Full Text of HJR0024 95th General Assembly
HJ0024enr 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HJ0024 Enrolled |
|
LRB095 10968 NHT 31272 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 24
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, In the 2005-2006 school year, over 322,000 | 3 |
| children with disabilities were served in special education | 4 |
| programs across Illinois; and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, The number of children in special education | 6 |
| programs has risen 5.4% in the last 5 years, and special | 7 |
| education accounts for approximately 23% of all State education | 8 |
| spending; and
| 9 |
| WHEREAS, The federal government has established a goal of | 10 |
| reimbursing 40% of the costs of special education incurred by | 11 |
| school districts, but it currently provides only 18% of costs | 12 |
| nationally and only 14% in Illinois; and
| 13 |
| WHEREAS, Illinois has failed for decades to update | 14 |
| reimbursement rates for special education costs, with the last | 15 |
| reimbursement rate set in 1973 for special education orphanage | 16 |
| tuition, in 1985 for special education personnel, in 1978 for | 17 |
| special education private tuition, in 1976 for special | 18 |
| education summer school, and in 1965 for special education | 19 |
| transportation; and
| 20 |
| WHEREAS, Illinois has continued to prorate special | 21 |
| education mandated categoricals at less than 100%, with the |
|
|
|
HJ0024 Enrolled |
- 2 - |
LRB095 10968 NHT 31272 r |
|
| 1 |
| FY07 budget prorating these mandated categoricals at 97%; and | 2 |
| WHEREAS, Even if Illinois fully funded mandated | 3 |
| categoricals at 100%, this would still only represent partial | 4 |
| funding, as the reimbursement rates are severely outdated; and | 5 |
| WHEREAS, Illinois school districts currently spend an | 6 |
| estimated $1 billion from their own general education funds to | 7 |
| meet the unreimbursed costs of special education services that | 8 |
| are mandated by federal and State laws and administrative | 9 |
| rules; and
| 10 |
| WHEREAS, Special education continues to represent a | 11 |
| growing financial burden on school districts as the need for | 12 |
| services increases while State and federal funding fails to | 13 |
| increase along with that need; therefore, be it
| 14 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 15 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 16 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that a task force shall be created to | 17 |
| study current special education funding needs and to make | 18 |
| recommendations as to how the State can increase special | 19 |
| education funding and ease the financial burden on school | 20 |
| districts; and be it further
| 21 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of the State |
|
|
|
HJ0024 Enrolled |
- 3 - |
LRB095 10968 NHT 31272 r |
|
| 1 |
| Superintendent of Education (or his or her designee) plus 16 | 2 |
| members appointed as follows: the House Majority Leader and the | 3 |
| House Minority Leader shall each appoint one representative, | 4 |
| the Senate President and the Senate Minority Leader shall each | 5 |
| appoint one senator, and these 4 leaders shall each appoint 3 | 6 |
| public members representing the interests of special education | 7 |
| administrators and services, school districts, non-public | 8 |
| special education facilities, and disability advocates; and be | 9 |
| it further | 10 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall be facilitated by the | 11 |
| State Board of Education; and be it further
| 12 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings and | 13 |
| recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by | 14 |
| August 1, 2008; and be it further | 15 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 16 |
| transmitted to the State Superintendent of Education.
|
|