Distributed via Email: July 1, 2010

GOVERNOR SIGNS BUDGET – ANNOUNCES CUTS

Governor Pat Quinn Thursday signed several bills into law that sets the state’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget into motion. As was reported in the last Alliance Legislative Report (http://www.iasb.com/govrel/alr9659.cfm), the budget is largely unbalanced and an even deeper hole was created when the Senate did not call a bill for a vote on a borrowing plan to allow the state to make its annual pension payments. Though there was some expectation for the Senate to return before the end of June to address the pension borrowing bill, that did not happened as Senate President John Cullerton continues to state that there are not enough votes in his chamber to pass the bill. The cost of the pension payment for FY ’11 is $3.7 billion and currently there is no revenue source identified to cover that payment.

ISBE BUDGET ACTION

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) met last week to discuss, among other things, the allocation of funding dollars for individual education budget line items. As was noted in previous Alliance reports, funding for General State Aid in FY 2011 is intended to fund the current foundation level of $6,119 per pupil and funding for the mandated categorical grants is underfunded by $327 million. For all of the other grant items, the legislature issued a lump sum to the ISBE for the board to allocate. According to the ISBE budget chart, several education budget line items were “zeroed out”, appropriating nothing for the FY ’11 fiscal year, including: Advanced Placement, After School Matters, Ag Education, Arts and Foreign Language, Summer Bridges, Reading Improvement Block Grant, Grow Your Own Teachers, National Board Certification, Teach for America, ADA Block Grant, Re-Enrolling Students Program, and the School Breakfast Incentive. The ISBE is requesting that the governor and the General Assembly appropriate additional funds to cover these budget line items. The ISBE budget from last week can be found at: http://www.isbe.net/budget/FY11_bd_alloc.pdf

GOVERNOR’S BUDGET ACTION

Today (Thursday, July 1), Governor Quinn stated that he is making public education a priority, especially the General State Aid formula. The appropriation bill for the ISBE is intended to fund the foundation level at the current level of $6,119 per pupil, and this line item was untouched by the governor. The mandated categorical grants, announced by the legislature in May to be taking a $327 million hit, now looks as if the only reduction will be an $84 million (20%) cut in regular student transportation. The governor also allocated additional dollars to early childhood education to level fund this line item the same as FY 2010.

It appears that those budget line items mentioned previously as “zeroed out”, are still without funding under the governor’s budget. The “hold harmless” provision, also, goes unfunded under the governor’s action today.

Alliance lobbyists are still trying to decipher the various budget forms, bills, and vetoes to determine exactly how the education budget shakes out. The ISBE should have an updated budget on its’ webpage soon.

GOVERNOR ACTION ON BUDGET BILLS

HB 859 (Currie, D-Chicago) is the omnibus appropriations bill for all of state government. The governor issued a Reduction Veto – decreasing the budget amounts for several state agencies. For the ISBE, the only reductions were an 8% ($2.1 million) cut in the ISBE operating budget and the $16 million elimination of the “hold harmless” funding.

SB 377 (Kotowski, D-Park Ridge) establishes a tax amnesty program that is estimated to bring in $250 million to the state. No action was taken.

SB 3658 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) establishes a sales tax “holiday” for those buying “back to school” supplies. It eliminates the 5% sales tax on school supplies and certain clothing from August 6-15. No action was taken.

SB 3660 (Schoenberg, D-Evanston) creates the “Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011”which sets aside contingency reserves from the appropriations and allows the governor to hold back funds, transfer funds, and allocate funds into agency budget line items as necessary. It also allows the state to securitize tobacco settlement funds estimated to bring in $1.2 billion to state coffers. It is now Public Act 96-0958, effective July 1, 2010.

SB 3662 (Noland, D-Elgin) is the budget implementation act. In the School Code, it retains the per pupil foundation level at $6,119. However, if the appropriations are not sufficient to cover the costs of the foundation level, General State Aid (GSA) could be prorated. It is now Public Act 96-0959, effective July 1, 2010.

DIGEST OF BILLS PASSED AVAILABLE

The lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards have completed the Digest of Bills Passed in the 2010 legislative session for use by the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance. The publication contains all of the education-related legislation that was approved this spring. Hard copies of the publication will be mailed to all Alliance members soon.

OTHER BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW

The following bills were also recently signed into law by the governor:

HB 4586 (Ford, D-Chicago) designates each March 25 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The bill is now Public Act 96-0930, effective June 18, 2010.

