Blogs

Advocacy Alert – Summary of Signed and Vetoed School Interest Bills

By Michael Jacoby posted 08-28-2023
Summary of Signed and Vetoed School Interest Bills We hope you are all having a fantastic start to this new school year! While you all have been preparing to open your school buildings this summer, the Governor has been busy signing bills. He has officially signed (or vetoed) every piece of legislation that passed both chambers in May. Below please find information about important education bills that have been vetoed or signed into law. VETOED BILLS The Governor issued several vetoes for a variety of measures, but one in particular did impact an education bill. HB3643 (Rashid; D-Berwyn) would have required ISBE to enter into ...

Legislators Wrap-Up Spring Session

By Michael Jacoby posted 05-27-2023
Legislators Wrap-Up Spring Session One Week After Scheduled Deadline Happy Weekend! One week past the scheduled adjournment date, the General Assembly has wrapped up the Spring 2023 session with a budget that once again is positive for K12 schools, and also includes a historic investment in Early Childhood Education for the state’s youngest learners. The budget bill ( SB0250 ), which was filed on Wednesday evening, allocated an additional $350 million for Evidence-Based Funding — $300 million of which will flow into the formula via tier money, with $50 million being allocated for another round ...

103rd General Assembly Update

By Michael Jacoby posted 05-19-2023
103rd General Assembly Update Happy Friday! We had hoped to also be wishing you a “Happy End of Session Day,” but unfortunately, we won’t be able to do that because today will not be the last day of session as originally scheduled. As of this morning, neither a budget bill or a budget implementation bill have been filed. Wednesday, May 17 was the final day a budget could be introduced and still see the legislature adjourn as scheduled. Nothing happened on Wednesday, but there was still hope that if a bill was dropped yesterday, Thursday the 18, legislators could wrap up in the early morning hours on Saturday. Unfortunately, Thursday came and went without ...

Protect Local Control - Oppose SB 990

By Michael Jacoby posted 05-10-2023
Protect Local Control - Oppose SB 990 Happy Wednesday, Despite ongoing lobbying efforts against SB 990 by school management and labor groups, the measure is set to be heard in the House Executive committee today. If it passes out of committee, the bill may be called for a full vote on the floor before the end of the week. As we have written previously in calls to action, SB 990 represents a significant infringement on local control in that it would drastically limit a school district’s ability to sell property at its highest potential value. Additionally, the bill would incentivize municipalities and townships to view district property ...

Call To Action: Opponent Witness Slips Needed

By Michael Jacoby posted 04-24-2023
CALL TO ACTION: OPPONENT WITNESS SLIPS NEEDED Good Afternoon & Happy Monday! This week marks the week of deadlines for bills to be passed out of House and Senate committees, and as a result, we are expecting a large amount of bill movement in the next few days. We are writing today to request your help in demonstrating opposition to several bills that we expect to be heard this week. Please file a witness slip IN OPPOSITION to SB 990 . The legislation was filed on a shell bill in the Senate by Senator Curran (R-Lemont) before it moved over to the House. Representative Burke (D-Oak Lawn) now has the legislation and it is scheduled ...

Make Your Voices Heard!

By Michael Jacoby posted 04-17-2023
Call to Action: Make Your Voices Heard! Happy Monday! We are writing today with a call to action for four pieces of legislation that are scheduled to be heard in committees this week when the General Assembly returns to action from their spring break. We have two legislative measures that we are requesting you to demonstrate OPPOSITION to related to teacher tenure and employment. We also have two measures that are initiatives of Illinois ASBO and IASA that we are asking for you to sign PROPONENT witness slips for. OPPONENT WITNESS SLIPS NEEDED We have written about the bills related to teacher tenure a few times over the last few ...

Update on Senate Bills Pertaining to Education

By Michael Jacoby posted 04-03-2023
Update on Education-Related Legislation Friday’s deadline in the Senate for bills to pass out of the Chamber of Origin seemed quite mild compared to the marathon in the House. About 40 pieces of education-related legislation passed the Senate Friday. Like the House, Senators focused on the teacher tenure process, but there were a few measures dealing with financial planning, providing rural schools more representation on state task forces and changes to selling property that cleared the key legislative hurdle. Below is a summary of some of what transpired during the last week of Senate action. Teacher Tenure Following over a month of negotiations ...

