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Another budget pressure point (Updated)

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* Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget doesn’t include money to help schools deal with the migrant influx. He was asked about that this week and here’s his response…

School districts need more money across the board. That is just a fact. That is one of the reasons we have the evidence-based funding model in place, to put more dollars and put the dollars in the right places. But for sure the education system is underfunded and there are needs, including the new arrivals that have come, the children that are in those schools.

But we also have seen, as you know, in some places like in Chicago, there are fewer students going to school in public schools in Chicago over the years. And so the addition here, while funding has been relatively stable for Chicago, we’ve had fewer students there. So they should be able to handle many of the students that have come.

Meanwhile, again, education across the board has been underfunded.

* But that response ignored the pressures in the suburbs. Capitol News Illinois…

“Over 40 percent of our students qualify for English learner services, and the numbers are continuing to grow,” [Jeannie Stachowiak, superintendent of North Palos School District 117] said. “Just this year, we have enrolled 83 newcomer students who come from 16 different countries, from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South America, and Mexico. Many of these students have suffered trauma in their countries of origin and have experienced interrupted schooling. Several who are enrolled also need additional services beyond that of (English learner), which may include special education as they were not properly identified and supported before they came to the United States.” […]

Most of those [62,644 newcomer] students [in the past two years] are enrolled in Chicago Public Schools, [Kimako Patterson, chief of staff at the Illinois State Board of Education] said, but an estimated 12,771 are enrolled in other districts. She said those students come from 147 different countries, led by Mexico, Colombia, Ukraine, India and Venezuela.

In January, ISBE submitted a funding request for the upcoming fiscal year totaling just over $11 billion, or roughly one-fifth of the state’s entire General Revenue Fund budget. That included $35 million in new funding to support migrant students.

Although Gov. JB Pritzker did not include that money in the budget proposal he sent to the General Assembly, ISBE still hopes to have it included in the final budget that lawmakers pass this session.

* Chalkbeat…

State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat representing suburbs northwest of Chicago, has filed a pair of bills — House Bill 2822 and House Bill 3991— that would allow the Illinois State Board of Education to create a $35 million New Arrival Grant program that would distribute funding to school districts to support migrant students.

Crespo said he plans to amend the legislation to request $150 million for the grant program.

Rep. Crespo’s amendment would actually appropriate $188 million.

* WGN…

“When you get notice that in three days you are going to have 40 students…that’s a stressor on the system,” said Dr. Michael Connolly, superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 21 in Wheeling. […]

Illinois has a grant program to help districts pay for language and cultural programs for new arrivals. Of the 853 school districts statewide, only 80, or about 10 percent have received money through that channel.

Thoughts?

…Adding… From the governor’s office…

Illinois school districts have a number of different options to access federal dollars to support migrant students in the classroom. Every school district in the state has access to funding through the $33.1 million McKinney-Vento program. Certain districts are also able to access $10 million in federal dollars through the Title I School Improvement program. Those school districts that have federal immigrant education programs are also eligible for Title III dollars to support these students. On top of all that, the Stronger Connections Grant program is competitive and offers $40 million for districts with newcomers to the state.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 1:30 pm

Comments

Good for JB to mention the hard truth that school enrollment has gone down and not just in Chicago but in collar counties as well. My old town in DuPage lost 20 percent of enrollment over last ten years. Daily Herald had numbers for various towns. My new tax bill had my real estate taxes for local schools go up $480 a year yet enrollment down. And I know good schools make a great investment

Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 1:56 pm
Costs for students include a large legacy costs from previous years.

Comment by Da big bad wolf Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 2:31 pm
Schools that have had a large influx of migrants should get some state support. One way to help them would be to fund the free lunch for all legislation (yes, if they are homeless or low income they get free lunch anyway) that would free up resources for schools.

=My old town in DuPage lost 20 percent of enrollment over last ten years. Daily Herald had numbers for various towns. My new tax bill had my real estate taxes for local schools go up $480 a year yet enrollment down.=

20% over 10 years is a lot, but over those same 10 years look at what has happened to the cost of salaries and benefits. When a school loses enrollment and it is not enough to close a building then many of their fixed costs remain the same. If you look at pandemic inflation you will see how hard that hit schools as well.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 2:47 pm
McKinney-Vento is extremely limited with what districts can do with the dollars.

Comment by Thoughts Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 3:40 pm
I guess spending is good when it’s Fred Crespo’s spending.

Comment by Google Is Your Friend Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 3:47 pm
= McKinney-Vento is extremely limited with what districts can do with the dollars.=

I am not sure I agree with you on that but being homeless automatically qualifies them for fee waivers and free lunch. That isn’t funded by M-V.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 4:12 pm
I appreciate Crespo’s bill. These migrants represent the American Dream and I support helping the schools to provide the services their kids need.
Our school in McHenry County has had a massive influx of migrants and I’m proud of the work we’re doing to welcome them and help with their transition.

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Thursday, May 2, 24 @ 7:46 pm