in the same month during the preceding year.
        (2) Start-up incentive. The State Board of Education
    may make grants to school boards and welfare centers that
    agree to start a school breakfast program in one or more
    schools or other sites. First priority for these grants
    shall be given through August 15 to schools in which 40% or
    more of their students are eligible for free and reduced
    price meals, based on the school district's previous year's
    October claim, under the National School Lunch Act (42
    U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). Depending on the availability of
    funds and the rate at which funds are being utilized, the
    State Board of Education is authorized to allow additional
    schools or other sites to receive these grants in the order
    in which they are received by the State Board of Education.
    In making additional grants, the State Board of Education
    shall provide for priority to be given to schools with the
    highest percentage of students eligible for free and
    reduced price lunches under the National School Lunch Act.
    The amount of the grant shall be $3,500 for each qualifying
    school or site in which a school breakfast program is
    started. The grants shall be used to pay the start-up costs
    for the school breakfast program, including equipment,
    supplies, and program promotion, but shall not be used for
    food, labor, or other recurring operational costs.
    Applications for the grants shall be made to the State
    Board of Education on forms designated by the State Board
    of Education. Any grantee that fails to operate a school
    breakfast program for at least 3 years after receipt of a
    grant shall refund the amount of the grant to the State
    Board of Education.
        (3) Non-traditional breakfast incentive. Understanding
    that there are barriers to implementing a school breakfast
    program in a traditional setting such as in a cafeteria,
    the State Board of Education may make grants to school
    boards and welfare centers to offer the school breakfast
    program in non-traditional settings or using
    non-traditional methods. Priority will be given to
    applications through August 15 of each year from schools
    that are on the Early Academic Warning List. Depending on
    the availability of funds and the rate at which funds are
    being utilized, the State Board of Education is authorized
    to allow additional schools or other sites to receive these
    grants in the order in which they are received by the State
    Board of Education. The State Board of Education may
    reimburse a school board for each free, reduced-price, or
    paid breakfast served in a school breakfast program located
    in a school in which 80% or more of the students are
    eligible to receive free or reduced price lunches under the
    National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) in an
    amount equal to the difference between (i) the current
    amount reimbursed by the federal government for a free
    breakfast and (ii) the amount actually reimbursed by the
    federal government for that free, reduced-price, or paid
    breakfast. A school board that receives reimbursement
    under this paragraph (3) shall not be eligible in the same
    year to receive reimbursement under paragraph (1) of this
    Section.
(Source: P.A. 93-1086, eff. 2-15-05; 94-981, eff. 6-30-06.)
 
    (105 ILCS 125/4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 712.4)
    Sec. 4. Accounts; copies of menus served; free lunch
program required; report. School boards and welfare centers
shall keep an accurate, detailed and separate account of all
moneys expended for school breakfast programs, school lunch
programs, free breakfast programs, free lunch programs, and
summer food service programs, and of the amounts for which they
are reimbursed by any governmental agency, moneys received from
students and from any other contributors to the program. School
boards and welfare centers shall also keep on file a copy of
all menus served under the programs, which together with all
records of receipts and disbursements, shall be made available
to representatives of the State Board of Education at any time.
    Every public school must have a free lunch program.
    In 2010 2001 and in each subsequent year, the State Board
of Education shall provide to the Governor and the General
Assembly, by a date not later than April March 1, a report that
provides all of the following:
        (1) A list by school district of (i) all schools
    participating in the school breakfast program, (ii) all
    schools' the total student enrollment, (iii) all schools'
    and the number of children eligible for free, reduced
    price, and paid breakfasts and lunches, (iv) all schools'
    incentive moneys received, and (v) all schools'
    participation in Provision Two or Provision Three under the
    Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
        (2) (Blank). A list of schools that have started
    breakfast programs during the past year along with
    information on which schools have utilized the $3,500
    start-up grants and the additional $0.10 per meal increased
    participation incentives established under Section 2.5 of
    this Act.
        (3) A list of schools that have used the school
    breakfast program option outlined in this Act, a list of
    schools that have exercised Provision Two or Provision
    Three under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771
    et seq.), a list of schools that have dropped a either
    school lunch or school breakfast program programs during
    the past year and the reason or reasons why. , and
        (3.5) A a list of school districts and schools granted
    an exemption from a regional superintendent of schools for
    operating a school breakfast program in the next year and
    the reason or reasons why.
