ALLIANCE LEGISLATIVE REPORT (100-11)
FUNDING REFORM DISCUSSION PICKS UP AGAIN
The Evidence Based Funding Model, a
Vision 20/20 initiative
, was once again discussed under the Capitol dome as the House Education Task Force met this week. Similar to previous task forces, the House Education Task Force is a bipartisan group of legislators that are looking to come up with a solution to the current funding crisis in Illinois. House Bill 2808 which contains the language for the Evidenced Based Funding Model is co-sponsored by House Education Elementary and Secondary-Appropriations Chairman
William Davis (D-Hazel Crest)
and Republican Spokesperson
Bob Pritchard (R- Sycamore)
. The legislation has picked up multiple additional sponsors in recent weeks and is the main focus for many working on a funding overhaul. In a meeting of the House Education Elementary and Secondary-Appropriations committee, Illinois State Superintendent Tony Smith said that while the Illinois State Board of Education has not done an analysis of the Evidence Based Funding Model, he believes tying funding to researched based metrics to be a positive.
OLD IDEAS ARE NEW AGAIN
Another major topic of discussion this week, and over the past number of years, was pension reform. The discussion was spurred by the introduction of Senate Bills 2172 and 2173
Connelly (R-Naperville)
which are a combination of ideas that have been seen previously. The reform bills would include a consideration plan similar to SB 16 which was the pension reform plan in the Senate's "grand bargain". To entice more votes on an idea which has already failed twice in the Senate this year, Senators Connelly and Tracy also included $215 million dollars for Chicago Public School pension that was previously vetoed by
Governor Bruce Rauner
. However, the Governor said he would sign this combination plan if it made it to his desk.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
This is a listing of bills of interest to the Alliance that passed the
House of Representatives this week and are now headed to the Senate.
HB 425 (Welch, D-Westchester)
makes changes to the salary structure of Regional Superintendents of Schools and their assistants, especially in regard to the Educational Service Centers in Cook County.
HB 619 (Walsh, D-Joliet)
exempts from Freedom of Information Act inspection and copying, records requested by a person incarcerated that would result in the risk of harm to any person and records containing personal information pertaining to the incarcerated person's victim or victim's family including contact information such as their school address.
HB 656 (Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria)
for Illinois Pension Code provisions relating to employer contributions from special trust and federal funds, provides that beginning July 1, 2017 the rate as a percentage of salary, shall be equal to the total employer's normal cost as a percentage of payroll.
HB 2442 (Bennett, R-Pontiac)
requires student assessments for application or admissions to colleges administered by ISBE to be given on a school day during regular attendance hours.
HB 2794 (Ford, D-Chicago)
requires school districts to inform all 11th and 12th grade students of dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities at public community colleges for qualified students.
This is a listing of bills of interest to the Alliance that passed out of
committee
this week and are now headed to the floor for further consideration.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
HB 2527 (Sosnowski, R-Rockford)
Authorizes eligible applicants to design a high school diploma program for adult learners.
HB 2663 (Stratton, D-Chicago)
prohibits early childhood programs receiving ISBE grants to expel children.
HOUSE EDUCATION: LICENSING, ADMINISTRATION & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
HB 826 (Lilly, D-Chicago)
codifies in statute licensure requirements for school social workers and prohibits school social workers from providing services outside they're employment to any student in the district. It makes a recommendation for a student to social worker ratio of 250 to 1. As amended, provides for certain services that may be performed.
HB 2461 (McAsey, D-Lockport)
adds new requirements to be included on the school report card regarding gifted education and advanced academic programs.
HB 2470 (Walsh)
allows applicants for a career and technical educator (CTE) endorsement to count coursework from a technical institution and allows a test of work proficiency to satisfy endorsement application.
HB 2505 (Zalewski, D-Riverside)
allows Brookfield LaGrange Park School District #95 to exceed their debt limit not to exceed $20,000,000 if the voters approve and the school board determines, by resolution, that the additions and renovations to the buildings are required to accommodate enrollment growth, replacing outdated facilities and create spaces consistent with 21st century learning.
HB 3012 (Mayfield, D-Waukegan)
allows Waukegan CUSD 60 to make a one-time transfer of funds from its bond fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund with proper resolution following a public hearing.
