South Central Reporter

Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield) wants the aim of a bill that seeks to amend the school construction law to be clear.

“This has nothing to do with the formula,” Bourne recently told fellow lawmakers of a bill that now sits in the Secondary Education: Administration Licensing and Charter School Committee. “It’s only using a formula indicator to help with these capital grants.”

House Bill 3563 stipulates that “a public school district assigned to Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula under the School Code or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 3% of the awarded grant.” 

The legislation also states that “a public school district assigned to Tier 2 under the evidence-based funding formula or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 7.5% of the awarded grant.”

In the case of a Tier 3 district, any eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 8.75% of the awarded grant, and in Tier 4 cases, local matching funds in an amount equal to 10% of the awarded grant are required.

Sponsored by Bourne and fellow Reps. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles), Chris Miller (R-Robinson) and Thomas Bennett (R-Pontiac), the bill is slated to take effect immediately if approved.

The measure also has the bipartisan support of Reps. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-Cicero), Anna Moeller (D-Elgin), Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) and Maurice West II, (D-Rockford).