Complete facility inventory for every school district
Every 10-year survey filed since the system was digitized
Every amendment filed and its approval or denial status
Every annual inspection report from every ROE
Every 17-2.11 bond application, approval, and denial
Cumulative running totals of approved funding per district
Building-level deficiency tracking — what has been corrected, what remains open
3.1 The Fire Prevention and Safety Fund
Every Illinois school district (except Chicago) may levy a separate property tax dedicated solely to fire prevention and safety. This money goes into the Fire Prevention and Safety Fund — a dedicated account completely separate from the regular education fund.
| All survey approvals/denials | ISBE | All 10-year surveys 2000-present from IWAS; approval/denial status and reasons |
| All amendment approvals/denials | ISBE | All amendments 2000-present; approval/denial status and reasons |
| 17-2.11 bond approvals/denials | ISBE | All 17-2.11 bond applications 2000-present; decisions and reasons |
| Annual inspection reports | ISBE + each ROE | All annual inspection reports 2015-present for all buildings |
| Overdue surveys list | ISBE | All districts currently overdue for 10-year survey |
| Outstanding approved work | ISBE | Total $ of approved but uncompleted work by district |
| Contractor payment records | Each district | Vendor payment registers / check registers 2015-present |
| Competitive bid documentation | Each district | Bid specifications, bid responses, and awards for all contracts over threshold |
| Bond referendum results | County clerks | Results of all bond question votes by district 2015-present |
| Board minutes for bond votes | Each district | Board meeting minutes for all 17-2.11 bond resolutions and GO bond authorizations |
7.1 Priority Order
| # | Send To | Request | Why First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ISBE | All 17-2.11 bond applications, approvals, and denials 2000-present | Establishes the baseline: what was authorized vs what was issued |
| 2 | ISBE | All 10-year survey approvals/denials 2000-present | Establishes what work was legally ordered |
| 3 | ISBE | Outstanding uncompleted approved work by district | Identifies districts sitting on approvals without completing them |
| 4 | All 35 ROEs | Annual inspection reports 2015-present for all buildings in region | Ground truth on what inspectors actually found |
| 5 | Top 50 districts by bond volume | Vendor payment registers 2015-present | Follow the money — who actually got paid |
| 6 | Top 50 districts by bond volume | All competitive bid documentation 2015-present | Was bidding competitive or sole-sourced |
| 7 | County clerks | All bond referendum results 2010-present | Match GO bonds to voter approval |
7.2 ISBE FOIA Contact
Email: foiarequest@isbe.net
Address: Illinois State Board of Education, FOIA Officer, 100 N. First Street, Springfield, IL 62777
Phone: 217-782-4321
Response required: Within 5 business days (5 ILCS 140/3(d))
Current FOIA officer: Verify at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/FOIA.aspx
7.3 ROE Contact Directory
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Regional-Offices-of-Education.aspx
| Term | Plain English Definition |
|---|---|
| Amendment | A change to an approved 10-year survey that adds new deficiency items or revises existing ones. Must receive ISBE approval before money can be spent on the added items. |
| Annual Inspection | Mandatory yearly walk-through of every school building by the Regional Superintendent. Must be documented in a written report filed with ISBE through IWAS. |
| Certificate of Need | The document ISBE issues authorizing a district to proceed with approved life safety construction. |
| Deficiency | A condition in a school building that violates the health/life safety code. Must be corrected once identified in an approved survey. |
| FPS Fund | Fire Prevention and Safety Fund — the dedicated bank account where life safety tax revenue and 17-2.11 bond proceeds are deposited. |
| FPS Tax | The special property tax levy — separate from the regular education levy — dedicated to life safety work. Max 0.05% of assessed value. |
| IWAS | ISBE Web Application Security — the online portal through which all life safety documents flow. Not publicly accessible without ISBE authorization. |
| Life Safety Code | 23 Ill. Admin. Code Part 180 — the specific building code for Illinois public schools. |
| Plan Review Record | Written documentation that an architect has reviewed construction plans for code compliance before a building permit is issued. |
| RCDTS Code | The unique identifier for every school district and school in Illinois. Format: 15 digits. Required on all FOIA requests and regulatory filings. |
| Regional Superintendent | Elected official overseeing schools in a region. First line of life safety oversight — inspects buildings annually and signs off on surveys. |
| Section 17-2.11 Bonds | Life safety bonds authorized by that section of the School Code. Issued by school board vote alone — no public referendum required. |
| Survey | Comprehensive inspection of all school buildings required every 10 years. Conducted by licensed architect/engineer. Results in approved list of deficiencies that must be corrected. |
Illinois School System Audit Project
Working Document | May 2026 | All legal citations current as of May 2026
For FOIA questions: foiarequest@isbe.net | ISBE: 217-782-4321