HB 3371 (Sims, D-Chicago)
provides that required training in suicide awareness and prevention techniques shall last at least two hours.
HOUSE REVENUE & FINANCE COMMITTEE
HB 2428 (Spain, R-Peoria)
applies the erroneous homestead exemptions penalties for property tax payers across all counties, currently only provided for Cook County.
HB 2964 (Nekritz, D-Buffalo Grove)
provides that when a TIF redevelopment area has been dissolved, property within that area may not become part of another TIF area for 15 years after the date the former TIF area dissolved.
HOUSE JUDICIARY-CIVIL COMMITTEE
HB 3615 (Jesiel, R-Antioch)
in the mandated reporter of child abuse section under DCFS, the bill provides that in an investigation where the alleged perpetrator of abuse is a school employee and the DCFS determines the report is "indicated" the employee's due process rights shall include: right to a copy of the investigation summary; right to review the specific allegations; and right to an administrator's teleconference to present documentary evidence.
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
SB 764 (Morrison, D-Deerfield)
requires the Department of Children and Family Services, in cooperation with school officials, to distribute appropriate materials in school buildings listing the toll-free telephone number established in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to be displayed in a clearly visible location in each school building.
SB 863 (Bertino-Tarrant, D-Plainfield)
, an Alliance initiative, that provides that for State Board of Education appointments made after the effective date, 3 of the members of the State Board must represent the educator community.
SB 1290 (Rezin, R-Peru)
extends the bond debt limit for Waltham Community Consolidated School District.
SB 1299 (Connelly)
allows the holder of a master's degree in public administration, who completes an additional six semester hours of internship in school business management and passes the applicable State test to be eligible for a chief school business official endorsement.
SB 1482 (Rose, R-Champaign)
provides that ISBE may, by rule establish limits on the duration and extent of agreements for the transport of a homeless child to the school district of origin after the homeless child begins living in another school district.
SB 1483 (Althoff, R-McHenry)
provides that a parent's or student's request to inspect and copy records under the Illinois School Student Records Act must be granted no later than 5 business days (rather than 15 school days).
SB 1692 (Raoul, D-Chicago)
expands who can be on the concussion oversight team and evaluate a student who has been removed from practice or competition.
SB 1739 (Lightford, D-Westchester)
provides that a student who is already licensed to teach and is enrolled in a course of study leading to an additional teaching endorsement or a master's degree in an academic field in which he or she is teaching or plans to teach may participate in the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program (rather than limiting the program to undergraduate students).
SB 1947 (Collins, D-Chicago)
among other provisions, creates a definition of chronic absenteeism.
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
SB 2047 (Weaver, R-Peoria)
provides that in an investigation in which the alleged perpetrator of abuse or neglect is a school employee and the recommendation is to determine the report to be indicated the employee's due process rights shall include the right to a copy of the investigation summary; the right to review the specific allegations which gave rise to the investigation; and the right to an administrator's teleconference.
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
SB 822 (Harris, N., D-Harvey)
provides that the Secretary of State shall immediately revoke the license, permit, or driving privileges of any driver who commits aggravated overtaking or passing of a school bus.
SB 1518 (Althoff)
allows quick-take powers for certain parcels of land in Kane and McHenry Counties.
SB 1796 (Hastings, D-Frankfort)
creates the Students Online Personal Protection Act. Contains various provisions to safe guard student data.
SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
SJR 17 (Harris, N.)
creates the Task Force on Modes of School Transportation for Elementary and Secondary Education that shall review current State and Federal laws regarding the use of various modes of transportation for students and make recommendations to the ISBE, Governor and General Assembly by December 15, 2017.
SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE
SB 1856 (Bivins, R-Dixon)
regarding the prevailing wage, allows public bodies to satisfy the notice requirement by posting on its website the hyperlink to the DOL website.
SENATE REVENUE COMMITTEE
SB 1385 (Weaver)
adds newly remodeled to the urban decay property tax abatement that is allowed for single family or duplex residential dwellings.
SB 1437 (Murphy, D-Elk Grove Village)
for the disabled veterans homestead exemption, allows veterans with disabilities to not have to reapply annually when the Department of Veterans' Affairs verifies that they are permanently and totally disabled.
