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92_HB5660eng HB5660 Engrossed LRB9213014NTpk 1 AN ACT in relation to schools. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 5 2-3.131 as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.131 new) 7 Sec. 2-3.131. K-3 class size reduction grant program. A 8 class size reduction grant program is hereby created. The 9 program shall be implemented and administered by the State 10 Board of Education, which shall award grants to school 11 districts that meet the criteria established by this Section 12 for the award of those grants. The State Board of Education 13 shall award grants from appropriations made for the purposes 14 of this Section. 15 Grants shall be awarded pursuant to application. The 16 form and manner of applications and the criteria for the 17 award of grants shall be prescribed by the State Board of 18 Education. However, the grant criteria as so prescribed 19 shall provide that (i) only those districts that maintain 20 grades kindergarten through 3 shall be grant eligible, (ii) 21 no grant funds shall be used for grades other than 22 kindergarten through 3, (iii) no grant funds shall be awarded 23 to a district if the average class size in grades 24 kindergarten through 3 is already 18 pupils or fewer, and 25 (iv) where feasible, districts must target these grant funds 26 to the grade level where class sizes are highest or to the 27 school or schools where class sizes are highest. 28 Grants awarded to eligible districts under this Section 29 shall be used and applied by the districts to defray the 30 costs and expenses of operating and maintaining classes in 31 grades kindergarten through 3 that are directly impacted by HB5660 Engrossed -2- LRB9213014NTpk 1 these grant funds. 2 The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules, 3 consistent with the requirements of this Section, that are 4 necessary to implement and administer the K-3 class size 5 reduction grant program. 6 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 7 1, 2002.