***UPDATE: The July 8 hearing was cancelled on July 2***
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) learned on June 18 that a second hearing has been scheduled for the IHSA with the Illinois General Assembly’s Elementary & Secondary Education Committee. The co
mmittee held its first hearing with the IHSA on May 20, 2014 at the Capitol Building in Springfield (
click here for recap).
According to the Illinois General Assembly website, the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8th at noon in room C600 of the Bilandic building in Chicago.
“We are ready to go,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “We just hope that it is a big room and that we have the opportunity to call witnesses this time around.”
At the hearing on May 20, the room initially scheduled to host the hearing was unable to accommodate the nearly 100 high school administrators, coaches and community leaders who traveled to Springfield in
support of the IHSA. Committee members debated on whether the hearing should continue, until eventually a larger room became available. Most of the remainder of the hearing featured Hickman testifying, and the hearing concluded before the IHSA had the opportunity to call any witnesses (
click here for story on IHSA support).
“Many of the committee’s questions would be better answered by individuals from our member schools,” said Hickman. “Folks have already begun reaching out to our office about attending, so we expect to have a huge contingent of support once again in Chicago, and the same in Southern Illinois when the time comes. We hope they have their chance to speak on July 8.”
At the conclusion of the first hearing on May 20, Committee Chair and State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia announced that she would hold two additional hearings with the IHSA that would take place in “Chicago” and “Southern Illinois.” Administrators from Salem High School have since offered to host the Southern Illinois meeting, but no date has been announced for that meeting yet.