    In 2007, 2009, and 2011 the report required by this Section
shall also include information that documents the results of
surveys designed to identify parental interest in school
breakfast programs and documents barriers to establishing
school breakfast programs. To develop the surveys for school
administrators and for parents, the State Board of Education
shall work with local committees that involve parents,
teachers, principals, superintendents, business, and
anti-hunger advocates, organized by the State Board of
Education to foster community involvement. The State Board of
Education is authorized to distribute the surveys in all
schools where there are no school breakfast programs.
(Source: P.A. 93-1086, eff. 2-15-05; 94-981, eff. 6-30-06.)
 
    Section 10. The Childhood Hunger Relief Act is amended by
changing Section 15 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 126/15)
    Sec. 15. School breakfast program.
    (a) The Within 90 days after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and then each
school year thereafter, the board of education of each school
district in this State shall implement and operate a school
breakfast program in the next school year, if a breakfast
program does not currently exist, in accordance with federal
guidelines in each school building within its district in which
at least 40% or more of the students are eligible for free or
reduced-price lunches based upon the current year's count on
October claim 31 of the previous year (for those schools that
participate in the National School Lunch Program) or in which
at least 40% or more of the students are classified as
low-income according to the Fall Housing Data from the previous
year (for those schools that do not participate in the National
School Lunch Program).
    Using the data from the previous school year, the board of
education of each school district in the State shall determine
which schools within their districts will be required to
implement and operate a school breakfast program.
    (b) School districts may charge students who do not meet
federal criteria for free school meals for the breakfasts
served to these students within the allowable limits set by
federal regulations.
    (c) School breakfast programs established under this
Section shall be supported entirely by federal funds and
commodities, charges to students and other participants, and
other available State and local resources, including under the
School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act. Allowable costs for
reimbursement to school districts, in accordance with the
United States Department of Agriculture, include compensation
of employees for the time devoted and identified specifically
to implement the school breakfast program; the cost of
materials acquired, consumed, or expended specifically to
implement the school breakfast program; equipment and other
approved capital expenditures necessary to implement the
school breakfast program; and transportation expenses incurred
specifically to implement and operate the school breakfast
program.
    (d) A school district shall be allowed to opt out a school
or schools from of the school breakfast program requirement of
this Section if it is determined that, due to circumstances
specific to that school district, the expense reimbursement
would not fully cover the costs of implementing and operating a
school breakfast program. The school district shall petition
its regional superintendent of schools by February November 15
of each year to request to be exempt from operating the school
breakfast program in the school or schools in the next school
year requirement. The petition shall include all legitimate
costs associated with implementing and operating a school
breakfast program, the estimated reimbursement from State and
federal sources, and any unique circumstances the school
district can verify that exist that would cause the
implementation and operation of such a program to be cost
prohibitive.
    The regional superintendent of schools shall review the
petition. In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, he or she
shall convene a public hearing to hear testimony from the
school district and interested community members. The regional
superintendent shall, by March December 15 of each year, inform
the school district of his or her decision, along with the
reasons why the exemption was granted or denied, in writing.
The regional superintendent must also send notification to the
State Board of Education detailing which schools requested an
exemption and the results. If the regional superintendent
grants an exemption to the school district, then the school
district is relieved from the requirement to establish and
implement a school breakfast program in the school or schools
granted an exemption for the next that school year.
    If the regional superintendent of schools does not grant an
exemption to the school district, then the school district
shall implement and operate a school breakfast program in
accordance with this Section by the first student attendance
day of the next school year September 1 of the subsequent
school year. However, the school district or a resident of the
school district may by April 15 appeal the decision of the
regional superintendent to the State Superintendent of
Education. The No later than February 15 of each year, the
State Superintendent shall hear appeals on the decisions of
regional superintendents of schools no later than May 15 of
each year. The State Superintendent shall make a final decision
at the conclusion of the hearing on the school district's
request for an exemption from the school breakfast program
requirement. If the State Superintendent grants an exemption to
the school district, then the school district is relieved from
the requirement to implement and operate a school breakfast
program in the school or schools granted an exemption for the
next that school year. If the State Superintendent does not
grant an exemption to the school district, then the school
district shall implement and operate a school breakfast program
in accordance with this Section by the first student attendance
day September 1 of the next subsequent school year.
    A school district may not attempt to opt out a school or
schools from of the school breakfast program requirement of
this Section by requesting a waiver under Section 2-3.25g of
the School Code.
(Source: P.A. 93-1086, eff. 2-15-05; 94-981, eff. 6-30-06.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2009.