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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
REQUESTING A HEARING OF THE LEGISLATION AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OF THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO DISCUSS SUPPORTING THE INTERMEDIATE SERVICE CENTERS OF COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, the Intermediate Service Centers ("ISCs") of Cook County play a crucial role in providing shared services to the public and non-public school districts of suburban Cook County; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Safe Schools Program ("RSSP") is one of the critical educational programs offered to the youth of suburban Cook County, and has been offered to the suburban Cook County public schools districts since 1997; and
WHEREAS, the RSSP initiative serves as the key youth drop-out and expulsion prevention program that keeps young people (Grades 6-12) in school with an opportunity for graduation and enhanced success; and
WHEREAS, should these students not receive educational services and enter into the juvenile justice system, the cost to the State of Illinois is egregious; and
WHEREAS, Governor Rauner February budget address eliminated grant support for the RSSP throughout the State; and
BE IT RESOLVED, since the dissolution of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education ("ROE") # 14 in 2010, the ISCs have taken on all duties and responsibilities of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education; and
BE IT RESOLVED, all other 101 counties in the State of Illinois provide fiscal supports for their ROEs, and consider their ROEs to be a branch of county government;
BE IT RESOLVED, Counties supply such tangible supports such as providing rent-free space in county buildings, county-supplied insurance benefits, county personnel to carry out ROE duties, and salary stipends for ROE administrators; and
BE IT RESOLVED, the continued diminishment of state and federal grants and funding has caused the ISCs to incur annual fiscal deficits; and
BE IT RESOLVED, the continued existence of the ISCs is now in question due to the existing fiscal constraints and lack of support of Cook County; and
BE IT RESOLVED, these fiscal constraints call into question whether the ISCs can continue to provide educator licensure support, bus driver training (for all of Cook County and Chicago Public Schools), issuance of building and occupancy permits, Health/Life Safety inspections, annual Illinois State Board of Education compliance visits, non-public school recognition services, truancy services, McKinney-Vento homeless services, and professional development activities at several levels;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee of the Cook County Commissioners will hold a Hearing to examine the relationship between the County of Cook and the Intermediate Service Centers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the intent of the Hearing will be to investigate how supports can be provided to the Intermediate Service Centers to carry out their critical mission of serving the youth of Cook County, Illinois.
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