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| Public Act 094-0904 |
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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Community Service Education
Act.
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Section 5. Policy. Community service education programs | ||||
educate students about the value of civic involvement through | ||||
actual school-sponsored involvement in their communities. | ||||
Students, citizens, civic groups, businesses, and community | ||||
organizations benefit from community service education | ||||
programs by developing strong partnerships that enhance the | ||||
value of schools and quality of life in communities. Community | ||||
service education programs build stronger schools, stronger | ||||
communities, and a positive environment.
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In many communities, the school district is the economic | ||||
engine that provides jobs, economic stability, and prosperity. | ||||
Community service education programs enable more school | ||||
districts and communities to prosper economically while | ||||
promoting good citizenship. School districts that offer | ||||
community service education programs enjoy a significant | ||||
return on their investment. Hence, the policy of the State of | ||||
Illinois is to support such programs by providing incentives to | ||||
encourage school districts to offer community service | ||||
education programs.
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Section 10. Community Service Education Program. There is | ||||
created the Community
Service Education Program, administered | ||||
by the State Board of Education, in cooperation with school | ||||
districts. Participation in this program is voluntary. The | ||||
following items may serve as best practices to be considered by | ||||
school districts opting to implement the program under Section | ||||
25 of this Act:
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(1) The program contains provisions and standards | ||
conducive to the establishment of
community, business, and | ||
education partnerships that give use to lasting
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relationships between school districts and partners that | ||
are mutually beneficial.
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(2) The program provides greater community access to | ||
school facilities and programs to
promote increased | ||
achievement by children.
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(3) The program makes school facilities available for | ||
citizen use.
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(4) The program organizes local residents to assess | ||
local conditions, set priorities,
identify program needs, | ||
and participate in program planning and development.
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(5) The program identifies and utilizes resources | ||
within the community or those that
impact on the community.
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(6) The program assists in the initiation of new and | ||
improved programs in an effort to
improve opportunities for | ||
all residents of the community.
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(7) The program provides effective youth training | ||
programs and employment counseling
in schools, as well as | ||
paid work experience linking the schools with the
private
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sector.
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(8) The program provides student involvement in | ||
community service learning activities,
organizations, and | ||
intergenerational programs.
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(9) The program provides volunteer programs to bring | ||
parents, business
personnel,
community agency | ||
representatives, retirees, and other students into the
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classroom
as participants in the teaching of students.
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(10) The program provides supplemental or additional | ||
programs for junior high school
and high school age youth | ||
that may consist of enrichment, individual, and
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supplemental activities, as well as recreational, | ||
cultural, and vocational
programs.
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(11) The program provides programs to meet the | ||
individual needs of all people who
reside in the school | ||
district being served.
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Nothing set forth in items (7) through (11) shall be | ||
constituted as either
requiring or
permitting the Community | ||
Service Education Program to have any program or programs
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serving
the same purpose or purposes as those elsewhere | ||
specifically provided for in
the School
Code.
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The Community Service Education Program shall avoid | ||
duplication of existing programs operated by other
entities
in | ||
whole or in part within a school district. The Community | ||
Service Education Program
shall
provide for the involvement of | ||
the residents of a school district in
ascertaining the
identity | ||
of local problems and in ascertaining the community resources | ||
available
for dealing
with these problems.
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Section 25. Establishment of community service education | ||
program by school district. A
school district may establish | ||
and operate a community service education program that | ||
qualifies for a grant under Section 92 of this Act by complying | ||
with
the
provisions of this Act and any rules adopted by the | ||
State Board of Education under Section 500 of this Act.
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Section 60. Local input. Each school board that establishes | ||
a community service education program under Section 25 of this | ||
Act shall establish a process to obtain input into the | ||
development and operation of its community service education | ||
program by members who represent various service
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organizations,
churches, public schools, units of local | ||
government, businesses and
professions, public
and private | ||
agencies serving youth, families, or senior citizens, | ||
municipal
governments,
townships, libraries, park, recreation, | ||
or forest preserve districts located in
whole or in
part within | ||
the school district, and any other group or groups | ||
participating in
the school
district's community service | ||
education program.
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Section 65. Director of Community Service Education. Each | ||
school district
maintaining
a community service education | ||
program established under Section 25 of this Act shall employ | ||
or appoint a Director of Community
Service Education. The | ||
Director
shall be
responsible for all aspects of the school | ||
district's community service education
program. An individual | ||
employed solely as a Director of Community Service Education | ||
need not hold a teaching or administrative certificate from the | ||
State of Illinois.
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Section 75. Non-duplication of programs. A school district | ||
that establishes a community service education program under | ||
Section 25 of this Act must strive to ensure that its community | ||
service education program does not duplicate services offered | ||
by other entities or school programs.
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Section 80. Community service education consortiums. Any | ||
school district that opts
to
conduct a community service | ||
education program pursuant to the provisions of this Act
may | ||
enter
into an agreement with other school districts
to form a
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consortium for the purpose of offering a consolidated community | ||
service education
program.
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Section 85. Partnership agreements. A school district | ||
community service education
program established under Section | ||
25 of this Act shall have the power to enter into agreements | ||
with any other public or
private
entity or entities for the | ||
furnishing of any component of its community
service education
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program. These agreements may
provide
for payments from the | ||
school district's community service education fund to other
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entities as
contributions to the expenses of the program or | ||
programs covered by these
agreements.
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Section 90. Funding. A school district maintaining a | ||
community
service education
program established under Section | ||
25 of this Act is authorized to receive money from the State, | ||
as grants that are subject to appropriation, and other public | ||
and private sources for
the
support of its program or any | ||
component thereof and to expend this money
pursuant
to the | ||
provisions of this Act, subject to the terms and conditions | ||
under which
the money
is received. A not-for-profit | ||
organization may be established in support of the program, in | ||
accordance with the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of | ||
1986, and may seek tax exemption for the organization from the | ||
Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Revenue. Subject | ||
to guidelines approved by the school
board, the
school district | ||
is also authorized to charge and collect fees from persons | ||
voluntarily participating in a specific
community
service | ||
education program.
The school board shall also have the | ||
authority to designate funds to be used for community service | ||
education purposes.
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Section 92. Grants. Subject to the availability of funds | ||
for the specific purpose of making grants for community service | ||
education, the State Board of Education is authorized to make | ||
grants to school districts operating community service | ||
education programs that meet the standards set forth in this | ||
Act and any rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
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Section 500. Rules. The State Board of Education may adopt | ||
any rules that are necessary to implement and administer this | ||
Act. | ||
Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. | ||