§ 5-35

School construction project grant award amounts; permitted use; prohibited use. (a) The grant award percentage is equal to one minus the required local match percentage. The grant award amount is equal to the grant award percentage multiplied by the recognized project cost determined by the Capital Development Board for an approved school construction project, which amount may be adjusted as required in Section 5-15. The grant award amount shall equal the amount of the grant the Capital Development Board shall provide to the eligible district. (b) In each fiscal year in which school construction project grants are awarded, 20% of the total amount awarded statewide shall be awarded to a school district with a population exceeding 500,000, provided such district complies with the provisions of this Article. In addition to the uses otherwise authorized by this Law, any school district with a population exceeding 500,000 is authorized to use any or all of the school construction project grants (i) to pay debt service, as defined in the Local Government Debt Reform Act, on bonds, as defined in the Local Government Debt Reform Act, issued to finance one or more school construction projects and (ii) to the extent that any such bond is a lease or other installment or financing contract between the school district and a public building commission that has issued bonds to finance one or more qualifying school construction projects, to make lease payments under the lease. (b-3) The Capital Development Board shall make payment in an amount equal to 20% of each amount deposited into the School Infrastructure Fund pursuant to subsection (b-5) of Section 6z-45 of the State Finance Act to the Board of Education of the City of Chicago within 10 days after such deposit. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago shall use such moneys received (i) for application to the costs of a school construction project, (ii) to pay debt service on bonds, as those terms are defined in the Local Government Debt Reform Act, that are issued to finance one or more school construction projects, and (iii) to the extent that any such bond is a lease or other installment or financing contract between the school district and a public building commission that has issued bonds to finance one or more qualifying school construction projects, to make lease payments under the lease. The Board of Education of the City of Chicago shall submit quarterly to the Capital Development Board documentation sufficient to establish that this money is being used as authorized by this Section. The Capital Development Board may withhold payments if the documentation is not provided. The remaining 80% of each such deposit shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section; however, no portion of this remaining 80% shall be awarded to a school district with a population of more than 500,000. (b-5) In addition to the uses otherwise authorized by this Law, any school district that (1) was organized prior to 1860 and (2) is located in part in a city originally incorporated prior to 1840 is authorized to use any or all of the school construction project grants (i) to pay debt service on bonds, as those terms are defined in the Local Government Debt Reform Act, that are issued to finance one or more school construction projects and (ii) to the extent that any such bond is a lease or other installment or financing contract between the school district and a public building commission that has issued bonds to finance one or more qualifying school construction projects, to make lease payments under the lease. (c) No portion of a school construction project grant awarded by the Capital Development Board shall be used by a school district for any on-going operational costs.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-723, eff. 5-6-22.)