HR0495 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Article X, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution provides that "A fundamental goal of the People of the State is the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities."; the Section also provides that "The State shall provide for an efficient system of high quality public educational institutions and services." and that "The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education."; and

WHEREAS, The economic competitiveness of the United States and Illinois in the global economy requires a well-educated workforce; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, education is more important than ever because it is an essential step to entering and remaining in the middle class; and

WHEREAS, High school dropouts are more than twice as likely to be unemployed and 3 times as likely to receive welfare assistance; nationally, this costs billions of dollars to government-funded assistance programs annually; and

WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau estimates that a person with a high school diploma will earn $9,634 more per year than someone without a high school diploma; and

WHEREAS, In 2014, people without a high school diploma had a 9% unemployment rate, compared to a 6% rate for those with a high school diploma; and

WHEREAS, A well-educated citizenry improves the business climate by providing highly skilled workers that employers need; and

WHEREAS, According to a Georgetown University study, the United States economy will face a shortage of 5 million workers with the necessary education and training by 2020; and

WHEREAS, The majority of jobs that will be created will require some sort of education and training after high school; and

WHEREAS, Males with a college education live an average of 8 years longer than those without a high school diploma, while females with a college education lived an average of 6 years longer; males with a college education are also 55% more likely to vote than those without a high school diploma, and females with a college education are 40% more likely to vote than those without a high school diploma; a one-year increase in median education level is associated with a more than 13% increase in political primary turnouts; and

WHEREAS, Between 1987 and 2007, the United States has increased spending on incarceration by 127%, compared with a 21% increase in funding for education during the same time period; and

WHEREAS, Forty-one percent of all prisoners have not completed high school, compared to 18% of the general adult population; and

WHEREAS, The annual cost of incarcerating an individual is roughly $32,000, while the annual cost of educating a student is about $11,000; a 5% increase in male graduation rates nationally would save an estimated $5 billion annually in crime-related expenses; and

WHEREAS, Investment in education is shown to prevent violence by providing opportunities and knowledge that create a higher quality life; and

WHEREAS, The average annual public health cost is an estimated $2,700 per high school dropout, $1,000 per high school graduate, and $170 per college graduate; it is estimated that if every high school dropout graduated, the national savings in public health costs would exceed $40 billion annually; and

WHEREAS, The foundation level is the statutorily set minimum per-pupil funding necessary to adequately educate public K-12 students in Illinois through a combination of State and local resources; the foundation level has remained at $6,119 since the 2009-2010 school year, despite rising costs of education; and

WHEREAS, The Education Funding Advisory Board recommended that the foundation level be changed to $8,899 for Fiscal Year 2016 to adequately fund the educational needs of students; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has not fully funded K-12 education since Fiscal Year 2009; and

WHEREAS, For Fiscal Year 2015, General State Aid to schools was prorated at 87.1% and the State's share of K-12 education funding was underfunded by nearly $650 million; Illinois currently ranks last in state share of P-12 education funding; and

WHEREAS, Improved education and more stable employment greatly increase tax revenue, such as a return of at least 7 dollars for every dollar invested in pre-kindergarten education; and

WHEREAS, A high quality education system should be the identity and legacy that we establish for Illinois and the United States; in addition, education should be the number one budget priority for the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we acknowledge the importance of having a high quality education system and all of the societal benefits that go along with it; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the General Assembly to make education a priority in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget and to fully fund elementary and secondary education; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the business community to advocate for a high quality education system in Illinois, which will benefit the business climate as well as the citizens of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the General Assembly to continue to strive to create an adequately funded and high quality education system for the benefit of all citizens.