Outlook for 103rd IL General Assembly Improving; Concerns Remain

By Michael Jacoby posted 03-27-2023
Outlook for 103rd IL General Assembly Improving; Concerns Remain A frenetic legislative session that has been marked by unfunded mandates has tampered down slightly after sponsors did not call their proposals for a vote before Friday’s deadline for House bills to pass out of the chamber of origin. However, a handful of concerning proposals — curriculum mandates, kindergarten reform, training mandates, special education changes and bullying notification and reporting — were approved in the House and now move to the Senate. Without question, the outlook for the 103rd Illinois General Assembly is much more positive today than it ...

FY2023 Evidence-Based Funding Calculations are Now Available

By Michael Jacoby posted 08-08-2022
Evidence-Based Funding Calculations for FY2023 are Available The fiscal year 2023 Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) calculations are now complete, and the first of the 22 payments will be released on August 10. The following resources are now available on the ISBE website : FY 2023 EBF Quick Facts FY 2023 EBF at a Glance FY 2023 EBF Full Calculation FY 2023 / FY 2022 Comparative Analysis User Tool Please note that ISBE created the FY 2023/FY 2022 Comparative Analysis User Tool as a resource for districts to understand the data drivers that ultimately determine tier assignment and calculated tier ...

Governor Pritzker Signs Legislation Bolstering Access to Healthy Food in Schools

By Michael Jacoby posted 06-30-2022
New law enables school districts to further partnerships with food providers that prioritize the health of students CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker today signed legislation to increase access to healthy food options in schools across the state, providing Illinois children with the well-rounded, nutritious meals necessary to maintaining a healthy learning environment. "Illinois students deserve healthy, sustainable food options at every turn," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Schools are a haven. They are where our state's children spend most of their time outside of the home-and our schools provide reliable, consistent meals for students, day in ...

Update from Forecast5 Analytics, Now a Part of Frontline Education

By Michael Jacoby posted 02-17-2022
Illinois ASBO Members, Below is an update from our Partner, Forecast5 Analytics, now a part of Frontline Education: We are over a year into our acquisition into Frontline Education and are excited to finally be seeing some fruits of this new relationship. With change comes opportunity, questions and, in some cases, concerns. Considering these natural reactions and emotions, we want to outline some of the forthcoming changes. One aspect you should know up front – Frontline is deeply committed to not only maintaining but also growing our overall Partner Program through an increased investment in 2022. Illinois ASBO has been, is, and will remain an important ...

Policy Change Ensures All Students Receive Proper Nutrition to Learn and Thrive

By Michael Jacoby posted 02-17-2022
Illinois ASBO Press Release Legislation Improves Equity for Low-Income and Minority Students by Expanding Access to Higher Quality School Meals Policy Change Ensures All Students Receive Proper Nutrition to Learn and Thrive SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by House Deputy Majority Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, that would increase equity for low-income and minority students by expanding access to higher quality school meals across the state was approved by the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee this afternoon. The legislation would ensure that all students receive the nutrition needed to ...

Slow Start to Session; Lawmakers Target Relief for Schools

By Madeline McCune posted 02-11-2022
We doubt when the General Assembly developed a three-month- session calendar, set to end on April 8th, it anticipated the entire first month being canceled amid a surge in coronavirus cases. We further doubt it could have envisioned the second month of session being hampered by “snowmageddon” in its first week. With the session calendar still not extended, we are technically one-third of the way through this General Assembly calendar. While floor action has been slow in the House and Senate, committees are meeting weekly and hearing a flurry of legislation. While it is always possible the House or Senate extend deadlines, the current deadline for substantive ...

Pritzker Proposes $350 Million Increase to EBF in Combined State of the State and Budget Address

By Madeline McCune posted 02-02-2022
Pritzker Proposes $350 Million Increase to EBF in Combined State of the State and Budget Address As Illinoisans dug their way out of a massive snowstorm today, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed a FY 2023 budget that inches the state closer to digging itself out of years of underfunding education. Pritzker delivered his combined State of the State and State Budget Address from the Old State Capitol at noon. In his address, he proposed that the FY 2023 budget include a $7.9 billion appropriation for Evidence-Based Funding — an increase of $350.2 million over FY 2022. The $350 million includes $300 million in tier funding, $50 million for Property Tax Relief Grants ...

