Full Text of HJR0118 94th General Assembly
HJ0118 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HJ0118 |
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LRB094 20138 EFG 57883 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, In the 2004-2005 school year, over 321,000 | 3 |
| children with disabilities were served in special education | 4 |
| programs across Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, The number of children in special education | 6 |
| programs has risen 12% in the last 5 years alone, and special | 7 |
| education accounts for approximately 21% of all education | 8 |
| spending; and
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| 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
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| 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
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| WHEREAS, Illinois has continued to prorate special | 21 |
| education mandated categoricals at less than 100%, with the | 22 |
| FY06 budget prorating these mandated categoricals at 97%; and | 23 |
| WHEREAS, Even if Illinois fully funded mandated | 24 |
| categoricals at 100%, this would still only represent partial | 25 |
| funding, as the reimbursement rates are severely outdated; and | 26 |
| WHEREAS, Illinois school districts currently spend an | 27 |
| estimated $1 billion from their own general education funds to | 28 |
| meet the unreimbursed costs of special education services that | 29 |
| are mandated by federal and State laws and administrative |
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HJ0118 |
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LRB094 20138 EFG 57883 r |
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| rules; and
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| WHEREAS, Special education continues to represent a | 3 |
| growing financial burden on school districts as the need for | 4 |
| services increases while State and federal funding fails to | 5 |
| increase along with that need; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 8 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that a task force shall be created to | 9 |
| study current special education funding needs and to make | 10 |
| recommendations as to how the State can increase special | 11 |
| education funding and ease the financial burden on school | 12 |
| districts; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of the State | 14 |
| Superintendent of Education (or his or her designee) plus 16 | 15 |
| members appointed as follows: the House Majority Leader and the | 16 |
| House Minority Leader shall each appoint one representative, | 17 |
| the Senate President and the Senate Minority Leader shall each | 18 |
| appoint one senator, and these 4 leaders shall each appoint 3 | 19 |
| public members representing the interests of special education | 20 |
| administrators and services, school districts, and disability | 21 |
| advocates; and be it further | 22 |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall be facilitated by the | 23 |
| State Board of Education; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings and | 25 |
| recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by | 26 |
| January 1, 2007; and be it further | 27 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 28 |
| transmitted to the State Superintendent of Education.
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