Distributed via Email: September 10, 2008

HOUSE CONSIDERING LOTTERY LEASE

The Illinois House of Representatives today (Wednesday) is meeting to discuss the possible lease of the Illinois Lottery. SB 2595 (Trotter, D-Chicago) is designed to create a revenue stream to fund a new capital projects program to build roads, bridges, and schools throughout the State. Earlier plans to fund a capital infrastructure program focused on expanding gaming and establishing a land-based casino in Chicago. These plans have since been scrapped.

The House Revenue Committee approved the bill this afternoon and a floor vote is expected tonight.

The spending portion of the capital plan is not being addressed this week so there is no list of projects which might be pursued. Likewise, it is unclear how much funding will be made available for school construction. Such details will likely be worked out between the House and Senate in November or January.

Even if the bill is approved by the House today, it still needs the approval of the Senate. The Senate, however, is not meeting this week – and is not scheduled to meet until November. That leaves SB 2595 to languish in the Capitol until after the election.

The Lottery lease is estimated to generate $10 billion for the State. A provision in the bill creates the "Illinois Education Trust Fund" to guarantee that $600 million of lottery proceeds will be earmarked for public education each year. This, generally, has been the amount of funding schools have received annually from the Illinois Lottery.

ADDING MONEY TO THE BUDGET

The House of Representatives is also considering today legislation that would "sweep" monies from restricted state funds and put them into the General Revenue Fund. SB 790 (Schoenburg, D-Evanston) is designed to find a revenue stream so the legislature can restore some of the funding cut by the governor earlier in the summer. A supplemental appropriations bill is moving through the House today as well to restore some of the budget cuts. These bills will also need approval by the Senate before they are sent to the governor for consideration.

MORE HEARINGS SCHEDULED ON SCHOOL FUNDING

The chairman of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Mike Smith (D-Canton), has announced a series of hearings regarding proposals to fund public education. The first scheduled hearing is set for next week.

In August, Governor Rod Blagojevich called a special session "to consider measures aimed at increasing school funding, improving the school funding structure and eliminating any current inequities," but no such legislation was considered by either the Senate or House of Representatives. In the Senate, several proposals have been discussed regarding school funding reform:

• SB 2288 (Meeks, D-Chicago) contains a comprehensive tax structure/school funding proposal
• SB 3055 (Meeks) contains a proposal for "open enrollment" among Illinois' public schools
• A pilot project has been discussed to allocate $120 million over the next three years to four "school clusters" that have been underachieving as identified by ISAT, PSAE, and other "objective measures" (i.e. graduation rate). A school cluster would include a high school and all of its feeder elementary schools. It is proposed to have two clusters from the Chicago Public Schools, one cluster from the southern suburbs of Chicago, and one cluster from downstate.
• A proposal to eliminate all property taxes for school districts by a date certain (i.e. January 1, 2010). This is intended to force the General Assembly to address the school funding issue or face dire circumstances.

Chairman Smith stated that the hearings will give "taxpayers, education professionals, business and labor organizations, and civic groups a chance to have their say" regarding education funding reform. The hearings are scheduled as follows:

Thursday, September 18 - 1:00 p.m.
Oak Park Village Hall
123 Madison Street
City Council Chambers
Oak Park, IL

Tuesday, September 30 - 6:00 p.m.
Thornwood High School
17101 S. Park Avenue
South Holland, IL

Thursday, October 2 - 6:00 p.m.
Loyola University
6525 N. Sheridan
Chicago, IL

Monday, October 6 - 7:00 p.m.
Lincolnwood City Hall
6900 N. Lincoln Avenue
City Council Chambers
Lincolnwood, IL

Thursday, October 9 - 1:00 p.m.
State Capitol
Springfield, IL Room 118

SCHOOL CALENDAR AVAILABLE

The 2008-2009 School Calendar has been completed and is now posted on the IASB website. The calendar is not distributed in a printed version; however, it is posted online to allow for revisions to reflect any new legislation enacted or the correction of any errors.

ACTION BY THE GOVERNOR

The governor signed into law the following bills:

HB 1141 (Jefferson, D-Rockford) makes changes regarding "Hard-to-Staff" schools. With respect to provisions concerning the Salary Incentive Program, it (1) provides that the incentives and bonuses are for teachers and administrators employed by school districts in schools designated as hard-to-staff; (2) defines "hard-to-staff school"; (3) provides that only teachers and principals who work full time and for a full school year are eligible; and (4) provides for pro-ration if an appropriation is insufficient.

The bill also makes changes regarding residential educational facilities. If Senate Bill 2042 becomes law (which it has), the bill removes the provision in SB 2042 that states "nothing in the Section shall be construed to relieve the school district of the student's residence of financial responsibility based on the manner in which the student was placed at the facility."

It also adds language into SB 2042 regarding placement in a residential facility as follows: (1) makes changes concerning the calculation of a resident district's financial responsibility and reimbursement; (2) provides that resident district financial responsibility and reimbursement applies for both residential facilities that are approved by the State Board of Education and non-approved facilities; (3) provides that the Illinois placing agency or court remains responsible for funding the residential portion of the placement and for notifying the resident district prior to the placement, except in emergency situations; (4) provides for notification by the residential facility to the resident district; (5) makes changes concerning a student's individualized education program; and (6) requires a residential facility providing educational services within the facility, but not approved by the State Board of Education, to demonstrate certain proof to the State Board.

The bill is now Public Act 95-938, effective Aug. 29, 2008.

HB 1334 (Flowers, D-Chicago) amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program. It requires, in each year, that a minimum of 200 awards be allocated to participants in the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program. The bill is now Public Act 95-939, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

HB 1449 (Hernandez, D-Cicero) authorizes the Department of Public Health to use moneys in the Healthy Smiles Fund to secure federal matching grants for activities relating to school-based, school-linked oral health programs. It also creates the Healthy Smiles Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and creates an income tax return check-off for the fund. The bill is now Public Act 95-940, effective Aug. 29, 2008.

HB 5077 (Smith, D-Canton) removes the provision that prohibits the State Board of Education from allocating more than $10 million for the technology immersion pilot project (laptop computers for 7th graders). The bill is now Public Act 95-949, effective Aug. 29, 2008.

HB 4578 (Durkin R-Western Springs) adds "electronic and information technology equipment worker" to the list of those people required to report possible child physical or sexual abuse. Such employees must report to the local law enforcement agency or the Cyber Tip-Line at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children the fact that he or she discovered any depiction of child pornography while installing, repairing, or otherwise service an item of electronic equipment. The bill is now Public Act 95-944, effective Aug. 29, 2008.

*The legislative report is written and edited by the lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards to provide information to the members of the organizations that comprise the Statewide School Management Alliance.

General Assembly Bill Text/Status

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