Cook County education offices cutting programs, want state funding
Three suburban Cook County education offices are asking the state for more money to continue providing services they say are crucial to thousands of teachers and students in the area.
The North, South and West Intermediate Service Centers have existed for decades, but took on more responsibilities in 2010 when the Cook County Regional Office of Education was dissolved, said Vanessa Kinder, executive director of the South Cook office.
That includes support services to 143 school districts and nine special education cooperatives, issuing building permits for school construction projects (more than 800 in 2015) and making compliance visits to one-fourth of their districts each year.
The offices oversee training for all Chicago and suburban Cook bus drivers, run mentorship programs for first- and second-year principals and handle professional development for teachers.
As well, their employees are certification experts who help thousands of teachers on licensure issues. They employ truancy officers and homeless liaisons to help local schools match families in need with resources.
“There is no other agency that can do all the things that the ISC does,” said Arlen Gould, an elected member of the Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 board who has been appointed to the North Cook ISC board.
No additional funding came in 2010 and the ISC offices do not collect taxes, depending on state funding, grants and fees from member school districts for revenue.
Bruce Brown, executive director of the North Cook office, said revenue has fallen 55 percent in five years. The North Cook program cut five jobs and will close the North Cook Young Adult Academy in Palatine at the end of the school year, Brown said.
He said other programs are running deficits and are in danger.
“We are an arm of the state Department of Education, but they are not funding us at a level to handle the responsibilities they require of us,” Gould said. “I've been watching the financial pressure for years and it is going to affect our kids.”
Elsewhere in Illinois, counties are required to financially support their regional offices of education. In Cook County the support is optional and something county officials have not funded for years.
The ISC offices are behind House Bill 5025, which would require the state to give each office $300,000 annually.
The bill passed the Illinois House two weeks ago and is moving forward in the Senate.
The ISC offices also run a Safe Schools program, an alternative schooling option for students who are about to be expelled.
Gould said five years ago they got a $1.2 million state grant for Safe Schools, but this year there is $300,000 in the tentative budget and it might be reduced again.
In South Cook alone Safe Schools served 300 students last year, Kinder said.
“The worst thing we can do is let problem kids out on the streets without school,” Gould said. “It's critical to help them.”