HB 4672 (Harris, D-Chicago) requires school social workers to attend the same in-service workshops as teachers regarding the instruction of the identification of the warning signs of suicidal behavior in teenagers. The bill is now Public Act 96-0951, effective June 28, 2010.

HB 4674 (Holbrook, D-Belleville) c reates the Educational Opportunity for Military Children Act and recognizes that there is an Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children through the Council of State Governments. It authorizes and directs the governor to enter into a compact governed by the Act on behalf of this state, but states that any rules or standards set by the commission are not enforceable in this State until a law is enacted in Illinois. The bill sets forth provisions concerning tuition for transfer students, power of attorney for children of active duty military personnel, required courses for transfer students (including pre-requisites, credit transfer, and graduation), student health examinations and immunizations, and school student records. The bill is now Public Act 96-0953, effective June 28, 2010.

HB 5322 (Currie) removes the “sunset date” for preschool educational program grants. The bill is now Public Act 96-0944, effective June 25, 2010.

SB 226 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) establishes new requirements for principal certification. It allows the administrative certificate for principals to be issued by an institution of higher learning or a not-for-profit entity approved by the State Board of Education. The principal endorsement can only be bestowed onto someone with at least four years of teaching experience, except that the State Board of Education, through rules, can provide for someone with less than four years of teaching experience to receive the endorsement. And the bill sets new, more stringent standards for principal preparation programs and allows the State Board of Education to adopt rules for such. The bill is now Public Act 96-0903, effective July 1, 2010.

SB 2507 (Wilhelmi, D-Joliet) increases the debt limit for Wilmington # 209U under certain circumstances. The bill is now Public Act 96-0947, effective June 25, 2010.

SB 2594 (Lightford, D-Maywood) removes the “sunset date” for preschool educational program grants. The bill is now Public Act 96-0948, effective June 25, 2010.

SB 3266 (Lightford) prohibits bullying in schools or at school-sponsored events and establishes a definition of bullying. It requires all school districts, including non-public schools, to adopt a policy on bullying. The bill also establishes a School Bullying Prevention Task Force to explore the causes and consequences of bullying at school and to report its findings no later than March 1, 2011. Finally, the bill authorizes schools to offer instruction on gang resistance education. The bill is now Public Act 96-0952, effective June 28, 2010.

SB 3483 (Luechtefeld, R-Okawville) expands the debt limitations for the West Washington County Community Unit School District under certain conditions. The bill is now Public Act 96-0950, effective June 25, 2010.

REQUEST FOR HELP ON “GREEN” SCHOOLS

A member of a task force established to further study energy and resource conservation programs for schools has reached out to the Alliance for assistance. State Representative Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley) has asked that school districts contact the task force to share best energy management practices, funding sources for green school retrofits, and ways to make Illinois more “green.”

The task force will provide a report to the Illinois General Assembly with its findings and recommendations concerning the creation and financing of a system to ensure that existing public schools are retrofitted and new public schools are constructed in a manner that promotes energy efficiency and sustainability. This report is to be delivered to the Illinois General Assembly by Nov. 1, 2010.

The task force wants to identify schools which can be used as case studies for the report. There are six areas of focus the panel is exploring:

• Curriculum Integration
• Involving students in the implementation of policy such as recycling or energy efficiency
• Lessons to help students understand stewardship for natural resources
• Energy Management/Retrofit
• Building operation and maintenance plans to increase energy efficiency
• Energy Audits/ Building Commissioning
• Renewable energy – geothermal, wind, solar
• Water efficiency
• Water Efficient Landscaping
• More efficient plumbing fixtures
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Green cleaning policies
• Indoor Air Quality management plan
• Increased ventilation
• Occupant comfort in the control of lighting and temperature
• Day lighting
• Sustainable sites
• Availability of alternative transportation
• Pest Management Plans
• Protecting and Restoring Habitat
• Light Pollution Reduction
• Storm water Management
• Waste Management/Recycling
• Sustainable purchasing policies for equipment, furniture, lighting, food, etc.
• Waste stream audits and Incorporation of waste stream policies
• Incorporation of recycling programs

These case studies will be included in the report to the General Assembly and could become models that other schools across the state can use in developing their own green building programs.

The task force is hoping to gather this data by July 25, 2010. All responses should be sent to Lisa Mattingly, Administrator of Professional Services, Capital Development Board, 401 South Spring Street, 3 rd Floor Stratton Building, Springfield, IL   62706 or email to lisa.mattingly@illinois.gov

This 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.

Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly

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