Cunningham plan gives school boards final say on charter schools

SPRINGFIELD – Local school boards would have the final authority to approve or decline new charter schools under legislation passed out of the Senate Executive Committee today by State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat representing Chicago and parts of the Southwest Suburbs.

The legislation, House Bill 5175, eliminates charter schools’ ability to appeal a local school board’s decision to deny or not renew a charter school. Under current law, a charter school applicant may file an appeal with the State Charter School Commission, who can reverse the school board’s decision.

“Local school boards are deeply invested in the communities they serve and ultimately know what’s best for their schools,” Cunningham said. “The State Charter School Commission shouldn’t be able to reverse decisions by local leaders elected by voters in that community.”

The legislation leaves in place a provision allowing charters to be approved by referendum if at least 5 percent of the voters in a school district petition the school board.

HB 5175 now heads to the House for concurrence.

Senate OKs Cunningham plan to strengthen college investments

SPRINGFIELD - Illinoisan families using the Illinois Treasurer’s College Savings Pool would receive heightened safeguards on their investments and would be given the option to use the funds if unexpectedly faced with disability-related expenses under legislation passed out of the Illinois Senate today.

House Bill 4751, introduced by State Senator Bill Cunningham, would resolve discrepancies between federal requirements and the College Savings Pool administered by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. The state treasurer administers college savings programs like Bright Start and Bright Directions, which allow Illinois families to save while taking advantage of federal and state tax benefits, allowing contributions to grow on a tax-deferred basis.

HB 4751 minimizes the fees that the State Treasurer’s office may charge for the costs of managing the college savings accounts, by requiring that the Treasurer must keep the fees as low as possible and consistent with the associated costs. The measure also declares that contributions to the College Savings Pool are not state funds and cannot be commingled with state funds.

To help families faced with unexpected costs relating to disabilities, the measure would also allow account owners to roll over funds into an Illinois ABLE account with incurring taxes. Illinois ABLE is a tax-advantaged investment program that provides persons with blindness or disabilities the option to save for disability-related expenses without putting their federal means-tested benefits at risk.

“If circumstances change and college is no longer a goal, families dealing with the burden of disability expenses need to have the option to tap into their Bright Start or Bright Direction funds,” Cunningham said.

HB 4751 now moves to the House for concurrence. Cunningham represents parts of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs.

Cunningham, Hurley to host Coffee and Conversation June 16

Cunningham welcomes local STEM students to Illinois Tech Day 2018

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Bill Cunningham was joined by students from Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, and Palos Park for this year's Student Tech Showcase at the state Capitol.

Organized by Illinois Computing Educators, Tech Day aims to increase awareness of the critical role technology plays in the modern learning environment by offering student an opportunity to demonstrate their projects while highlighting the need for adequate funding for educational technology.

"In today's world, tech education is essential for setting our kids up for success," Cunningham said. "These projects demonstrate just how creative our kids are when given resources and tols to apply their ideas using technology."

The event featured students from High Point Elementary School and Liberty School in Orland Park; Oak Ridge Elementary School in Palos Hills; Palos East Elementary School in Palos Heights; Palos West Elementary School in Palos Park; Oak Lawn Community High School; and Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills.