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91_HR0316
LRB9106835CBcbA
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, It is the educational and economic policy of the
3 State of Illinois to move regions, local areas, and local
4 institutions toward self-reliance, local initiative, and
5 local control; and
6 WHEREAS, It is further the policy of this State that
7 education is locally initiated and locally controlled; and
8 WHEREAS, The former State Community College was formed as
9 an experimental college to meet the educational needs of
10 Alorton, Brooklyn, Centreville, East St. Louis, Fairmount
11 City, and Washington Park, Illinois; and
12 WHEREAS, State Community College was abolished on July 1,
13 1996, and was replaced on that date with a new permanent
14 Class I community college district that was established by a
15 majority vote of the taxpayers of Community College District
16 541; and
17 WHEREAS, The Illinois statute authorizing the
18 establishment of a permanent Class I community college
19 required the Illinois Community College Board to transfer the
20 land and buildings that made up State Community College to a
21 locally elected Board of Trustees; and
22 WHEREAS, The statute authorizing the establishment of a
23 permanent community college district required taxpayers to
24 pay real estate taxes to support the new community college
25 district; and
26 WHEREAS, The taxpayers paid the required taxes during the
27 year Metropolitan Community College was in existence; and
28 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board abolished
29 the Metropolitan Community College District on October 16,
30 1998, effective January 1, 1999; and
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1 WHEREAS, The General Assembly had created a district
2 consisting of Alorton, Centreville, Washington Park,
3 Brooklyn, East St. Louis, and Fairmount City; and
4 WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board dissolved
5 the local community college district without the vote of the
6 citizens or their elected representatives, on January 1,
7 1999; and
8 WHEREAS, The Speaker of the House, Michael J. Madigan,
9 has appointed a special task force to study the issue of the
10 creation of a New Community College District in the
11 geographic area of Community College District 541; and
12 WHEREAS, Southern Illinois University wishes to locate
13 its programs and facilities and build class room space at the
14 former Metropolitan Community College site; and
15 WHEREAS, There is pending in the appellate court a
16 lawsuit challenging the actions of the Illinois Community
17 College Board and the constitutionality of the statutes; and
18 WHEREAS, The Executive Director of the Illinois Board of
19 Higher Education has agreed to provide resources of staff and
20 funds to study the use, relationship, and questions that must
21 be addressed before the creation of a new district; and
22 WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education Executive Director
23 has agreed to provide resources for studies as to how to
24 create the new district; and
25 WHEREAS, There is an extraordinary need for a
26 comprehensive community college district to replace the
27 dissolved Community College District 541; and
28 WHEREAS, The leadership of the communities making up the
29 geographic area of Community College District 541 presented
30 the Illinois Community College Board executive director with
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1 a proposal to reestablish a comprehensive community college
2 district; and
3 WHEREAS, Discussions are going on in reference to a
4 relationship between Southern Illinois University, the
5 community, and a new community college district; and
6 WHEREAS, The Speaker's task force on the creation of a
7 community college district to replace District 541 recommends
8 that:
9 1. There be created by the General Assembly, a
10 permanent community college district in the geographic
11 area of former District 541;
12 2. All construction projects, either new
13 construction or rehabilitation, by the State of Illinois
14 or any university or other entity, on land or in
15 buildings comprising the former Metropolitan Community
16 College campus be constructed with the express
17 understanding that upon the creation of the new community
18 college district, the land and buildings, upon the
19 request of the locally created board, shall be
20 transferred to the new community college district; and
21 3. The criteria of 60,000 population and
22 $150,000,000 equalized assessed valuation should continue
23 to be waived as requirements for the establishment of a
24 new community college district, and alternative criteria
25 that takes into consideration the unique circumstances of
26 the East St. Louis area should be developed; therefore,
27 be it
28 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
29 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
30 we adopt the recommendations of the Speaker's task force and
31 we recommend that Speaker Madigan continue to use all the
32 authority and persuasion of his office to help the students,
33 citizens, taxpayers, and voters of former Community College
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1 District 541 to re-establish their community college district
2 and develop a process for a reasonable planning effort in
3 reference to the future development of this former
4 Metropolitan Community College site.