HJ0104 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0104 LRB101 20447 MST 70006 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, All children in Illinois are entitled to the facilities and resources needed for a high-quality education; and

WHEREAS, Many charter schools are in older, sometimes dilapidated buildings that require repair, such as tuckpointing, new roofs, or boilers; and

WHEREAS, Most children in existing charter schools do not have the necessary access to special education resource space, to adequate space for physical education and athletics, and/or to dining facilities; and

WHEREAS, Thirty-one jurisdictions, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington D.C. currently offer facilities support for existing charter public schools through varying resources and can offer expertise on best practices; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Task Force on Charter Public School Facilities to examine charter public school facilities issues and provide the following:

(1) An analysis of the current capital funds and facilities provisions in the Illinois Charter Schools Law for the purpose of ensuring equitable access;

(2) A comparative analysis of charter public school facilities funding and access across the United States; and

(3) Recommendations for ensuring that charter public schools have equitable access to safe and appropriate facilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the following members, who shall serve without compensation:

(1) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(3) Two members appointed by the President of the Senate;

(4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(5) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee;

(6) The chief executive officer of a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 or his or her designee appointed by the State Superintendent of Education;

(7) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, upon recommendation of an organization representing teachers in a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000;

(8) One member appointed by the President of the Senate, upon recommendation of an organization representing teachers in a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000;

(9) One member appointed by the Governor, upon recommendation of a statewide organization representing charter public schools in this State;

(10) A principal of a currently operating, high-performing charter public school in this State, appointed by the State Superintendent of Education;

(11) One member appointed by the Governor who is a representative of a community organization that operates charter public schools, upon recommendation of that community organization;

(12) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, upon recommendation of an organization representing the business community in this State;

(13) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, upon recommendation of an organization representing the business community in this State;

(14) One member appointed by the Governor, upon recommendation of an education advocacy group that organizes parents and supports high-quality public-school options, including high-quality public charter schools;

(15) One member appointed by the state superintendent representing one of the ten currently operating Commission-approved charter public schools in this State, upon recommendation of the leadership of the Commission-approved charter public schools;

(16) One member appointed by the Governor, upon recommendation of a large, non-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) in Illinois that provides or has provided specialized loans, real estate development, and additional forms of financial assistance to charter public schools in this State; and

(17) One member appointed by the state superintendent who represents a charter school outside of the City of Chicago; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall elect a chairperson from among their membership, and the Illinois State Board of Education shall provide administrative support; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall be appointed within 30 days after the adoption of this resolution and shall begin meeting no later than 30 days after the appointments are finalized; in the event the appointments by the Governor are not made within 30 days after the adoption of this resolution, the State Superintendent shall make such appointments within 15 days of the appointment deadline; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report making recommendations on any changes to State laws with regard to charter public school facilities access on or before January 1, 2021, and that the Task Force shall be dissolved upon issuance of this report; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Chicago School District 299.