Illinois § 3-12

§ 3-12.

Institute fund. (a) All license registration fees and a portion of renewal and duplicate fees shall be kept by the regional superintendent as described in Section 21-16 or 21B-40 of this Code, together with a record of the names of the persons paying them. Such fees shall be deposited into the institute fund and shall be used by the regional superintendent to defray expenses associated with the work of the regional professional development review committees established pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of Section 21-14 of this Code to advise the regional superintendent, upon his or her request, and to hear appeals relating to the renewal of teaching licenses, in accordance with Section 21-14 of this Code; to defray expenses connected with improving the technology necessary for the efficient processing of licenses; to defray all costs associated with the administration of teaching licenses; to defray expenses incidental to teachers' institutes, workshops or meetings of a professional nature that are designed to promote the professional growth of teachers or for the purpose of defraying the expense of any general or special meeting of teachers or school personnel of the region, which has been approved by the regional superintendent. (b) In addition to the use of moneys in the institute fund to defray expenses under subsection (a) of this Section, the State Superintendent of Education, as authorized under Section 2-3.105 of this Code, shall use moneys in the institute fund to defray all costs associated with the administration of teaching licenses within a city having a population exceeding 500,000. Moneys in the institute fund may also be used by the State Superintendent of Education to support educator recruitment and retention programs within a city having a population exceeding 500,000, to support educator preparation programs within a city having a population exceeding 500,000 as those programs seek national accreditation, and to provide professional development aligned with the requirements set forth in Section 21B-45 of this Code within a city having a population exceeding 500,000. A majority of the moneys in the institute fund must be dedicated to the timely and efficient processing of applications and for the renewal of licenses. (c) The regional superintendent shall on or before January 1 of each year post on the regional office of education's website (1) the balance on hand in the institute fund at the beginning of the previous year; (2) all receipts within the previous year deposited in the fund, with the sources from which they were derived; (3) the amount distributed from the fund and the purposes for which such distributions were made; and (4) the balance on hand in the fund. (Source: P.A. 103-110, eff. 6-29-23.)