Bill Text: IL SR1363 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the Auditor General to conduct an audit of Ford Heights School District 169.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2019-01-09 - Session Sine Die [SR1363 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-SR1363-Introduced.html
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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The Ford Heights School District 169 is located in | ||||||
| 3 | the southern suburbs of Cook County and includes two elementary | ||||||
| 4 | schools, the Medgar Evers Primary Academic Center and the | ||||||
| 5 | Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, According to the Chicago Tribune and the Cook | ||||||
| 7 | County Clerk's Office, residents of Ford Heights had the | ||||||
| 8 | highest composite suburban property tax rate in all of Cook | ||||||
| 9 | County; the composite rate is determined by combining property | ||||||
| 10 | taxes from schools, municipalities, park districts, library | ||||||
| 11 | districts, and all other taxing bodies listed on property tax | ||||||
| 12 | bills; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, The Ford Heights School District 169 is located in | ||||||
| 14 | the Village of Ford Heights, which is considered one of the | ||||||
| 15 | most disadvantaged suburbs in the United States; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Despite only having around 400 students enrolled, | ||||||
| 17 | the superintendent of Ford Heights District 169 earns $250,853 | ||||||
| 18 | this school year, with a generous package of benefits and his | ||||||
| 19 | contract states that his salary is scheduled to rise to | ||||||
| 20 | $285,078.86 by July 1, 2021; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, The superintendent's salary is in the top 50 in | ||||||
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| 1 | Illinois even though he is head of one of the smallest | ||||||
| 2 | districts in the Chicago area; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, The South Cook News reports that the district is | ||||||
| 4 | spending $2.3 million per year on non-teacher employees and | ||||||
| 5 | administrators; for the 400 students and two school buildings, | ||||||
| 6 | there are 10 full-time custodians, nine full-time secretaries, | ||||||
| 7 | two principals, two assistant principals, and two attendance | ||||||
| 8 | officers among several other district-level positions; | ||||||
| 9 | therefore, be it
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| 10 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 11 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Auditor General is | ||||||
| 12 | directed to conduct an audit of Ford Heights School District | ||||||
| 13 | 169; and be it further
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| 14 | RESOLVED, That the audit will examine the following issues: | ||||||
| 15 | (1) Whether the administrative expenses at the Ford | ||||||
| 16 | Heights School District 169 are justified based on the | ||||||
| 17 | number of students and school buildings and compared to | ||||||
| 18 | other districts; | ||||||
| 19 | (2) Whether the superintendent's pay is justified | ||||||
| 20 | based on the number of students and his responsibilities | ||||||
| 21 | and compared to other districts; | ||||||
| 22 | (3) Whether there has been any misuse of school | ||||||
| 23 | district funds or whether procedures can be improved or | ||||||
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| 1 | updated; and | ||||||
| 2 | (4) Whether the school district is on sound financial | ||||||
| 3 | footing and can make necessary bond and debt service | ||||||
| 4 | payments; and be it further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois State Board of Education and | ||||||
| 6 | the Ford Heights School District 169 and any other State agency | ||||||
| 7 | having information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and | ||||||
| 8 | promptly with the Auditor General's Office in its conduct; and | ||||||
| 9 | be it further
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| 10 | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as | ||||||
| 11 | soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations | ||||||
| 12 | upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||||||
| 13 | 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act.
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