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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The National Research Center for Career and
3Technical Education has identified a very strong correlation
4between students taking 3 or more Career and Technical
5Education (CTE) courses and being far more likely to enroll in
6college; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Students taking 3 or more CTE courses are 28% more
8likely to graduate from high school; and
 
9    WHEREAS, A commitment to career and technical education
10helps to ensure that Illinois has a strong, well-trained
11workforce that enhances productivity in business and industry,
12and solidifies the State's leadership in the national and
13international marketplaces; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Providing citizens with career and technical
15education can stimulate the growth and vitality of businesses
16and industries by preparing workers for the occupations
17forecasted to experience the largest and fastest growth in the
18next decade; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Career and technical education institutions
20strive to provide rigorous and relevant curricula that
21integrate academics, utilize technology, partner with

 

 

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1community colleges through dual credit programs, and prepare
2students for 21st century skills; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The first area career/vocational centers in
4Illinois began operations in 1967 with 837 students; and
 
5    WHEREAS, There are presently 24 area career/vocational
6centers, which offer skilled training to over 10,000 11th and
712th grade students; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Section 17-2.4 of the School Code established a
9maximum tax rate by referendum of 0.5% for not more than 5
10years for the purpose of establishing or constructing an area
11career/vocational center, with the levy sun-setting after a
125-year period; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Area career/vocational centers have been
14subsequently funded through tuition, the State Career and
15Technical Education Improvement Grant, and, in some cases, the
16Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Many buildings housing area career/vocational
18centers are over 40 years old and in desperate need of repairs,
19renovations, and even expansion; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In the face of the present recession and

 

 

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1reductions in member districts' equalized assessed valuations,
2districts who are members of career/vocational centers are
3unable to increase the present tuition charges to cover said
4costs further; unless a funding mechanism is established,
5career/vocational centers may have to either reduce the number
6of students they can accept or reduce entire programs; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Unlike a school district, area career/vocational
8centers have no direct taxing authority; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Transportation is an essential component for
10students to access career and technical education programs;
11therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
14SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Area Career
15and Technical Education and Vocational Centers Task Force,
16consisting of the following members:
17        (1) one member, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
18        (2) one member, appointed by the President of the
19    Senate;
20        (3) one member, appointed by the Minority Leader of the
21    Senate;
22        (4) one member, appointed by the Speaker of the House
23    of Representatives;

 

 

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1        (5) one member, appointed by the Minority Leader of the
2    House of Representatives;
3        (6) one member, of the Governor's staff, appointed by
4    the Governor;
5        (7) 2 members, appointed by the Illinois Career and
6    Technical Administrators;
7        (8) one career center director, appointed by the
8    Governor;
9        (9) one education for employment system director,
10    appointed by the Governor;
11        (10) one member, appointed by the Illinois State Board
12    of Education; and
13        (11) one superintendent of a school district whose
14    district is a member of an area career/vocational
15    cooperative, appointed by the Governor; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That all appointments shall be made no later than
1745 days following the adoption of this resolution; and be it
18further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet no later than 90
20days following the adoption of this resolution at the call of
21the members appointed by the Speaker and the President; the
22members of the Task Force shall select a chair person at the
23initial meeting; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet at the call of the
2chair; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall serve
4without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their
5reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for
6that purpose; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor shall provide
8administrative support to the Task Force to the fullest extent
9of its abilities; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study the issue of
11funding of area career/vocational centers and career and
12technical education programs, including transportation for
13said programs, and shall consider the possibility of enacting
14legislation to make changes to said funding; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall hold a minimum of 7
16public hearings in the State, one-half of which shall be held
17at an area career/vocational center; the Task Force shall
18report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the
19General Assembly before February 28, 2014, at which time the
20Task Force shall disband; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be

 

 

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1delivered to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the Illinois
2House of Representatives, the President and Minority Leader of
3the Illinois Senate, the Governor, the State Superintendent of
4Education, and the Illinois Career and Technical
5Administrators.