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Education cuts total $282 million

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Illinois

* Gov. Quinn assured many that he could hold education harmless this coming fiscal year by using his powers to move money around. But here come the cuts…

The Illinois State Board of Education agreed to ax nearly $300 million from its budget on Wednesday, canceling financial support for everything from agricultural education to arts education to alternative schools that get high school dropouts back in class.

State Superintendent Christopher Koch called the reductions “an unraveling of the infrastructure for state education.” […]

The board initially faced $480 million in cuts to targeted programs based on the budget proposal passed by state lawmakers. But Gov. Pat Quinn averted deep reductions in early childhood and bilingual education by providing another $194 million, state education officials said.

Board members grappled Wednesday with where to squeeze $282 million from the spending plan for next year. They targeted after-school programs, school breakfast reimbursements as well as principal and teacher mentoring.

The advantage of being in the minority party (or the Tribune editorial board) in a situation like this is you can demand cuts and then attack the majority for the cuts they do make. Expect just such a react soon.

You can listen to today’s meeting of the state board live by clicking here (Real Media) or here (Windows Media).

* Related and a roundup…

* State’s outstanding bills dog DuPage county budget: In all, the state is behind $7.8 million in its payments to the county. Sales tax receipts also are lagging about 7.7 percent below the projected half-year figure of $39.3 million.

* Doctors group will chime in on medical claim denials

* State government wipes out expired leases, expects to save $20 million

* Quinn signs tax credits bill at Abbott ceremony

* Quinn signing of STAR bill delayed

* Legislators Flider, McCarter forego mailings: In order to save the state money, Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, and Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, are foregoing the brochures that commonly explain what they accomplished during the spring legislative session in Springfield.

* A look at proposed unified standards

* Springfield decisions will affect SIU borrowing

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:17 am

Comments

is there anything unconstitutional about “means-testing” state support for school districts by spending-per-student?

Comment by bored now Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:24 am
They should eliminate funding for mandated categoricals for all school districts with a high EAV, effectively cutting off taxpayer subsidies for all wealthy suburban school districts.

Let the GOP explain why local property taxes are going up.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:25 am
State Superintendent Christopher Koch called the reductions “an unraveling of the infrastructure for state education.”

So, would he rather have Brady making those cuts, or Quinn? His comments are not just unhelpful, they are over-emotional and over the top.

Was he included in the cuts made? If not, why not? If he was, then he should not have said anything. If he wasn’t included, then he should have make a comment that could have included him into the discussions regarding the cuts. What he is quoted as saying here rules him out of future discussions as uncompromising.

You don’t let your State Superintendent publically knife you in the back when tough decisions are made.

Finally, this is not a surprise. No one is going to believe that these cuts represent what Koch claims the represent. He will only get support from no-cuts-at-any-time and political spinsters to support this statement.

Everyone knows what infastructure is. What is threatening it is cuts to the “must have” list. These cuts look like they are from the “would like to have” list.

Koch should cool it and sound like an adult who understands that tough cuts must be made by everyone.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:26 am
*His comments are not just unhelpful, they are over-emotional and over the top.*

VM, you can be part of the cuts and still acknowledge they are bad. Quinn doesn’t want them any more than Koch. I think Quinn would agree with that statement, but that is the hand they have been dealt.

And, it is infrastructure. Those programs are not just cute decorative trim, they are fundamental to educating our future workforce and ensuring that we limit societal costs down the road.

Comment by Montrose Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:36 am
YDD - If the state mandates that the school district provide a program shouldn’t the state pay for it? Cutting off the funding for “high EAV” districts places a burden on those taxpayers to pay for programs that some legislator, not necessarily the parents with children in the district, wanted. Yes, there are some required programs (for example special education) that should be universal. Others (like most of the ever growing laundry list Suzie Bassi is fond of quoting), not so much.

Comment by Bluefish Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:47 am
Well it’s not over yet but Quinn owes us an explanation of his departure from previous assertions that education cuts would not be necessary….if indeed he made such statements More flip flopping. I guess he thinks we’re used to it and that obfuscation is the safest road to
election in November. He wouldn’t be the first.

Comment by cassandra Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:52 am
you can be part of the cuts and still acknowledge they are bad.

Agreed. But Koch went too far by telling the public in a quote that while he is State Superintendent, Illinois’ educational infastructure is being damaged. He cuts his own throat by telling us he had no control over this important part of our state school system. He shows himself as weak and uninvolved during crucial decisions. He looks petty.

If Quinn did this without consulting him, he should focus on that. If Quinn did include him, Koch needed to stand with Quinn. What Koch does here is sandbag the Governor over a no win situation that Koch seems powerless to avoid.

That is different than saying that he disagrees with the cuts.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:53 am
With enough cuts maybe they will finally get into the administrative areas where cuts could really make a difference. Remember, New Jersey is making cuts and it hasn’t fallen into the ocean yet

Comment by Sueann Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 11:58 am
@Bluefish -

If the state mandates that I wear a seatbelt, shouldn’t taxpayers pay for it?

