* Press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner today announced his support of legislation that would save Illinois public schools more than $200 million through unfunded mandate relief.
“Providing districts with this relief costs taxpayers absolutely nothing, but will save districts millions,” Governor Bruce Rauner said. “By freeing districts from these costly mandates, schools will have more flexibility to invest their resources in classrooms and teachers. It’s a win for students, parents, districts and taxpayers.”
The legislation eliminates restrictions on third-party contracting, which eases limitations and financial pressures on school districts. This type of mandate relief is already provided to Chicago Public Schools and this legislation extends this relief to every school district in Illinois. In addition, it eases the requirement on schools to offer drivers education and physical education classes.
Third-party contracting relief, drivers education mandate relief and physical education mandate relief are three of the 27 proposals from the Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force.
“School district unfunded mandates drive up property taxes and limit local control,” Lt. Governor Sanguinetti said. “As a mother of three, I think local school districts and parents should be deciding what’s best for our children, not Springfield. We need to give the power and flexibility back to local communities and parents, and this bill does just that.”
Illinois school districts have been forced to comply with nearly 150 unfunded mandates in the past 25 years, with the General Assembly enacting more than 135 unfunded mandates in the last 15 years.
“Mandate relief is an issue of critical importance to school districts across Illinois. Countless state mandates impact nearly every aspect of every district across our state,” said State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), the chief sponsor of SB 3098. “Relief from these costly mandates is essential to giving districts the flexibility they need, and allows them to direct their limited resources to the classroom, where they are needed the most.”
“Schools desperately need relief from burdensome unfunded mandates that are passed down to them by the state and federal government,” said State Representative Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove), chief sponsor of HB 6164. “The provisions of this bill will give our local schools a great deal more flexibility so they can make their educational offerings more student centered and cost effective.”
Chicago has an exemption on janitorial services (which has been a disaster), but this legislation appears to cover every service.
* From the proposal’s synopsis…
In provisions allowing a board of education to enter into a contract with a third party for non-instructional services currently performed by any employee or bargaining unit member, removes a provision that requires any third party that submits a bid to perform the non-instructional services to provide a benefits package for the third party’s employees who will perform the non-instructional services comparable to the benefits package provided to school board employees who perform those services.
*** UPDATE *** As the Chicago janitorial contract clearly shows, school districts are often not careful enough when they contract out. One suburban school is having a big problem now…
Thousands of students are in jeopardy of going without a hot lunch or breakfast in Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 starting in May, when food service provider Sodexo plans to withdraw early from its contract.
Superintendent Art Fessler said Sodexo officials told the district they lost $500,000 last school year and are on track to lose another $500,000 this year if they stay on through the end of the annual contract.
Now the district is scrambling to find a new food vendor to prepare meals between May 1 and June 15, the last day of school. […]
Larry Fullmer, a Sodexo district manager, said in an emailed statement that “unforeseen economic circumstances and operational challenges” led to the company’s decision to exercise a termination clause in its contract with District 59.
- siriusly - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 10:57 am:
Workers comp, prevailing wage and labor rules for school districts and local governments are unfunded mandates too.
I’m not saying I disagree, just saying they are all mandates.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:02 am:
When you have nothing of substance to say, no new ideas or initiatives, no vision or plan, the unfunded mandate speech can fill time and column inches. Works. Every. Time.
When he was County Board President, we sent Dick Phelan around the state to meet with mayors and county officials to decry the cost of unfunded mandates. Phelan got his name in a lot of local papers and we used the downtime to schmooze the local pols. Heh. It never gets old because the problem will never go away.
- Beaner - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:03 am:
Nary a word about taxing the Gaming Industry another $500 million to put into the Common School Fund and lower our property taxes. Makes one wonder whether the Casino owners are investors in GRTC?
- morningstar - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:05 am:
Sounds appropriately vague enough to have come from this administration. I would think that a substantial number of unfunded mandates are not within the scope of the State to relieve. Many expectations placed upon schools emanate from federal regulations, for example the prevailing wage laws and “labor rules” to which the commenter siriusly refers. I do not find it believable that there are $200 million to be recouped from the relief proposed by this suggestion. Show your work.
- Dr X - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:05 am:
Is there a list of these mandates with specific budget amounts attached to them?
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:05 am:
Right on 47.
- Reality Check - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:07 am:
Translating the synopsis to English from legalese, Bruce and the Raunerites want to lay off the men and women who feed, drive and protect our kids at school, privatize their jobs and allow the for-profit companies to hire replacements at minimum wage and with health insurance. Freedom! Growth! Prosperity!
- How Ironic - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:09 am:
How about the Gov works on a budget to relieve the “No Funded Mandate” he’s already given the schools?
- illini97 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:10 am:
Yeah, I’m going to need some specific requirements and the math behind the savings.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:10 am:
Why is only Rauner consistently proposing ways to save the state money?
Madigan and Cullerton have been around for decades. It would be good to hear a few new suggestions of their own, instead of just saying “no” to everything.