SB 1887 (Koehler, D-Peoria)
for certain homestead exemptions and assessment freezes, provides that if the person receiving the exemption/assessment freeze is a resident of a Supportive Living Program facility the exemption/freeze shall continue so long as the residence is occupied by the qualifying person's spouse remains unoccupied but is owned by the qualifying person.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE
NEXT WEEK
HOUSE
APPROPRIATIONS-ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 21st 2:00 p.m., Room 114, State Capitol
HB 536 (Hoffman, D-Belleville)
adds "course or pattern of criminal activity" as defined in the Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act and review from local law enforcement and ISBE to the definition of hazard for schools to transport students under the 1 ½ mile distance for transportation reimbursement.
HB 2426 (Currie, D-Chicago)
requires that 20% of the overall Early Childhood Education Block Grant be allocated to programs for children 0-3 years of age. Additionally requires ISBE to report allocations by December 1 annually.
HB 2484 (Hammond, R-Macomb)
requires the General Assembly to appropriate the full amount of payments required to be made for school district consolidations and conversions.
HB 2808 (Davis)
Vision 2020 Initiative
, establishes the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act for funding Illinois public schools.
HB 2948 (Davis)
requires an annual State payment to the Chicago Public Schools Teacher's Pension and Retirement Fund of $456,000,000 and a Fund Board certified amount each year thereafter and the certified fund rate must be at least 10% of the contribution certified by TRS.
HB 3059 (Pritchard)
requires school district report cards to include average daily attendance by grade level.
HB 3171 (Sauer, R-Libertyville)
for the Chicago Educational Services Block Grant, removes special education funding.
HB 3567 (Guzzardi, D-Chicago)
disallows the establishment of a charter school in any zip code where a public school was closed within the previous 10 years. Also, provides that no charter school can be granted unless the General Assembly has appropriated transition impact aid for the school district where the charter school is to be located and requires CPS to establish attendance boundaries for newly established charter schools.
HR 11 (Ford)
urges the City of Chicago to build a new high school on the site of former Emmet School in Chicago.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: LICENSING, ADMINISTRATION & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 8:00 a.m., Room115, State Capitol
HB 3298 (Scherer, D-Decatur) waives the Substitute Teaching License fee for those that can prove they were employed as a full time teacher in prior years.
HB 3394 (Walsh)
allows the Department of Children and Family Services to recommend suspension of an employee during an investigation, but leaves sole authority on employee disciple to the school district.
HOUSE JUDICIARY CIVIL COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 8:00 a.m., Room 413 Stratton Office Building
HB 332 (Drury, D-Highwood)
creates onerous mandates on districts and contains problematic language that conflicts with other statutes.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 10:00 a.m., Room 115 State Capitol
HB 243 (Flowers, D-Chicago)
allows school districts in certain areas to develop a training program in conjunction with local law enforcement.
HB 3907 (Moylan, D-Des Plaines)
makes changes to the Law Enforcement safety drill requirement to make it more similar to fire drill requirements.
STATE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 2:00 p.m., Room 122B State Capitol
HB 788 (Demmer, R-Rochelle)
provides that all units of local government, school districts, and public colleges and universities may, by a majority vote of the governing body, exempt themselves from specified mandates that are unfunded if it is determined that it is not economically feasible to comply with the unfunded mandate.
HOUSE BUSINESS & OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES
Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 2:00 p.m., Room 115 State Capitol
HB 3395 (Turner, D-Chicago)
changes current law to allow convicted drug felons to be hired in schools without a 7 year waiting period. Also prohibits the consideration of any conviction if the applicant has completed any sentence imposed for that conviction and any period of mandatory supervised release.
APPROPRIATIONS-HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Thursday, March 23rd, 8:00 a.m., D-1, Stratton Office Building
HB 2896 (Severin, R-Marion)
Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish a position for one Rural Education Coordinator to represent the rural regions of this State, to be based at a recognized educator preparation institution, to (1) provide an emphasis on access to educator preparation programs that focus on rural education, (2) increase rural teacher recruitment, (3) develop an educator pipeline to rural schools and school districts, and (4) provide support mechanisms for rural schools and school districts.
PROPERTY TAX SUBCOMMITTEE
Thursday, March 23rd, 8:10 a.m., C-1 Stratton Office Building
HR 139 (Ives, R-Wheaton)
Creates the Fair and Equitable Assessment of Property Task Force.
