SPECIAL EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT
The Department of Funding and Disbursements is responsible for the approval and reimbursement of costs for pupils, personnel and services.
In addition, the Department is responsible for:
- The collection and reporting of the special education students ages 3-21 who are eligible or receiving direct and related special education services as of December 1 per the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Verifying student eligibility with the Dept. of Children and Family Services under the Special Education Orphanage Act and residency related issues
- Compiling special education student and personnel data for federal reports of pupils and staff required under IDEA
Items that can be shared with the person who is assigned to Transportation Reimbursement for review.
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS
- School District Transportation (Regular/Vocational/Special Education) provides reimbursement to local education agencies that transport students who reside 1.5 miles or more from their attendance center, attend a vocational program and are transported by their resident district during the school day or transport students with disabilities who have special transportation needs.
- School Bus Instructor and Driver Training provides school bus driver instructor training, state certification and school bus driver training including the development of the school bus driver training curriculum used in these training courses.
A new law that took effect Nov. 30, 2018, expands school districts’ ability to offer free transportation to students who would otherwise walk through areas with a pattern of criminal gang activity. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has issued guidance and resources on implementing Public Act 100-1142. ISBE is providing resources below that include a template letter parents can use to request that their school district review the streets their child(ren) travel to school to determine if a serious safety hazard due to criminal gang activity exists.
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Guidelines
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationEnglish
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationSpanish
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationTagalog
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationFrench
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationPolish
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationChinese
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationArabic
- Criminal Gang Activity Safety Hazard Parent NotificationUrdu
School boards of community consolidated districts, community unit districts, consolidated districts, consolidated high school districts, optional elementary unit districts, combined high school ‑ unit districts, combined school districts if the combined district includes any district which was previously required to provide transportation, and any newly created elementary or high school districts resulting from a high school ‑ unit conversion, a unit to dual conversion, or a multi‑unit conversion if the newly created district includes any area that was previously required to provide transportation shall provide free transportation for pupils residing at a distance of one and one‑half miles or more from any school to which they are assigned for attendance maintained within the district, except for those pupils for whom the school board shall certify to the State Board of Education that adequate transportation for the public is available.
Each school board may provide free transportation for any pupil residing within 1 1/2 miles from the school attended where conditions are such that walking, either to or from the school to which a pupil is assigned for attendance or to or from a pick-up point or bus stop, constitutes a serious hazard to the safety of the pupil due to either (i) vehicular traffic or rail crossings or (ii) a course or pattern of criminal activity, as defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act. Such transportation shall not be provided if adequate transportation for the public is available. The determination as to what constitutes a serious safety hazard shall be made by the school board, in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the Illinois Department of Transportation regarding vehicular traffic or rail crossings or in accordance with guidelines regarding a course or pattern of criminal activity, as determined by the local law enforcement agency, in consultation with the State Superintendent of Education.
The Department of Transportation shall review the findings of the school board concerning vehicular traffic or rail crossings and shall approve or disapprove the school board's determination that a serious safety hazard exists within 30 days after the school board submits its findings to the Department of Transportation. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the local law enforcement agency, shall review the findings of the school board concerning a course or pattern of criminal activity and shall approve or disapprove the school board's determination that a serious safety hazard exists within 30 days after the school board submits its findings to the State Board. The school board shall annually review the conditions and determine whether or not the hazardous conditions remain unchanged.
The school board of any school district that provides any school bus or conveyance for transporting pupils to and from the public schools shall afford transportation, without cost, for children who attend any school other than a public school, who reside at least 1 1/2 miles from the school attended, and who reside on or along the highway constituting the regular route of such public school bus or conveyance, such transportation to extend from some point on the regular route nearest or most easily accessible to their homes to and from the school attended, or to or from a point on such regular route which is nearest or most easily accessible to the school attended by such children.
On or before August 15, annually, the board clerk or the secretary of the district shall certify upon forms prescribed by the State Superintendent of Education the district's claim for reimbursement for the school year ended on June 30 next preceding. The district superintendent of schools shall check all transportation claims to ascertain compliance with the prescribed standards and upon his/her approval shall certify not later than August 15 to the State Superintendent of Education the district's report of claims for reimbursement.