What an ABSURD argument.

What’s next? Requiring taxpayers to pay for the equipment that ensures deep-water drilling rigs meet safety standards?

If the taxpayers in Wheaton don’t want to pay for special education in their school through property taxes, they can support a tax increase to ensure there is enough money to pay for it.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 12:25 pm
Now we’re going to hear some howling.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 12:26 pm
YDD –

Let’s compare two schools

http://iirc.niu.edu/CompareSchools.aspx?source=Finances&level=s&schoolID=240473080262007

The grade school I attended growing up and the one in my district now..

Lets see, my current school and the school I attended growing up spend about the same when you add the two numbers up.

But wait, my SD growing up has a lower EAV per student and a lower tax rate but spends about the same per student. Where does the rest of that money come from, hmmmm, where can it be, I don’t know, THE STATE OF ILLINOIS?

The state already pays less to those evil rich districts…

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/funding/pdf/gsa_overview.pdf

Regardless, you can raise income taxes in this state without a single Republican vote, but due to a lack of courage and/or political will the Democrats have decided not to do so.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 12:43 pm
My suspicious nature thinks this must be a calculated risk to say “see we cut something” but still has not accepted the state has no money. My bet is that they are monitoring which schools have the bank accounts to handle non-payment. Then just like last year, by simply not paying the bills to those schools, the state foregoes the bad news, rallies, phone calls, protest at the announcing of the actual needed cuts.

Comment by Bobby Hill Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 1:28 pm
Local property taxes go up because the local school board raises them. It has nothing to do with the GOP since school boards are non partisan.

This is a hoax. You can say we are not cutting schools more than this all you want, but when you don’t send the checks you have cut them. How is it going to look when they say we didn’t cut, but the schools don’t re-hire laid off teachers because they know the state isn’t sending the money.

Many early childhood grants for 09-10 were never paid. Schools having to commit to those programs for 10-11 don’t really care the governor says he hasn’t cut the budget when they are a 10 months behind already.

Unless a payment is sent this week, most schools will only have 25% of their transportation reimbursement by the end of the 09-10 physcal year. If you run a million dollars in busses that is a big deficit for something that has not been “cut.”

Nice try Pat, but until the last years checks clear, you have cut education.

Comment by the Patriot Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 1:31 pm
I wonder if the Republicans will demand more cuts or if this will do.

Comment by Ahoy Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 1:36 pm
How much does the state spend on cannabis prohibition? $100 million? The locals spend another $50 million enforcing prohibition? Illinois government doesn’t keep track of it, but that’s pretty close.

So there’s half of the cut to education right there. Prisons or schools, folks, the Illinois tax base can not afford to support both going forward. Prisons or schools?

A great majority of Americans believe in decriminalization of cannabis and that adults caught with only cannabis possession should not go to jail and that a fine is harsh enough. A growing minority believes cannabis should just be legalized for adults and taxed to not only save $150 million, but to bring in $300 million in new revenue.

Cannabis prohibition is a complete failure just like alcohol prohibition was and is a complete waste of money and resources.

Comment by TaxMeMore Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:13 pm
=== you can raise income taxes in this state without a single Republican vote, but due to a lack of courage and/or political will the Democrats have decided not to do so. ===

60% of Democrats are on-record as supporting a tax increase, yet you accuse the Democratic Party of lacking “Courage and/or political will.”

I’ll concede that, if you’ll concede that the GOP as a whole — which hasn’t produced a SINGLE vote for a tax increase — is guilty of cowardice and gross negligence that jeopardizes the economic future of our state for their own short-term political gains.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:16 pm
YDD, didn’t the old Senate Bill (500 or 580 I think) “tax swap” have a couple Rep. supporters 3 years ago while Blago was pushing the GRT? Eddy was one I believe.

I think you are both right. The Democrats and Republicans both are and have been failing the people of Illinois. Time to throw them out and put in some new blood with new ideas.

Comment by TaxMeMore Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:25 pm
Maybe I’m uneducated so help me understand why we of Illinois even need a state board of education? This is especially a good question considering that we are now #1 in line to default (At least we are #1 in something)

With each school district, community college and state university having it’s own board of directors, are these state level boards critical? What do they do besides proclaim unfunded mandates?

Comment by DRB Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:27 pm
=== They should eliminate funding for mandated categoricals for all school districts with a high EAV, effectively cutting off taxpayer subsidies for all wealthy suburban school districts.

