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Public Act 097-0570
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| HB3115 Enrolled | LRB097 07760 NHT 47872 b |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section |
2-3.153 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.153 new) |
Sec. 2-3.153. Textbook block grant program. |
(a) The provisions of this Section are in the public |
interest, for the public benefit, and serve secular public |
purposes. |
(b) As used in this Section, "textbook" means any book or |
book substitute that a pupil uses as a text or text substitute, |
including electronic textbooks. "Textbook" includes books, |
reusable workbooks, manuals, whether bound or in loose-leaf |
form, instructional computer software, and electronic |
textbooks and the technological equipment necessary to gain |
access to and use electronic textbooks intended as a principal |
source of study material for a given class or group of |
students. "Textbook" also includes science curriculum |
materials in a kit format that includes pre-packaged consumable |
materials if (i) it is shown that the materials serve as a |
textbook substitute, (ii) the materials are for use by the |
pupils as a principal learning source, (iii) each component of |
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the materials is integrally necessary to teach the requirements |
of the intended course, (iv) the kit includes teacher guidance |
materials, and (v) the purchase of individual consumable |
materials is not allowed. |
(c) Beginning July 1, 2011, subject to annual appropriation |
by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education is |
authorized to provide annual funding to public school districts |
and State-recognized, non-public schools serving students in |
grades kindergarten through 12 for the purchase of selected |
textbooks. The textbooks authorized to be purchased under this |
Section are limited without exception to textbooks that have |
been preapproved and designated by the State Board of Education |
for use in any public school and that are secular, |
non-religious, and non-sectarian. The State Board of Education |
shall annually publish a list of the textbooks authorized to be |
purchased under this Section. Each public school district and |
State-recognized, non-public school shall, subject to |
appropriations for that purpose, receive a per pupil grant for |
the purchase of secular textbooks. The per pupil grant amount |
must be calculated by the State Board of Education utilizing |
the total appropriation
made for these purposes divided by the |
most current student
enrollment data available. |
(d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as |
necessary for the implementation of this Section and to ensure |
the religious neutrality of the textbook block grant program, |
as well as provide for the monitoring of all textbooks |