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Mayors call school funding system “morally indefensible and a threat to the future of Illinois”

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Illinois

* From Mayor Emanuel’s office…

June 19, 2016
Governor Bruce Rauner
Office of the Governor
207 State House Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Rauner,

We are mayors who believe that our children’s future should be determined by their hard work and talents – not by their zip codes.

Unfortunately, our current school-funding system penalizes the children from our communities. Many of them come from families in poverty. This is both morally indefensible and a threat to the future of Illinois.

At a time of growing economic inequality in our nation, a strong public education is the great equalizer. It is the best means of providing each child in our state with the chance for a promising, productive future. Yet, for years Illinois has languished near the bottom of the 50 states in financial support for its schools and students. Our school districts must rely on local property taxes for the majority of their funding. The result for many children is that their zip code becomes their destiny. None of us as elected representatives can accept this reality.

We recognize that this school-funding situation is not of your making. It has been in place for decades, affecting generations of Illinoisans. But we cannot allow these terrible inequities to continue. Now is the time, and this is the session, to provide all of our children with the chance for a brighter future – no matter where they live or their family’s economic status.

Many of our school districts across the state have reached a tipping-point. Hard-won academic progress is endangered by a lack of state support and the resulting over-reliance on property taxes. Maintaining the current funding formula for another year will only exacerbate this crisis. Now is the time to put our schools and students on a new course – one that enables students to reach their full potential as individuals and as citizens.

From all corners of our state and from many diverse communities, we have joined together in urging you to address the school-funding inequities that threaten so many Illinois public schools and their students. Your full support for fair and equitable school funding in this session is necessary to offer hope and opportunity to millions of children while helping to secure a more prosperous future for our state.

Sincerely,

Mayor Rahm Emanuel City of Chicago
Mayor Tom Weisner City of Aurora
Mayor Barbara Piltaver Villlage of Schiller Park
Mayor Wayne Motley City of Waukegan
Mayor Jerry Bennett Village of Palos Hills
Mayor Dan McLaughlin Village of Orland Park
Mayor Eugene Williams City of Lynwood
Mayor Charles E. Tokar Village of Chicago Ridge
Mayor John A. Ostenburg Village of Park Forest
President Robert Kolosh Village of Thornton
Mayor Rod Craig Village of Hanover Park
Mayor Don A. De Graff Village of South Holland
President Sam Pulia Village of Westchester
Mayor Domingo F. Vargas Mayor of Blue Island
Mayor Beniamino Mazzulla Village of Stone Park
President Vernard Alsberry Jr. Village of Hazel Crest
President Stephan K. Pickett Village of Sleepy Hollow

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:10 am

Comments

“All corners of our state.” No one on that list south of Interstate 80.

Comment by DuQuoin State Fair Is Awesome Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:17 am
We were 50th in funding under Quinn too. Where was their moral outrage then?

Comment by truth squad Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:18 am
1.4% - Yeah. So what do you want me to do about it?

Comment by Huh? Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:19 am
So obviously political.
Where were they last year? Or the year before? Or the year before that?

Comment by Gone Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:21 am
1.4% - My heroic staff has been doing extraordinary things running the State into the ground. We don’t have enough time to save Chicago schools.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:22 am
Waste of time..Gov’s agenda is to make his rich buddies richer.. Force everyone to live on low,wages with no safety net.. His buddy Ken G is finding it difficult to live on a few billion a year.. Thinks there are too many skilled laborers making $30 per hour. Rahm is wasting his time

Comment by NotRMiller Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:23 am
“This is both morally indefensible and a threat to the future of Illinois.”

Which is the larger threat and will cause greater morally indefensible damage to the future of Illinois:
1. Lack of equitable education funding?
2. What 1.4% is going to State government?

Comment by Huh? Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:26 am
Where’s the letter to Dems. Madigan and Cullerton? The GA hasn’t even passed an appropriations bill to send to the gov.

Comment by jack28 Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:27 am
==The GA hasn’t even passed an appropriations bill to send to the gov.==

They’ve passed several and sent them to the Governor. Perhaps if you were playing the victim a little less and paying attention a little more you’d know that.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:36 am
Not on Education, Demoralized. The only one they sent (last year), Rauner signed.

Don’t ask people to pay attention, if you aren’t paying attention.

Comment by Gone Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:44 am
Yep, more like all corners of Chicagoland.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:47 am
Would be interesting to see what the above listed school districts would consider equalized school funding and what that would be per student for each district in the state.

Would not be shocked if they had the Orwellian concept that “some school districts are more equal than others.”

The details would clarify this issue. Not holding my breath.

Comment by Federalist Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:48 am
Demoralized: Not for FY 16-17.
Quit living in the past. Also, you seem to have missed that the gov signed the 15-16 school bill.

I don’t think you have any standing to call someone else ignorant.

Comment by jack28 Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:40 am
The argument about “inequality” in school funding is just a red herring. What that code word REALLY means is increase tax dollars going to schools to match the most overpriced districts in Illinois.

Since 70-85% of school spending is salaries and benefits for staff, the REAL question is “What is fair compensation for teachers and staff in public schools. But they don’t want THAT debate, do they, so they make it about funding rather than how that funding is spent.

It’s time we debated what “fair” funding and compensation is, THEN determine the distribution issues that they want to make this all about.