Pritzker Vetoes COVID Administrative Leave Bill; Introduces Framework for Revised Legislation

By Michael Jacoby posted 01-25-2022
Pritzker Vetoes COVID Administrative Leave Bill; Introduces Framework for Revised Legislation It was no surprise Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed HB 2778 , the COVID School Employee Benefit and Wage Protection Bill. What surprised us in today’s veto message was the framework Gov. Pritzker and his administrative team proposed after weeks of negotiations with the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and Illinois Education Association (IEA). The negotiated framework offers incentives for teachers and staff members to get vaccinated, as well as language that restores used sick leave for school employees. Unfortunately, the proposal does not address ...

Call to Action: COVID School Employee Benefit and Wage Protection Bill

By Michael Jacoby posted 12-13-2021
For years, Illinois schools have grappled with a teacher shortage that has made it a constant struggle to staff classrooms and fill positions. When the pandemic hit, the challenge was only exacerbated. The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era triggered a spike in retirements and resignations that has made it even more challenging for schools to find replacements. Due to current staffing shortages, schools are struggling to remain open and, in some cases, have been forced to revert back to remote instruction. Illinois ASBO opposed the COVID School Employee Benefit and Wage Protection Bill ( HB 2778 ) because it allows for unlimited paid leave for school ...

Illinois ASBO Introduces Accubase as New Affinity Member Program

By Michael Jacoby posted 11-18-2021
The Illinois Association of School Business Officials (Illinois ASBO) has partnered with AccuBase Solutions as our newest Affinity Program partner. The relationship will facilitate the growth and use of property tax-based auditing analytics in Illinois school districts, allowing for the maximization of revenue, providing school finance officials accurate tax base data for use in short- and long-term budgeting, while simultaneously providing a potential reduction in the average homeowner property tax bill. AccuBase systems are designed to capture all current and new value, allowing districts to maximize revenue, while potentially reducing the average homeowner ...

After Slow Start, Fall Veto Session Ends With a Bang

By Michael Jacoby posted 10-29-2021
After Slow Start, Fall Veto Session Ends With a Bang An absence of vetoed bills didn’t slow the Illinois General Assembly down during the fall veto session. The Healthcare Right of Conscience Act, a union-backed initiative to legislate paid administrative leave for COVID-19 related absences and extending interfund transfers were among the bills that impact public education to clear both chambers. In the 11th hour, the General Assembly passed a slate of bills Thursday night into the early hours of Friday morning, including a new Congressional redistricting plan, expanded gambling to include betting on in-college sports and a package of tax credits and ...

Illinois ASBO and IASA Welcome Two New Members to Our Legislative Team

By Rebekah Weidner posted 10-21-2021
Illinois ASBO and IASA Welcome Two New Members to Our Legislative Team With the retirement of Calvin Jackson and David Wood from Illinois ASBO's legislative team and the near retirement of Diane Hendren from IASA, we are pleased to announce the addition of two members to Illinois ASBO and IASA's shared governmental relations team, Madeline McCune and Emily Warnecke. Both bring unique experiences that will prove valuable to bringing forward the issues that matter most to school officials. Madeline McCune, Director of Governmental Relations (pictured left) Madeline McCune came into this position in October 2021 from the Illinois House of Representatives, ...

Will the Fall Veto Session be a Boom or Bust?

By Michael Jacoby posted 10-20-2021
Will the Fall Veto Session be a Boom or Bust? Longtime followers of the Illinois General Assembly understand it typically takes a deadline to spur much action at the statehouse. With the General Assembly scheduled to return Oct. 26-28, the first few days of the fall veto session (Oct. 19-21) were quiet and even ended early after both the House and Senate canceled session Thursday. However, as we’ve seen in the past, bills can move quickly in Springfield if there is enough momentum behind them. At this time, it’s too early to say if the fall veto session will be a boom or bust in terms of passing legislation. After the tidal wave of bills last spring, many ...