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:11 am:
http://illinoisvision2020.org/2015/04/08/hb-3535-school-district-relief-unfunded-mandates/
- Austin Blvd - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:11 am:
Truly, 47th. More buzz words. More hustle.
- How Ironic - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:12 am:
@- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:10 am:
“Why is only Rauner consistently proposing ways to save the state money?”
Decimating Lutheran Social Services and other safety net providers isn’t really “saving the state money”. Just Sayin’
- Juice - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:26 am:
To add to How Ironic, because these mandate reliefs aren’t likely to actually save money. Unless the Governor’s plan is to send the kids home earlier, other courses/instruction will be utilized during that time which means hiring other teachers to replace the PE teachers or paying existing teachers more. Until they show their work, this is nothing but buzzwords.
Also, getting rid of driver’s ed is a terrible idea, unless GTCR happens to own a driving school or something, then I at least understand the push.
- Nick Name - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:26 am:
A Sandack bill. Not surprised at all.
- illini97 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:27 am:
47th is exactly right. These are the sort of platitudes that distract from what’s going on. Every General election cycle, you’ll here the same.
“Send me to Washington to get rid of all these regulations holding us back!
Uh, OK, can you name any particular one, specifically?
Well, the ones you don’t like! Those need to go!”
Show your work. List an ILCS or school code number, what the proposed change is, and what it will save. Let’s see it.
- Beaner - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:27 am:
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:10 am:
Why is only Rauner consistently proposing ways to save the state money?
Dear Anonymous: In 2011 Pension Reform and Workers Compensation Reform were both passed saving taxpayers and businesses billions.
- historic66 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:29 am:
I knew this would come sooner or later.
Slowly strip away limbs and then attack the torso of unions.
- Dr X - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:31 am:
Thanks for the link - I want to get rid of the mandate about recycled paper and fingerprinting bus drivers.
- Mama - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:32 am:
Anonymous @ 11:10AM: “Why is only Rauner consistently proposing ways to save the state money?”
Rauner uses fuzzy math in his proposals - - in other words, he is not saving the state any money with his turnaround agenda. Wait, I think he calls his T.A. ‘Structural Reforms’ now or whatever buzz word he is currently using. If you a member, and you have been following Capitol Fax, you would already know that.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:34 am:
This is nothing more than a privatization bill, and more anti-union venom.
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:34 am:
Same song, second verse.
Googled ” third-party contracting” and got this:
Sometimes a company will use third-party contractors to do work because they are temporary and they do not have to pay those people benefits.
CPS Aramark contract is $22 million over budget and they don’t even clean the schools. So, how does this save money?
- Huh? - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:36 am:
Didn’t 1.4% sign an unfunded mandate for CO alarms a few months ago? Does this mean that the schools no longer have to spend the money to install the alarms?
- relocated - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:41 am:
@ anonymous 11:10. Calling Rauners proposals “ways to save money” ignores the fact that almost all of them contain provisions that promote his anti worker, anti middle class agenda. But even if we accept your premise the onus is on the governor to propose programs because A) his administration is responsible for carrying them out, and B) since he is a caucus of one he needs to indicate what he is likely to sign. The general assembly can pass savings measures but if the gov doesnt sign, or uses his AV power capriciously or if his administration fails to implement the process fails. One way both sides could work together is negotiating a budget with savings instead of gimmicks.
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:41 am:
“As a mother of three, I think local school districts and parents should be deciding what’s best for our children, not Springfield. We need to give the power and flexibility back to local communities and parents, and this bill does just that.”
The governor wants local control until the community decides it doesn’t want a charter school draining resources away from the neighborhood school. Then it’s all - talk to the hand.
Local control for all - as long as you agree with the governor.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:44 am:
47th +1
The mandate relief is popular with schools too, that is until you dig into the real meaning.
My guess is that if you are released from the mandate, you also get released from the funding.
If you decide not to change or eliminate services, no problem from the ISBE but you are not getting any reimbursement anymore.
And parents, they usually do not react so well to a reduction in services.
But, but, the Governor said we are relieved of those mandates. The parent of the 15 year old that now has to drive 30 minutes to find a private driver ed school and pay double or triple what the school charged might want to provide some input on that one.
- Jack Stephens - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:48 am:
Bruce,
When are taxpayers going to get relief from Unfunded Mandates in the form of Government Entitlements for the 1% (”Wealthy Welfare”)?
How do lower wages correlate to an increase in over all revenues for the Government, when this will lower spending?
In other words, since you made 50 million last year so you have more to spend, but the average income is $50,000.00. If your going to lower my income, where does the revenue offset come from? Taking a bigger percentage of taxes from less income from the average taxpayer?
Love,
Jack
- NixonHead - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:50 am:
If schools can save money and provide reliable service by outsourcing, do it. If schools can save money and provide reliable service by bringing a service in house, do it.
Even when given more freedom to choose locally, CPS seems to go out of its way to screw things up. How do you screw up a janitorial contract? Like many municipalities in Illinois, janitorial contracts for small school districts make a lot of sense.
- Joe Biden Was Here - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:53 am:
Physical Ed is an unfunded mandate?? It used to be considered an important part of promoting student health.
