ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
http://www.iagcgifted.org
State Board of Education Budget Hearings
Next week the State Board of Education will be meeting in Bloomington. The night before the meetings begin the Board will be launching the budget
process for FY 2010. The Board's Finance and Audit Committee will host the first in a series of budget hearings, on
Tuesday, September 16, 2008, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Normal Community High School's cafeteria, 3900 East Raab Road
This hearing will be the first of seven the Board will be hosting between now and December 3, 2008. The others are:
Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 4 to 6 p.m. Chicago
Chicago Urban League, 4510 South Michigan Avenue
Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 6 to 8 p.m. Macomb
Hancock/McDonough Regional Office of Education, 130 S. LaFayette, Suite 200
Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 4 to 6 p.m. Springfield
Plaza G, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway
Monday, October 27, 2008, 4 to 6 p.m. Belleville
St. Clair County Regional Office of Education, 1000 South Illinois Street
Thursday, November 6, 2008, 6 to 8 p.m. Charleston
Eastern Illinois University, Effingham Room, MLK, Jr. University Union
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 6 to 8 p.m. Wheaton
Learning Center, Briar Glen Elementary, 1800 Briarcliffe Boulevard
These hearings provide members of the public a chance to provide their input into the budget-making process and allow the Board a chance to
hear what is important to the various constituencies. Priorities vary greatly across the state, and the Board is particularly interested in hearing ideas
about how these regional needs can be better addressed. It is anticipated that ISBE's proposed budget will be submitted to the Governor and General
Assembly early in 2009.
We recommend that you plan on attending one of these hearings to provide your input as the Board begins to craft its budget. The Board does not automatically include programs and organizations in the proposed budget that
are receiving funding in the current fiscal year, so your voices regarding the need for gifted dollars need to be heard during this process.
Your message does not need to be lengthy. You just need to indicate that it is imperative that the 7 million dollars slated for gifted education be
included in the budget that is submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly. Tell the ISBE Board members that while we appreciate the money
that was promised for gifted education last year, the money that was promised was not
delivered. Tell them we know that they understand that those dollars are necessary so that gifted children can be included with those children
who learn each day at school. With 7 million dollars, teachers across Illinois can be trained appropriately to recognize and work with gifted children and
dollars can be used to once again put model programs in place throughout our state.
If you have any questions or need more information, contact one of the IAGC Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs: