Public Act 104-0257
 
HB2966 EnrolledLRB104 11974 LNS 22068 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 
2-3.206 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.206 new)
    Sec. 2-3.206. School district reorganization feasibility 
studies; grant program. 
    (a) The State Board of Education may award grants to 
school districts for the purpose of incentivizing those 
districts to conduct reorganization feasibility studies.
    (b) To be eligible for a grant under this Section, the 
board of the school district that is applying for the grant 
shall:
        (1) negotiate a proposed agreement to secure the 
    services of a third party consultant who will conduct the 
    reorganization feasibility study;
        (2) adopt a resolution that is signed by the board 
    president of the district and calls for the initiation of 
    a school district reorganization feasibility study in 
    accordance with the terms of the proposed agreement and 
    any rules adopted by the State Board of Education; and
        (3) submit the completed agreement form, the signed 
    board resolution, and such other information as the State 
    Board of Education may, by administrative rule, require, 
    to the regional office of education or the executive 
    director of the intermediate service center for the 
    district for approval.
    (c) Upon receipt of a complete application from a 
district, the regional office of education or the executive 
director of the intermediate service center shall either (i) 
approve the agreement and send the agreement to the State 
Board of Education or (ii) disapprove the agreement and return 
the agreement to the district with a letter of explanation.
    (d) From funds appropriated to it for that purpose, the 
State Board of Education may award grants under this Section 
to districts for which it receives an approved agreement under 
subsection (c) for costs incurred by those districts to 
conduct a reorganization feasibility study.
    (e) To ensure that eligible districts are aware of the 
grant-funding opportunities provided under this Section, the 
State Board of Education shall annually notify the board and 
superintendent of each school district in the State of the 
availability of grant funds for the purpose of conducting 
school district reorganization feasibility studies and shall 
provide with that notice all of the following information:
        (1) information concerning the procedures for applying 
    for grant funding under this Section during the next award 
    cycle;
        (2) a description of the total dollar value of grant 
    funds that are available to be awarded during the next 
    award cycle; and
        (3) a list of third-party consultants who have 
    experience conducting feasibility studies in Illinois.
    (f) Every 2 years, each board that receives a notice under 
subsection (e) may include the question of whether to pursue 
grant funding under this Section as an action item on the 
agenda at one of its meetings.
    (g) When issuing grants under this Section, the State 
Board of Education may provide a school district up to the 
maximum reimbursement amount set by the State Board of 
Education, for the purpose of covering all or part of the costs 
borne by the school district to conduct a reorganization 
feasibility study. In awarding grants under this Section, the 
State Board of Education shall prioritize the awarding of 
grants to districts that are contiguous with one another, 
districts that have similar property tax rates, districts with 
similar per-pupil adequacy funding, and, beginning in State 
fiscal year 2030, other districts that have been identified as 
priority districts by the State Board of Education pursuant to 
rules adopted under subsection (i).
    (h) No school district may be awarded a grant under this 
Section in any 2 consecutive award cycles.
    (i) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules it 
deems necessary to implement and administer the program of 
grant funding established under this Section, including, but 
not limited to, rules establishing the criteria that must be 
met by the third-party consultants who will perform the 
feasibility studies described in this Section, rules 
describing minimum criteria to be included in agreements 
executed with the third-party consultants who will perform the 
feasibility studies described in this Section, and, beginning 
in State fiscal year 2030, rules identifying additional types 
of school districts to be prioritized for grant funding under 
this Section. In State fiscal year 2035, and every 5 years 
thereafter, the State Board of Education shall reevaluate and, 
if necessary, amend the rules identifying additional types of 
school districts to be prioritized for grant funding under 
this Section.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.