2019-20 Those Who Excel Nomination Packets Now Available
The Illinois State Board of Education annually sponsors
Those Who Excel to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to our state's public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. Excellence, Meritorious Service, and Special Recognition awards are presented in seven categories: classroom teacher; school administrator/principal; student support personnel (licensed); educational service personnel (unlicensed); school board member/community volunteer; team; and early career educator. Nomination materials are evaluated by a selection committee composed of individuals who represent a variety of educational organizations. Awards of Excellence winners in the classroom teacher category are finalists for the Illinois Teacher of the Year. Local school district leaders and members of school communities are asked to nominate candidates.
The
application for the 2019-20 Those Who Excel program is now available. Applications may be completed electronically and emailed to
jseiler@isbe.net or be printed and mailed to ISBE, Office of Communications, 100 N. First Street, Springfield, 62777-0001.
Mailed applications must be received electronically or postmarked by close of business Monday, June 3. The Those Who Excel banquet will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Hotel and Conference Center.
FY 2018 Carryover Increase for FY 2019 Title I Part A Grants
ISBE was notified by the U.S. Department of Education of an increase to the fiscal year 2018 Title I, Part A program award in the amount of $3,875,908. The funds were computed as part of the final FY 2018 Title I district allocations communicated on May 23, 2018, which can be accessed at
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/FY18-Revised-Final-Title-I-Allocations.pdf.
Due to the late notification, the additional funds have been computed for eligible districts and loaded as 2018 carryover for current FY 2019 projects within the electronic Grants Management System. If you have already received ISBE approval for your FY 2019 Title I grant this year, you must amend your application in order to use these funds. If your application is still within the approval process at the district level, you may include the additional funds at this time. Those districts that have submitted their grant to ISBE, but have yet to receive final approval, may request to have their application returned so that the budget can be increased to the total funds available.
IDEA Allocation Procedural Change
ISBE announced a procedural change on July 31, 2018, in how it will distribute Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B funds to member districts of special education cooperatives. Member school districts will receive IDEA flow-through and preschool funds directly in order for the allocation to most closely follow the child. This change also will bring Illinois into compliance with federal guidance. The change begins at the start of fiscal year 2020, on July 1, 2019, unless the cooperative applies for and receives the available 12-month extension.
The deadline to apply for the one-year extension is March 31, 2019. IDEA provides supplemental funds for the excess cost of educating students with disabilities. The federal funds support local district efforts in providing a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities. Each districts’ student population and poverty rate determines its federal IDEA allocation, in accordance with the federal formula. It is ISBE’s expectation that local education agencies use the federal funds to serve the students whose needs generated those funds.
Please contact the IDEA grant coordinators,
Zach Allen,
Tammy Greco,
Mandi Richards, or
Todd Williams, or call (217) 782-5589 with any questions.