HJ0063 LRB094 11795 NHT 44063 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois has an unacceptably large and increasing
3 funding disparity between affluent school districts and all
4 other school districts, a growing achievement gap, and a
5 teacher shortage; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The majority of schools in this State are deficit
7 spending schools; and
 
8     WHEREAS, In terms of education spending, the State's
9 minimum per student foundation level of support is inadequate
10 considering what it costs to prepare students to pass the
11 State's standardized tests; and
 
12     WHEREAS, National organizations, such as Education Week,
13 continually assign Illinois the failing grade of "F" for school
14 funding awareness; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Illinois has the worst spread in the nation in
16 terms of school funding between school districts, and Illinois
17 ranks 49th in the portion of school funding provided from State
18 rather than local resources; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
21 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that, pursuant to subsection (a) of
22 Section 1 of Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution, in order
23 to resolve the issue of school funding in this State, we direct
24 that the question of whether a Constitutional Convention should
25 be called be submitted to the electors at the general election
26 next occurring at least 6 months after the passage of this
27 resolution by at least three-fifths of the members elected to
28 each house.