Illinois Association of School Boards to Feature Two Resolutions Regarding Special Education Funding

Each year, representatives from school boards across the state gather in Chicago at the Joint Annual Conference (Triple I - Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, and Illinois Association of School Business Officials).  The IASB holds a meeting where members discuss and vote on a series of resolutions that could become an official position of the Illinois Association of School Boards.

During the summer, school boards from Grayslake Community HS District 127, Gavin SD 37, Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103, Fox Lake Grade School District 114, Millburn CCSD 24, and Deerfield PSD 109 put forth a resolution regarding special education funding.  The resolution reads as follows:

THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS SHALL urge the Congress of the United States to adequately fund Public Law 94-142 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) commensurate with the mandates required by the Act: 

• shall strongly encourage the State of Illinois to totally fund with new monies, in a timely manner, the extra costs of education children with special needs including transportation and accessibility costs; 

• shall seek changes in current practice to fund local districts for special education professional personnel at 51 percent of the prior year’s average salary for such professionals; and 

• shall continue to oppose any requirement that local public school districts pay room and board costs for any handicapped disabled child placed in private facilities; and 

• shall support modifications to state laws that would equalize the reimbursement provisions so funds would be distributed through a placement neutral process.

Our IAASE leadership team worked with members of the Board of Education from Grayslake 127 to develop this resolution and carry it to the delegate assembly in Bloomington on August 2, 2019.  The delegate assembly approved the resolution and the next step is for the resolution to be voted on by the full membership at its meeting on November 23, 2019 in Chicago, IL.  We urge our members across the state to speak with their board representatives (through regular channels) about the importance of this resolution on special education funding in Illinois.

The other resolution was brought forth by Community Consolidated School District 168 and it reads:

THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS SHALL urge the Congress of the United States to adequately fund Public Law 94-142 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) commensurate with the mandates required by the Act: Resolutions Committee Report, 2019 Amended Existing Positions  

• shall strongly encourage the State of Illinois to totally fund with new monies, in a timely manner, the extra costs of educating children with special needs including transportation and accessibility costs;  

• shall seek changes in current practice to fund local districts for special education professional personnel at 51 percent of the prior year’s average salary for such professionals; and  

• shall continue to oppose any requirement that local public school districts pay room and board costs for any handicapped disabled child placed in private facilities; and  

• shall encourage the state to create a new line item with funding from new dollars that school districts could request a one-time grant from if a high-need child enrolls, or is identified, in the district after September 30 of the school year. (Portions adopted 1977, 1980, 1986; Portions reaffirmed 1985, 1986, 2002; Amended 1988, 2000, 2001)

While we did not know about this resolution coming forth, we are certainly supportive of the idea of any new money coming to school districts for the costs associated with students who have high costs.  More information about all of the resolutions passed by the committee can be found by clicking here.