Kane County wants schools to pay their share

Kane County officials want local school districts to pay their fair share when it comes to educating kids sentenced to complete residential drug treatment programs.

To that end, county board member Bill Wyatt, chairman of the board's legislative committee, plans to draft a letter urging state lawmakers to approve a proposal requiring school districts to foot the bill for the educational portion of those programs.

The issue surfaced at Wednesday's legislative committee meeting when James Mueller, executive director of Kane County Court Services, told committee members that the county recently received an unexpected $40,000 tuition bill for kids in one treatment program.

Mueller said officials were "blindsided" by the bill from the Gateway Youth Care Foundation, a private drug and alcohol rehab facility in Lake Villa. Typically, Gateway bills school districts directly to pay for the cost of educating students participating in the programs. The county is responsible only for the juvenile's room and board costs.

But a recent case in the state's second district appellate court has muddied the waters. In May the court upheld a judgment against Antioch Community High School District 117, which sued Proviso Township High School District 209 for refusing to reimburse Antioch for educating a Gateway participant who lived within Proviso's borders. Gateway sits within the Antioch school district's boundaries.

The court declared that the court placing the minor in the Gateway program -- not the school district -- was responsible for educating him.

But proposed state legislation would require school districts to pay the tuition of minors from their districts who are placed in residential treatment programs. While that proposal is pending, Mueller has refused to pay the $40,000 bill.

The issue is expected to be discussed again at today's meeting of the board's judicial/public safety committee.