Drivers ed is done in schools to promote safety. True the wealthier parents pay on their own, but Rauner feels that all parents should pay. So much for the common good, public health or safety.
- Bill White - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 11:53 am:
I believe this quote from the “Our Sorry State” post fits well here:
== All told, since 1979, Illinois’ top 1 percent increased their incomes by 177 percent; the bottom 99 percent saw a decrease of 1.2 percent. ==
- illinoised - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:05 pm:
Another idea from the Simon Legree playbook.
- northsider (the original) - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:06 pm:
What about those free motorcycle safety courses? Is that supposed to substitute for driver’s ed?
- 13th Ward - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:09 pm:
Mandates aren’t a budget item. proposing to end mandates is extreme.
- Buzzie - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:22 pm:
For decades unfunded school mandates have been the creation of bipartisan support in Springfield.
- How Ironic - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
“End Unfunded Mandates” cries “No-Funding Mandate” Gov Bruce Rauner.
- How Ironic - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:37 pm:
Gov Bruce Rauner educates citizens on the difficulty of paying for Unfunded Mandates, as his lack of Budget only allows for court mandated spending.
- Honeybear - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:49 pm:
Juice, Drivers ed is brutal on the wallet as is! I just had to pay 250$ for my oldest for drivers ed ON TOP of the 20$ learner permit fee from the state. My God, what will it be when it’s privatized?
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:49 pm:
“If schools can save money and provide reliable service by outsourcing, do it.”
Privatization removes accountability and transparency and shifts the cost to company profits and executive salaries.
- sparky791 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
Yeah. Lets get rid of P.E. Obesity rate of school age children is not high enough in this country. Of course which leads to higher health care costs among other things.
- burbanite - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 12:58 pm:
PE? Sparky +1
Come on, all that time this is the best they can do. How bout we look at consolidation of units of Gov’t. That is where the savings is, but we are not hearing about that.
- NixonHead - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 1:10 pm:
@TinyDancer(FKA Seu) - thanks for the copy-pasted, Bernie Sanders campaign style answer. Never mind that it could work in some situations.
- Carl - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
So eliminate Driver Education? There are already way to many drivers on the road without a license or proper training. Less training = more accidents = higher insurance liability. As for PE classes, most these days promote healthy activity and life long exercise. No PE = more obesity = higher insurance costs.
Rauner should be battling to negotiate prescription prices through Canada, now that would be a useful way to save money. I seriously doubt he would propose a sensible action like that since it would take away corporate monopolies right to guaranteed profits.
- Soccermom - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 1:29 pm:
Yeah — you really want to save some money, Bruce? Pick 50 tiny school districts and force some consolidations.
(Just let me know when you plan to announce — I’ve got a lot of popcorn to pop…)
- Decaff Coffee Party - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 1:40 pm:
As I understand the issue, removing the unfunded mandates means that it would be up to locally elected school boards rather than the GA to make the decision to implement or not implement a given mandate.
Citizens (and legislators) cannot have it both ways — cutting funding and piling on mandates that increase the cost with no mechanism to pay for them except to raise property taxes (if they even can)…all the while everyone also advocates for lower property taxes. Politicians promise more for less, but reality is you gotta pick either cutting services or increasing revenue.
- Trolling Troll - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:03 pm:
And from the post “our sorry state” we can see who can afford to pay more in taxes and who cannot.
- Skeptic - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
” most these days promote healthy activity and life long exercise.” Anecdotally, I have to disagree. Some of the teachers at our kids’ school played boys against girls in dodge ball. Thanks that to kind of “education”, my kids are healthy in spite of PE and not because of it.
- Omega Man - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:10 pm:
Governor Scrooge: “If they would rather drive (without driver’s education) they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
- Chicago 20 - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
After analysis there will be no savings, only decreased tax revenue while a few connected folks will reap windfall profits by providing shoddy work at high costs while paying minimal wages.
- Ahoy! - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 2:59 pm:
–As the Chicago janitorial contract clearly shows, school districts are often not careful enough when they contract out. –
Bad management causes problems weather a school district contracts out or simply employs their own.
- Annonin' - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
How does a privatized drivers’ ed program save ?
I have a visual of Jethro and the Beverly Hillbillies truck pullin’ up to Lake Forest High School and gettin’ Justin and Tiffany ready for he road test. North Shore Lexus will never permit.
Maybe in SlickHeadSandy’s ‘hood or Jumppin Jason’s town. But not where real people live
- Lester Holt's Mustache - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 3:31 pm:
==Bad management causes problems weather a school district contracts out or simply employs their own.==
That’s odd. So you are saying that pretty much overnight, the people managing the CPS-employed janitors forgot how to manage, and these new private sector employed janitors are not to blame for parents having to come in and personally clean their children’s schools? I would have guessed just the opposite, it’s a good thing you’re here to explain it to us laymen.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 4:11 pm:
= Does this mean that the schools no longer have to spend the money to install the alarms?=
As a matter of fact, that one happens to be on hold.