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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Studies have shown that school districts operate
3more efficiently with a set ideal enrollment of students,
4whether it is deconsolidating large districts or consolidating
5small districts; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois currently has 869 public
7school districts, the third most school districts in the nation
8next to California and Texas; and
 
9    WHEREAS, City of Chicago School District 299 has an
10enrollment of 404,589 students and 611 schools in one district;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, There are 82 school districts in the State of
13Illinois with an enrollment of less than 200 students; and
 
14    WHEREAS, During this time of fiscal crisis, school district
15reorganization has the potential to save valuable State dollars
16and use that money more effectively; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
19SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the School
20District Realignment and Consolidation Task Force within the

 

 

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1State Board of Education; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the task force is charged with examining the
3number of school districts in this State, the optimal amount of
4enrollment for a school district, where consolidation and
5realignment would be beneficial, reducing the money spent on
6duplication of efforts, improving the education of students by
7having less obstacles between qualified teachers and their
8students, and lowering the property tax burden; and be it
9further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the task force shall be comprised of the
11following members, all of whom shall serve without
12compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
13necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose:
14        (1) members appointed by the State Board of Education;
15        (2) a representative appointed by the Speaker of the
16    House of Representatives;
17        (3) a representative appointed by the Minority Leader
18    of the House of Representatives;
19        (4) a representative appointed by the President of the
20    Senate;
21        (5) a representative appointed by the Minority Leader
22    of the Senate;
23        (6) a representative of a statewide professional
24    teachers' organization appointed by the head of that

 

 

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1    organization;
2        (7) a representative of a different statewide
3    professional teachers' organization appointed by the head
4    of that organization;
5        (8) a representative of a statewide organization that
6    represents school boards appointed by the head of that
7    organization;
8        (9) a representative of a statewide organization
9    representing principals appointed by the head of that
10    organization;
11        (10) a representative of City of Chicago School
12    District 299 appointed by the general superintendent of
13    schools;
14        (11) a representative of an association representing
15    school business officials appointed by the head of that
16    association;
17        (12) a representative of an association representing
18    school administrators appointed by the head of that
19    association;
20        (13) a representative from an organization
21    representing large unit school districts appointed by the
22    head of that organization;
23        (14) a representative from the Chicago Board of
24    Education appointed by the Chicago Board of Education; and
25        (15) a representative from an organization
26    representing administrators of special education appointed

 

 

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1    by the head of that organization; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the members of the task force shall be
3reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to the
4State Board of Education available for that purpose and subject
5to the rules of the appropriate travel control board; and be it
6further
 
7    RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education shall provide
8administrative and other support to the task force; and be it
9further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the task force shall hold public hearings
11and shall report its findings and recommendations to the
12General Assembly on or before July 1, 2012; and that upon
13filing its report the task force is dissolved.