Considering that virtually no school districts will let proposed contracts be available for public viewing before they vote to approve them, while those on the RECEIVING end of the contracts (union members) have the contracts, are able to vote on them and have them explained, it seems that transparency is the enemy of this “inequality” debate in Illinois….

Comment by Illinois Bob Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:44 am
==FY 16-17.==

FY16 and FY17 are two different fiscal years. Pick one.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:48 am
How about this for a debate topic for those signing this statement, “RESOLVED: The school district does not have adequate funding and compensation to provide a quality education.”

THAT’s the debate we should be having, NOT why every school can’t overspend like New Trier can and gouge taxpayers at much higher levels than the rest of the state…

Comment by Illinois Bob Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:48 am
Again, Demoralized, you are wrong (at least in a calendar sense). The FY starts Jul. 1 and ends Jun. 30.

Want to take another bite at the apple?

Comment by jack28 Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:51 am
Oh yay. Another rant from Bob about school funding. Education receives too much funding. Teachers unions bad. Teachers overpaid. We need average school funding.

Someday you’ll have something else to say rather than continue your inexplicable vendetta against the school system in Illinois.

Get a new hobby Bob.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:52 am
Dude, FY16 and FY17 are two different fiscal years. Pick which one you want to discuss.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:53 am
Illinois Bob: The problem with your topic is that it is up to the signers to define “a quality education.”

Also, they aren’t going to debate it on your terms. The first thing Jesse Jackson Sr. said when visiting Northfield Twp. was “why don’t we have what is here?”

Comment by jack28 Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:54 am
Demoralized is demoralized because he is stuck in the department of redundancy department.

Comment by jack28 Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:56 am
Not my fault you can’t figure that simple point out. When you can figure out which year you want to discuss let me know. I’ll be happy to discuss it.

But, just to make it a bit easier on you I’ll define it for you:

FY16 - July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016
FY17 - July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:57 am
Now is the time to put our schools and students on a new course – one that enables students to reach their full potential as individuals and as citizens - and sends a ton more money to the bankrupt CPS.

This letter is in support of the Dems (Rahms) current stop gap proposal, which loads up money for CPS. It aint gonna happen now or ever unless there is a comprehensive look/change at the funding formulas. If they send CPS a bunch more money now, it will be expected for ever.

Comment by allknowingmasterofracoondom Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:58 am
Demoralized,
FY16: Only one education funding bill made it to the Governor’s desk in FY16. It didn’t include funding reform. He signed it.

FY17: No education funding bill has passed the legislature. Nada.

Comment by Gone Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 11:59 am
@allknowingmasterofracoondom

I generally agree with you. My only issue is that any funding formula change that gives Chicago any money seems to be viewed as a bailout. It then becomes a quest to devise a new formula that begins with a result (no more money for Chicago) and then tries to back into the formula necessary to get that result. Not a good way to get to a new formula.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:06 pm
=== morally indefensible ===

That hasn’t stopped several commenters from defending the status quo, which provides more funding to wealthy districts and less funding to poor districts. Then they blame the poor for being poor.

Comment by anon Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:13 pm
its been broken a long time. it definetly needs fixed and should not be put off…. BUT maybe they could do a phased approach or some trial zones to make sure what they think the new sustem will do actually functions how they want; maybe set implementation to increase and spread past the test grp if no one votes to stop or change anything kind of thing.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 12:39 pm
=== - Demoralized - Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 10:36 am:

==The GA hasn’t even passed an appropriations bill to send to the gov.==

They’ve passed several and sent them to the Governor. Perhaps if you were playing the victim a little less and paying attention a little more you’d know that. ===

I thought I was paying attention. Which ones went to the Governor that he didn’t sign?

Thanks.

Comment by Cadillac Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:02 pm
==Which ones went to the Governor that he didn’t sign?==

If you’re talking about education, none. If you’re talking in general he’s vetoed a few recently.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:33 pm
@anon

=That hasn’t stopped several commenters from defending the status quo, which provides more funding to wealthy districts and less funding to poor districts. Then they blame the poor for being poor.=

You obviously don’t understand the state funding system, anon.

You get more state money to “teach’ poor kids from the state than for those who aren’t low income. If taxpayers in a district want to grossly overpay staff, the current system allows them to do so. If a community can’t afford to fund the minimum state foundation level in a district, the state gets them there.

That overreliance on property taxes business in pure canard, especially from mayors like Dan mc Laughlin from Orland where district 135 spends more to achieve less than most districts in the state and HS district 230 where they pay $120K for 178 work days after 20 years regardless of teaching ability and student outcomes.

If that’s “unfair” funding, one shudders to think the taxpayer damage they’d cause with “fair” funding.

Comment by illinois bob Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 1:48 pm
I see glimmerings of a potential deal here….

1) Rauner does a deal on the school funing.

-and- All the municipalities on the list have to:
(a) No new TIF Districts, SSA Districts, etc.
(b) NO future time (or area) extensions for any existing TIF, SSA districts, etc. In other words, it’s “one and done” for existing special districts.

It turns out that all we’ve done with all these special districts is to create a massive slush fund for ‘crony capitalism’ on the local municipality government level.

So Rahm & his buddies want to ’solve’ the school funding issues. Fine, but they need to be prepared to give up something to get something. The above would be a very fair compromise.

Comment by Judgement Day Monday, Jun 20, 16 @ 3:37 pm