Let the GOP explain why local property taxes are going up. ===

What a great idea.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:30 pm
You people in Illinois just don’t get it. This 282 million is nothing compared to the 13 billion or so hole you have in the state budget. It would take a large tax rate to possibly 10% to solve the problems facing the state and even then such a dramatic increase would, if history is correct, would be spent on other entitlement vote buying programs before applied to fix what is wrong. The main concerns, from what I gather here, are how can you keep your entitlements and keep spending on even more. Why can’t you all focus on what is wrong, realize you can not have everything and get some new politicians for a change there? Financial collapse is the only thing that will apparently wake you people up and, in view of that, I have stocked up plenty of popcorn to sit back from another state and am going to watch the show of a lifetime. Illinois, what a joke

Comment by taxed out of Illinois Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:38 pm
- Illinois, what a joke -

The joke is someone like you taking time out of your day to comment on a blog thats about a different state than the one you live in.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:41 pm
Whether or not our Pat has an opportunity to put through his middle class tax increase, the middle class is in for a rise in taxes overall. In Washington, Hoyer has started to signal that it may be difficult to keep Bush’s middle class tax cuts in place, despite previous promises to increase taxes only on the wealthy. The middle class will bear the brunt of a state income tax increase. And some suburbs are already raising taxes, income tax increase or no. Oak Park has already announcedthat ele Dist. 97 will seek a tax referendum next year.

It’s enough to make you feel like one of the medieval peasant farmers forced to provide ever-increasing amounts of grain for the enjoyment of the nobility. The nobility nowadays would include state bureaucrats, politicians, and their cronies, of course.

Comment by cassandra Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:42 pm
===Maybe I’m uneducated so help me understand why we of Illinois even need a state board of education?===

Amen!

Do we need community colleges? Actual colleges could simply just “charge” less for those students who plan to drop out in 4 weeks, but just haven’t told thier parents yet?

Do we actually even need state colleges? Private College’s seem to do just fine. We could turn U of I, NIU, etc into “private colleges” and just fund the tuition assistance, MAP etc?

One step further is we do the same with k-12 public education. Private k-12 schools seem to do just fine. We could just provide Vouchers or tuition assistance similar to colleges?

If even a tiny bit of change in thinking about “Free” education took place then maybe Illinois could progress on that pesky $13B hole.

What’s the world comming to? Soon Meeks and Brady will have joint press conference

Comment by Bobby Hill Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 3:53 pm
Vanilla Man,

The state superintendent is supposed to be independent of the governor’s office, a fact that Blagojevich ignored. We need a constitutional amendment to either eliminate the State Board of Education and State Superintendent, and let the governor appoint a Secretary of Education that a member of his cabinet, or go back to the old pre-1970 Constitution way of electing the state’s top educational leader separate from the governor. Either way would be an improvement over the current system.

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 4:05 pm
Wow. 55 comments on the ‘caption’ post and about 25 here to date. And, the caption was posted after this post.

“Education cuts total $282 million”

Whether or not 282 mill less is really going to change the dreadful state of education, this State is swirling around the drain hole of the bankruptcy tub.

And this States politician’s solution? Don’t pay bills; let them all eat cake….or go out of business. And, stop providing the services to the neediest of us all.

Great.

Comment by sal-says Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 4:39 pm
TOOI, but, of course, your chosen field has nothing to do with rising budgetary pressures here and everywhere else. Nothing. Yeah, right.

Also, unlike your state, we don’t sit on huge gas and oil resserves.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 4:50 pm
Sal, we’ve had a budget post almost every day. You haven’t commented on one since late May, but you have commented on other posts. Try not to be so self-righteous.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 4:57 pm
Yeah, I was thinking about this situation further, and have come to the conclusion that Quinn needed to have had Koch involved to co-opt him. I have also come to the conclusion that Koch doesn’t represent this Administration, instead he represents unions who got him his position.

The Governor needs the State Superintendent to support him publically, regardless of the issue. Even a guy like Koch willing to look like a victim instead of an educational leader.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 4:59 pm
I don’t understand the logic of keeping money for pre-school and cutting programs for grade and high school students.

What is the point of funding pre-school if you don’t put in the money for K-12? Wouldn’t the lack of money for K-12 pretty much negate whatever head start is supposedly created through pre-K education?

And this is my bias here but I have no problem with cuts to alternative schools so I am glad that is one of the cuts. If kids are dropping out and acting up at some point it’s clear they don’t want to learn. I don’t think it’s fair to cut programs for regular students who might actually care about school all for the sake of trying to save some drop outs that don’t care.

But overall, I feel bad for the children of this state who are going to lose out on all the opportunities that us adults who grew up here had when we were kids and pay more and more for a worse education.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 6:59 pm
Once again Quinn caved in to the unions and one developer by signing the “worst bill ever” the Star Bond legislation. His gutless action will cost this broke state millions and millions of dollars over at least 23 years. I would not vote for Quinn if he was the only person on the ballot. We have two losers running for Governor of a state in disaster. What a joke, what an embarrassment.

Comment by STAR BOND TAXPAYER RIP OFF Thursday, Jun 24, 10 @ 10:16 pm
Education cuts? Great. Make sure you cut it to the bare bones. This is ridiculous. Education is THE most important part of a person’s life. This country is going to be run by these people whom we are subjecting to this money saving joke. What are we going to get when we put the brakes on education? A nation filled with nothing but politicians. Think about THAT.

Comment by Aghast Wednesday, Jun 30, 10 @ 4:24 pm