Section 705.20  Application Procedure

a)                  Subject to appropriation of funds for the Program, the State Board may award grants to districts for which it receives an approved agreement under Section 2-3.206(c) of the Code.

1)         The principal district shall submit the completed application to the ROE or the executive director of the ISC, as applicable, no later than December 1 of the fiscal year for which the grant is sought. If the reorganization study involves more than one region, the documents must be submitted to the ROE or executive director having jurisdiction over the district with the greatest amount of equalized assessed valuation for approval, with copies and notice of submission provided simultaneously to other affected regional offices of education or executive directors.

2)         The ROE or the executive director, as applicable, shall review and either approve or disapprove the application within five business days of submission according to the criteria established under this Part. Disapproved applications may be corrected and resubmitted to the ROE or the executive director by December 15. The ROE or the executive director must forward approved applications electronically to the State Superintendent by December 15.

b)                  To ensure that eligible districts are aware of the grant-funding opportunities, the State Superintendent will annually notify the board and superintendent of each school district in the State of the availability of grant funds (Section 2-3.206(d) of the Code).

c)                  The application shall include certifications and assurances that the State Superintendent will require.

d)                  Each application shall be submitted electronically in a format provided by the State Superintendent. Each application shall include the following information:

1)         a completed application cover page in a format provided by the State Superintendent;

2)         a copy of the proposed agreement to secure the services of a third-party consultant who will conduct the reorganization feasibility study. The agreement must comply with the requirements of Section 705.50 and must be entered into during the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded; and

3)         a resolution that is signed by the board president of each district applying for the grant. The resolution must call for the initiation of a school district reorganization feasibility study in accordance with the terms of the proposed agreement and this Part.

e)                  Applications submitted to the State Superintendent by December 15 will be given priority consideration. Late applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis if funding is still available.