* Background is here if you need it. Gov. Pritzker was asked about House Speaker Chris Welch’s pledge to lead the charge on sending more state money to CPS during veto session…
The funding that we provide at the state level is a known quantity for schools all across the state of Illinois. And I would say, you know, I think it’s of course challenging to face a budget that you know where there’s revenue that’s expected that the Speaker is planning to have a plan for, but we don’t know exactly how. […]
The Speaker must have mentioned it for a reason, so he may have a plan, and I’m unaware that he’s done a roll call about that plan. […]
Again, as I understand it, I mean, I only heard what the Speaker said, and he seems to have a plan or is planning to put something together, and so I look forward to seeing that.
I want to be clear. I have advocated for and accomplished higher education funding throughout my term in office by almost $3 billion a year. We’ve increased education funding across the state of Illinois. I want to do more, and we’re not yet where we need to be. I want to do more, and at the same time, I’m a big believer in, and I think you’ve seen this: balanced budgets. You have to balance the budget, try to run a surplus, make sure you have priorities in order to fund the things that we really need for the people of the state of Illinois. I came into a hollowed-out state government, and we now have, we are running surpluses. We’ve every year balanced the budget, but I want more to go into education. Again, always looking for a way to do that.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
* Meanwhile, Chicago Board of Education member Michilla Blaise put up a Facebook post celebrating the passage of a new CPS budget, which includes an assumption that $150 million in new money will come from the state. She was asked about this assumption in comments…
That’s a heckuva plan. /s
- low level - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:45 am:
Yes, I saw that comment by Blaise on FB and just shook my head. They clearly dont understand how budgeting or politics works in Illinois.
You really think you will just march to Springfield in the fall and get supermajorities for increased education funding? Let me know how that works out. Totally irresponsible.
- ;) - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:47 am:
Oh my…smh. The worst part is she probably thought to herself that was a thoughtful response. I can’t believe we continue to elect people like this.
- Save Ferris - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:50 am:
Maybe CPS can get Welch to get funding from a new Costco.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:56 am:
“No Mayor fault, JB bad man” is going to be a really compelling campaign message. Dem turnout is going to be astronomical so we’ll see how thoroughly CTU has captured the imagination of the only voters they could ever appeal to.
- The Young Gov - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:57 am:
I am a Chicago legislator who would not have voted the way the majority of the CPS school board did LAST NIGHT because I think it makes it harder to get to 71-36-1. Having said this, I am ALSO for getting closer to 90% adequacy far faster than we are slated for (in 2038). Meaning, I want more K-12 education funding for the schools that are the farthest from adequacy, which includes CPS. I am ready to join “the fight”, however it has to be the right “fight”. This fight must involve getting to 71-36-0 if we do something before 12/31/26. This fight must involve serious consideration, scrutiny and persuasion of GA members on revenue proposals that would generate funds in a way that moves us away from an unfair and regressive tax system toward sustainable revenue. In order to get to 71-36-1, this fight will require the ability to compromise and consider some structural change to education funding. From my vantage point, little work has been done on this since 5/31, but as I see it now, the only way is forward. I hope people can stop squabbling about how this came to be in the vote last night and start rowing the boat in the same direction. Students and school communities in Rochester, Evanston, Harlem, and Chicago deserve a serious and thoughtful “fight”.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:58 am:
We got another question from a real member of the public, Poe Temkin: 100% honest and not paid-for question here, when this inevitably blows up in our faces, how will it be all J.B. Pritzker’s fault? /s
- the302 - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:58 am:
I think we should just focus on the first bullet point. Why am I ugly? It’s Brandon Johnson’s fault. Love it.
- Alton Sinkhole - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:01 pm:
== I can’t believe we continue to elect people like this ==
She was appointed
- fs - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:06 pm:
This would be a great response by someone representing a public body…if that public body was a junior high student council filled with 12 year olds. In the adult world, most places this is viewed as an embarrassing display.
- Well well well - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:10 pm:
Welch’s back is against the wall and I don’t think putting his caucus in this position is helpful - for him, CTU or school districts across the state.
Side note: declaring war on the most popular elected in the state? Uh-oh! Careful, Mr. Speaker.
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:25 pm:
This is why the next Mayor of Chicago has to actually know how to govern, not just be good looking, have celebrity friends or be popular. Focusing on just politics. They have to govern, allocate and balance budgets.
