(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 State residential 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, such program and cost to be pre-approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

If a school district makes a claim for reimbursement under Section 18-3 of this Code 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 Code 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 an orphanage, children's home, private facility, State residential unit, district or joint agreement site, 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 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 June 15. Claims for individual students received after June 15 shall not be honored. Claims received by June 15 may be amended until August 1. Final claims for individual students shall be vouchered by August 31. However, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section or this Code, 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 31 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.

Regional superintendents may operate special education classes for children from orphanages, foster family homes, children's homes, or State residential 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 residential unit for provision of the special education program. The regional superintendent exercising the powers granted under this Section shall be reimbursed for the actual cost of providing such programs by the resident district as defined in Section 14-1.11a.

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.

For each student with a disability who is placed in a residential facility by an Illinois public agency or by any court in this State, the costs for educating the student are eligible for reimbursement under this Section.

The district of residence of the student with a disability as defined in Section 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.

When a dispute arises over the determination of the district of residence under this Section, the district or districts may appeal the decision in writing to the State Superintendent of Education, who, upon review of materials submitted and any other items or information he or she may request for submission, shall issue a written decision on the matter. 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. 101-17, eff. 6-14-19.)