Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 094-0981
Illinois General Assembly

Previous General Assemblies

Public Act 094-0981


 

Public Act 0981 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY



 


 
Public Act 094-0981
 
SB2336 Enrolled LRB094 16406 NHT 54025 b

    AN ACT concerning schools.
 
    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) 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) 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 to
    schools in which 40% or more of their students are eligible
    for free and reduced price meals 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 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) 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.)
 
    (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 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 March 1, a report that
provides all of the following:
        (1) A list by school district of all schools, the total
    student enrollment, and the number of children eligible for
    free, reduced price, and paid breakfasts and lunches.
        (2) 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.), and a list of schools that have dropped either
    school lunch or school breakfast programs during the past
    year and the reasons why, and a list of school districts
    and schools granted an exemption from a regional
    superintendent of schools.
    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 in coordination with the State Board of
Education's Child Nutrition Advisory Council and 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.)
 
    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) 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, 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 count on October 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 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 November 15 of each year to request to be exempt
from the school breakfast program 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 He or
she shall convene a public hearing to hear testimony from the
school district and interested community members. The regional
superintendent shall, by December 15, inform the school
district of his or her decision, along with the reasons why the
exemption was granted or denied, in writing. 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 for 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 September 1 of the subsequent
school year. However, the school district or a resident of the
school district may appeal the decision of the regional
superintendent to the State Superintendent of Education. No
later than February 15 of each year, the State Superintendent
shall hear appeals on the decisions of regional superintendents
of schools. 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 for 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
September 1 of the subsequent school year.
    A school district may not attempt to opt out 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.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 6/30/2006