Metro East Sun

State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) wants to make sure a bill she is sponsoring original intent remains after undergoing proposed committee changes.

“I’m a co-sponsor of the bill, but I just have a question,” Bourne told lawmakers of House Bill 0007 during a recent House Elementary and Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing and Charter School Committee hearing.

“I appreciate the changes in the timeline,” she said. “I want to make sure the reduction goal of 25% that is in the legislation that if we’re targeting non-unit districts if that’s even a possibility to reach that goal. I don’t want to set out with a task that is not attainable.”

The legislation seeks to create the School District Efficiency Commission. The governing body would make recommendations to the governor and the General Assembly about the number of school districts, the optimal enrollment for a system and where reorganization and realignment of districts would be beneficial.

Among other elements, the bill also established what areas the recommendations must focus on, including drafting specific propositions to reduce the statewide number of school districts by no less than 25% through reorganization.

Illinois has more local government units, including school boards, than any state in the country, the Illinois Policy website reported.

“I believe the unit districts are better for student outcomes and taxpayer outcomes, but I just don’t want to set us up for failure that the commission would be recommending every single unit district to consolidate in order to meet the recommendation,” Bourne said. “If that’s the case, then it kinda sounds like we don’t need a commission if the outcome has to be 25%.”