School Construction Program

The school construction program, authorized by the Illinois General Assembly in late 1997, was the first state building program in more than two decades to assist local schools with capital expenses. To date, the school construction program has benefited 544 school districts in every region of the state and provided over $3.4 billion in state funds for building and renovating local public schools.

In FY’10, $1.5 billion was appropriated for a multi-year program which will be available for school construction grants to provide for new facilities, additions and renovations of aging buildings. Since May 2010, 42 grants totaling over $419M have been awarded. CDB School Construction Rules and Project Standards were recently updated.

The capital bill also includes $45 million in funding for an Early Childhood Program, $100 million for school maintenance grants which will be administered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and $50 million for energy grants which will also be administered by the ISBE.

Contact Information

Task Force

A special task force created by House Joint Resolution 45 of the Illinois General Assembly is focusing on the state of green sustainability in Illinois Schools.  The task force has been evaluating green practices and financing options for public schools will make recommendations on ways to ensure that existing public schools are retrofitted and new schools constructed in a manner that promotes energy efficiency and sustainability. 

A survey was conducted to gather information on the type of green sustainability initiatives schools are currently participating in. The results of the survey and recommendations will be included in a report to the General Assembly.  Questions regarding the task force can be sent to DougWidener, Executive Director, US GreenBuilding Council Illinois Chapter at dwidener@usgbc-illinois.org or (312)245-8300 x 201.

Illinois Statutes

Guide for Compliance with Illinois Statutes, to assist in compliance with the Intergovernmental Agreement for state grants of the School Construction Program.

Green Legislation

In an effort to make Illinois schools more environmentally friendly, Public Act 095-0416 was passed July 1, 2007 requiring school districts applying for a grant to meet green certification. In addition, school districts applying for a grant after July 1, 2009 are required to meet green building silver certification standards.

Publications

Reporting

Build Smart A comprehensive guide for districts written by a task force of education, building, and finance professionals. Progress Report A Progress Report detailing the program’s accomplishments. Building with State School Construction Grants A quick reference for school districts. Healthy Schools Guide Illinois Resource Guide for Healthy, High Performing School Buildings

Public Act 93-0489 requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Capital Development Board (CDB) to file a comprehensive assessment report of the capital needs of all school districts to the General Assembly every two years. Capital Needs Assessment Survey (2005) Capital Needs Assessment Survey (2007) Capital Needs Assessment Survey (2009) Capital Needs Assessment Survey (2011) Chronological list of all school grants ISBE's current priority ranked list of entitlements & new applications