Before going back to Springfield asking for more, look at how the city spends what it already has. One vendor alone has pulled over $3 million from the city since 2022, nearly $70K a month for five straight months this year, with one payment hitting $78K. That’s public record:
https://webapps1.chicago.gov/vcsearch/city/vendors/105456553Z/payments
If the city allocated its own budget correctly, it wouldn’t need to keep coming back to the state. Pointing the finger at Springfield is deflecting from a problem that starts at home. The city is favoring rich vendors over children. Fix that first.
- Think Again - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:31 pm:
= Pritzker says he looks forward to seeing Welch’s CPS funding plan=
Masterful move by JB - tie the totally unrealistic CPS request to a political figure sinking due to gross mishandling of the Benton Harassment issues.
- thisjustinagain - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:35 pm:
Her point about the $150 is non-existent. JB has repeatedly told Johnson and the CTU there’s no magic pile of money to be handed to them. Yet both keep insisting there is, or “everything is JB’s fault”. No cost-cutting, no duplicative job cutting, no almost-empty school closings. Just blame JB. /snark
- DuPage Moderate - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:39 pm:
When they say it is about the kids, it’s never about the kids. Can we just get this bankruptcy filing over with and move on. As they say, the math doesn’t math.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
So…..who ‘wears the jacket” for spending one time Pandemic Federal Government Funding on thousands of new employees/programs….??
It seems like the plan was that Biden would be reelected and the federal funds would keep rolling……see CTA…City of Chicago and countless Government entities across Illinois and the US…….
Ms Gates was at the head of the line with the pressure hose on CPS
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
This game hasn’t been fun for a very long time. How do I get off this ride?
- JS Mill - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:57 pm:
=I am ALSO for getting closer to 90% adequacy far faster than we are slated for (in 2038). Meaning, I want more K-12 education funding for the schools that are the farthest from adequacy, which includes CPS…Students and school communities in Rochester, Evanston, Harlem, and Chicago deserve a serious and thoughtful “fight”. =
Most people want schools to reach funding adequacy.however, few districts have the local capacity for school funding that CPS possess. As a school superintendent I am keenly aware of what CPS could do if they wanted to do it when it comes to school finance (the same statement applies to CTU). CPS actually receives a disproportionate share of state school funding when compared to the rest of Illinois schools. Our community, a relatively low income rural community, covers 80% of the annual cost of education here. The tax burden is extreme. What if CPS and Chicago were required to pay 80% of the cost?
The crux of the current issue is the irresponsible spending on nearly 8,000 hires with COVID-19 stimulus funds (per WAPO). A first year superintendent knows that you do not make permanent hires with temporary money. As a legislator YOU should be demanding accountability from CPS/CTU leadership as well as The mayor’s office rather than supporting more money from everyone else. CTU ios expert at demanding more money, but they are never anywhere to be found when it comes to accountability. They have never said “we need to learn to do more with less”.
There is no doubt CPS student deserve a great education. But my students do to. Never has anyone from Chicago demanded support for rural kids and our rural legislators are an embarrassment to be sure.
But none of that excuses the fiscal mismanagement that led to the current problems for CPS and no one is owning that or demanding accountability. They are just demanding more from the rest of us butr not FOR the rest of us.
- Phineas - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
Let’s start by getting the $1 million back that he sent from the Proviso schools to Mayor Serpico.
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
==I want more K-12 education funding for the schools that are the farthest from adequacy==
How did those school districts farthest from adequacy manage their budgets? Because I don’t see any of them playing chicken w/ their budgets.
- JS Mill - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 1:54 pm:
=How did those school districts farthest from adequacy manage their budgets? Because I don’t see any of them playing chicken w/ their budgets.=
Exactly.
- low level - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
This is an example of why moderate / centrists are suspicious of leftists. Not prudent behavior.
- Pundent - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
Which will we see first, Speaker Welch’s funding plan or a new Speaker?
- The Farm Grad - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 3:13 pm:
“why moderate / centrists are suspicious of leftists. Not prudent behavior. ”
Was it prudent behavior to sign a bill resulting in an 11B unfunded liability on a municipal balance sheet without enabling a mechanism to pay for said liability?
- Sue - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 4:13 pm:
Why is there not more critical focus on the huge jump in CPS headcount since 2019 while there was an equally precipitous drop in the student population? Gates and Johnson can cry 24/7 on funding but how do you explain away the 30 percent occupancy in many of the open schools and/ or the teacher/student rations exploding the wrong direction since 2019?
- Just a guy - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 4:22 pm:
Since CPS/CTU has a new best friend in Speaker Welch, maybe he can find a way to get a refund on that $1.4 million he funneled to Benton’s election campaign and send that along to Ms. Gates…