The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issued additional guidance to school districts yesterday and their update can be found here as well their updated State special education guidance, which you can find here.
Important updates include the following:
- Student Grades: Student work completed during the mandated statewide school closure must not negatively impact a student’s grades or otherwise impact a student’s academic standing. According to ISBE, “As we do not yet know the full extent of the closure and want to minimize any negative effects on students, schools may allow student work to count during the closure only to increase a student’s academic standing.”
- Student Meals: For schools participating in National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs, meals offered to all children age 18 and below, or enrolled in school, are reimbursable. As all students are eligible for meals, district meal service numbers may increase from what the district usually orders.
- Transportation: The per-meal federal reimbursement rate for schools participating in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs includes transportation as an allowable expenditure.