To apply for approval to contract with Illinois public school districts to serve students with disabilities,
providers must submit an
Intent to Apply form through the portal. After submission, a principal consultant from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Special Education Department will contact you to conduct an initial program screening, which is typically conducted either via phone or the Microsoft Teams platform. This conversation will offer an opportunity to ask questions and receive a general overview of the basic approval requirements and the overall approval process. After the initial orientation, if the ISBE principal consultant has determined that the program is able to meet the requirements of Part 401, and the program wishes to move forward in the initial application process, the next step is scheduling a more detailed initial orientation. Presented in PowerPoint format by the ISBE principal consultant, this session goes deeper into the application process and outlines the ongoing requirements for maintaining approval. The presentation includes useful links and provides a chance to ask questions and discuss requirements in real time, making it an interactive experience between the program and the ISBE principal consultant.
After completion of the initial orientation, the ISBE principal consultant will provide the applicant with a blank initial application, which contains a checklist and instructions for completion. When completing the initial application programs must indicate whether they are applying for an Educational-Only Program, a Combination Program, or a Residential-Only Program—this should be noted both on the application and the checklist. Once all initial application materials have been compiled, the applicant will submit all materials electronically, via email, to their assigned ISBE principal consultant. The ISBE principal consultant will review the materials, and if any items are missing or need revisions, a formal deficiency notice will be sent to the applicant, outlining what items are needed. Once all initial application materials have been reviewed and determined to be complete, programs located in Illinois or within 50 miles of the state border will receive an initial on-site walkthrough by a representative from the ISBE Nonpublic Team. The space intended for student use must be fully set up and ready for occupancy at the time of the visit.
After the initial on-site walkthrough, a principal consultant from the
ISBE Funding and Disbursement Department will contact the program to initiate the rate-setting process. ISBE principal consultants from the Funding and Disbursement Department will then work with applicants to establish tuition and/or room-and-board rates, which are reviewed by the
Illinois Purchased Care Review Board (IPCRB).
Once the rate is approved, the applicant will receive an official 1-year approval letter, a rate letter, and assigned private facility code(s). These codes should be included in contracts and monthly billing with public school districts. After receiving both the approval letter and rate letter, the program will be added to the
Private Facility Search database. At that point, the program can begin accepting referrals from public school districts—but only after formal notice of approval and rate confirmation has been received. Programs are only allowed to serve students who fall within their approved age range and disability categories.
