Bill Text: IL SB2391 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that a community school may also be a nonpublic school. Restores provisions describing what a community school is in the legislative findings. Restores certain grant proposal provisions. Provides that a school may (instead of must) provide certain items to qualify for a grant. Restores language concerning the provision of a program director or resource coordinator. Effective June 1, 2024.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-07-05 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0265 [SB2391 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2391-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 103-0265
SB2391 Enrolled LRB103 27206 RJT 53576 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 changing Section
2-3.152 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.152)
Sec. 2-3.152. Community schools.
(a) This Section applies beginning with the 2024-2025
2009-2010 school year.
(b) The General Assembly finds all of the following:
(1) All children are capable of success.
(2) Schools are the centers of vibrant communities.
(3) Strong families build strong educational
communities.
(4) Children succeed when adults work together to
foster positive educational outcomes.
(5) Schools work best when families take active roles
in the education of children.
(6) Schools today are limited in their ability to
dedicate time and resources to provide a wide range of
educational opportunities to students because of the focus
on standardized test outcomes.
(7) By providing learning opportunities outside of

normal school hours, including programs on life skills and
health, students are more successful academically, more
engaged in their communities, safer, and better prepared
to make a successful transition from school to adulthood.
(8) A community school is a public school or nonpublic
school that establishes a set of strategic partnerships
between the school and other community resources that
promote student achievement, positive learning conditions,
and the well-being of students by providing wraparound
services and traditional school that actively partners
with its community to leverage existing resources and
identify new resources to support the transformation of
the school to provide enrichment and additional life skill
opportunities for students, parents, and community members
at-large. Each community school is unique because its
programming is designed by and for the school staff, in
partnership with parents, community stakeholders, and
students.
(9) Community schools currently exist in this State in
urban, rural, and suburban communities.
(10) Research shows that community schools have a
powerful positive impact on students, as demonstrated by
increased academic success, a positive change in attitudes
toward school and learning, and decreased behavioral
problems.
(11) After-school and evening programs offered by

community schools provide academic enrichment consistent
with the Illinois Learning Standards and general school
curriculum; an opportunity for physical fitness activities
for students, fine arts programs, structured learning
"play" time, and other recreational opportunities; a safe
haven for students; and work supports for working
families.
(12) Community schools are cost-effective because they
leverage existing resources provided by local, State,
federal, and private sources and bring programs to the
schools, where the students are already congregated.
Community schools have been shown to leverage between $5
to $8 in existing programming for every $1 spent on a
community school.
(c) Subject to an appropriation or the availability of
State or federal funding for such purposes, the State Board of
Education shall make grants available to fund community
schools and to enhance programs at community schools. A
request-for-proposal process must be used in awarding grants
under this subsection (c). Proposals may be submitted on
behalf of a school, a school district, or a consortium of 2 or
more schools or school districts. Proposals must be evaluated
and scored on the basis of criteria consistent with this
Section and other factors developed and adopted by the State
Board of Education. Technical assistance in grant writing must
be made available to schools, school districts, or consortia

of school districts through the State Board of Education
directly or through a resource and referral directory
established and maintained by the State Board of Education.
(d) As used in this subsection (d), "trauma-informed
intervention" means a method for understanding and responding
to an individual with symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma
or traumatic stress.
In order to qualify for a community school grant under
this Section, a school may must, at a minimum, provide the
following have the following components:
(1) Before and after-school programming each school
day to meet the identified needs of students.
(2) Weekend programming.
(3) Summer At least 4 weeks of summer programming.
(4) A local advisory group comprised of school
leadership, parents, and community stakeholders that
establishes school-specific programming goals, assesses
program needs, and oversees the process of implementing
expanded programming.
(5) A program director, or resource coordinator, or
community school coordinator who is responsible for
establishing a local advisory group, assessing the needs
of students and community members, identifying programs to
meet those needs, developing the before and after-school,
weekend, and summer programming and overseeing the
implementation of programming to ensure high quality,

efficiency, and robust participation.
(6) Programming that includes academic excellence
aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, life skills,
healthy minds and bodies, parental support,
trauma-informed intervention, and community engagement and
that promotes staying in school and non-violent behavior
and non-violent conflict resolution.
(7) Maintenance of attendance records in all
programming components.
(8) Maintenance of measurable data showing annual
participation and the impact of programming on the
participating children and adults.
(9) Documentation of true collaboration between the
school and community stakeholders, including local
governmental units, civic organizations, families,
businesses, and social service providers.
(10) A non-discrimination policy ensuring that the
community school does not condition participation upon
race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, or disability.
(11) Wraparound services, including:
(A) safe transportation to school;
(B) vision and dental care services;
(C) established or expanded school-based health
center services;
(D) additional social workers, mentors,
counselors, psychologists, and restorative practice

coaches and enhancing physical wellness, including
providing healthy food for in-school and out-of-school
time and linkages to community providers;
(E) enhanced behavioral health services, including
access to mental health practitioners and providing
professional development to school staff to provide
trauma-informed interventions;
(F) family and community engagement and support,
including informing parents of academic course
offerings, language classes, workforce development
training, opportunities for children, and available
social services, as well as educating families on how
to monitor a child's learning;
(G) student enrichment experiences; and
(H) professional development for teachers and
school staff to quickly identify students who are in
need of these resources.
(Source: P.A. 96-746, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1,
2024.