The enacted fiscal year 2024 budget included an additional $80,000 in Bus Driver Training funding for a total $150,000 appropriation.
First, Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) and Intermediate Service Centers (ISCs) were reimbursed in a manner consistent with previous years. Each ROE/ISC was provided a base $1,000, and then a per driver rate of $1.25 per driver trained during FY 2023. The total distributed using this calculation totaled $70,000.
The remaining $80,000 will be distributed based upon a claim submitted to ISBE by each ROE/ISC seeking further reimbursement. The total operating costs for the Bus Driver Training program of each ROE/ISC during FY 2023 should be accounted for in this claim document. The remaining $80,000 will be distributed to fully cover the operating costs after discounting the first distribution of funding and the assumed $10 charged per driver as per Article 3, Section 3-14.23 of the School Code (105 ILCS 5/3-14.23). Proration will be applied if there is insufficient appropriation to make full reimbursement to all ROEs/ISCs.
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION CLAIM
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION CLAIM COMPLETION TOOLS
RULES AND STATUTE
EVIDENCE-BASED FUNDING SPENDING PLAN
· English Learner Evidence-Based Funding Comparative Analysis Tool
To support Organizational Units interested in comparing EBF spending for English learners (EL) over time, ISBE has published the English Learner Evidence-Based Funding Comparative Analysis Tool. The tool allows users to observe changes in an Organizational Unit’s EL enrollment over time, as well as subsequent changes in funding for EL through EBF.
o English Learner EBF Comparative Analysis Tool
· FY 2024 EBF Student Population Allocations and Tier Funding Available for Use in EBF Spending Plans
ISBE has published the Full FY 2024 EBF Calculation and Student Population Allocation Summary files. These reports indicate Tier Funding amounts as well as the total funding provided within the FY 2024 EBF distributions for English learners, low-income students, and special education. The file below contains FY24 Tier Funding and Student Population allocations for all Organizational Units. These amounts can be used to complete EBF Spending Plan items pertaining to the use of FY24 state funding. All organizational units are encouraged to include these current-year amounts in the EBF Spending Plan prior to transmitting the budget or plan to ISBE.
o FY 24 Tier Funding and Student Population Allocations for EBF Spending Plans
· Standalone FY 2024 EBF Spending Plan Template for ROEs, ISCs, and Laboratory Schools
The FY 2024 EBF Spending Plan template for ROEs, ISCs, and Laboratory Schools is now available. Consistent with prior years, please submit a completed plan for each program in your Organizational Unit (e.g, Safe School, ALOP). Plans must be submitted to ebfspendingplan@isbe.net no later than October 31. See below for additional guidance.
o FY 2024 EBF Spending Plan Template
· FY 2024 EBF Spending Plan Guidance Document
In preparation for the upcoming EBF Spending Plan cycle, ISBE has published a guidance document to support Organizational Units as they complete the revised plan. This new resource provides background context about the revision process and includes step-by-step instructions. It also contains an appendix with information related to updated content within the plan. This supplemental guidance document will be most helpful to Organizational Units planning to provide optional data within the Cost Factor Table. It includes definitions for each EBF cost factor and suggestions for determining aligned expenditures.
o FY 2024 EBF Spending Plan Guidance - Published May 2024
· Other Resources
In addition to the guidance document, ISBE has made the following resources available.
o EBF Spending Plan Webinar (Recording)
This presentation provided guidance for completing the recently revised spending plan. Webinar topics included an overview of the revision process, technical guidance for completing all required questions, and submission timelines and instructions. (Presentation materials)
o EBF Spending Plan (Presentation)
o ISBE will release the annual budget form in June. School districts will complete the EBF Spending Plan within this budget form. The standalone template for ROEs, ISCs, and Laboratory schools will be made available at the same time. A text version of the EBF Spending Plan is available in English and Spanish to support local planning and consultation activities.
o FY24 EBF Spending Plan - Spanish
o FY24 EBF Spending Plan - English