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Despite education budget, schools
not immune to Statehouse drama
It’s shaping up to be not only
one of the wettest summers ever
in Illinois, but also one of the
most frigid times in the
Statehouse as Governor Bruce
Rauner and the Democrat-
controlled General Assembly
continue a high-stakes political
showdown over the state budget.
When someone finally blinks or a
compromise is reached is
anyone’s guess, but many
observers think the stalemate
could last deep into the summer.
The governor deftly avoided one of the biggest
public pressure points by signing the education budget
while vetoing the rest of the state budget. By doing so,
he avoided the specter of some schools not being able
to open in August. Even though school administrators
now know their districts will have a budget, that doesn’t
mean schools are immune from the drama.
One of the major items in the governor’s
“Turnaround Agenda” is a property tax freeze that
could hamstring many school districts. There have
been various plans floated, the current one being for a
two-year property tax freeze. The proposal that passed
a Senate Committee last week also included changing
the school funding formula, something Democrats
insisted be part of the package. For their part,
Republicans want limits on collective bargaining and
prevailing wages and Senate Minority Leader Christine
Radogno said her party could not support the version
passed by the committee. Senate President John
Cullerton said he would hold the bill and make
changes as they negotiate.
Senate Bill 316, Amendment 1, includes more than
just a two-year property tax freeze. Other items of
interest include:
In addition to the freeze for the levy years of 2016
and 2017, all counties would fall under the
Property Tax Extension Law Limit (PTELL) instead
of the roughly one-third of the counties that
currently have tax caps. After the two-year freeze,
the tax caps would be tied to the Consumer Price
Index and be capped at 5 percent.
A supplemental grant to limit the General State Aid
loss for the neediest school districts, similar to
what was included in the education budget for
FY2016.
A clause that says no district shall receive less of a
percentage of GSA than it receives in the 2015-16
school year.
Creation of a General State Aid Commission to
come up with a new school funding. The
commission is required to submit its report by the
end of 2016.
The state making payments into the Chicago
teachers’ pension fund.
While overshadowed by the budget impasse and
the possibility of a state government shutdown, the
property tax freeze issue could have major implications
for school districts that, on average, depend on local
property taxes for two-thirds of their revenue.
IASA Conference lineup set
The IASA Annual Conference scheduled for
September 30-October 2 is shaping up to be another
great opportunity for professional development and
networking. By popular demand, we are moving this
year’s conference to downtown Springfield at the
President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and the Prairie
Capital Convention Center. The downtown location
offers a wide variety of restaurants, shops and
attractions within easy walking distance.
Keynote speakers this year include:
Karen Beerer
, Discovery Education’s Vice
President for Professional Development, whose
presentation is titled “Leading the Learning in a
Digital Age: Why Now?”
Consuelo Kickbusch
, an educator, author and
motivational speaker who founded Educational
Achievement Services, Inc. Her presentation is
titled: “Valuing Diversity.”
New Illinois State Superintendent
Dr. Tony Smith
,
whose presentation is titled “Moving Forward.” This
issue of
Leadership Matters
includes an in-depth
profile of Dr. Smith.
Registration for the conference will open up by the
end of July, so please save the dates September 30-
October 2!
In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the
situation at the state capitol. I urge you to
communicate with your state legislators to let them
know how the property tax freeze would impact your
school district.
Best wishes for a great summer, and I hope you
are able to find the time to enjoy family and friends and
recharge your batteries!
Message from the
Executive Director
Dr. Brent Clark