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* From The Times of La Salle County…
Lawmakers in Central Illinois and elsewhere have long lamented how much money Chicago schools receive in state money compared with schools in their districts.
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, has introduced a bill that would remove Chicago’s special block grant of $250 million, which is above and beyond what the state’s standard funding formula for schools provides.
Barickman’s legislation, Senate Bill 1124, would create an evidence-based formula that would mean gains in funding for every school district but Chicago. It is backed by Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, whose district includes La Salle County.
Chicago would lose $62 per student. Locally, Streator High would get $1,254 more per student under the legislation, more than the other three major districts in the area. Following are Ottawa High, $1,119; Streator Elementary, $609; and Ottawa Elementary $499.
Passage of the bill could be difficult.
Ya think?
You gotta wonder what Downstate legislators would say if suburbanites and Chicagoans banded together to snatch away the vast majority of state money for road and bridge construction and repair.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:07 am
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This kind of “us vs. them” legislation is not productive.
Comment by Saluki Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:13 am
If CPS experienced a $250 million funding reduction for special education, by federal rule it would have to make up every one of those dollars with local property tax funds. The rule is called Maintenance of Effort or MOE.
Assuming CPS is in the fiscal hole now this would throw dirt on the grave of CPS.
Comment by Rod Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:16 am
===Chicago would lose $62 per student. Locally, Streator High would get $1,254 more per student under the legislation, more than the other three major districts in the area. Following are Ottawa High, $1,119; Streator Elementary, $609; and Ottawa Elementary $499.===
Perspective.
The “thoughtful” Sen. Barickman is concerned about K-12…
How’s Barickman been about getting funding to, say, Illinois State University?
Been yellin’ and screamin’ about that, Sen. Barickman?
Downstate Raunerite legislators fail here on two important levels;
The downstate Raunerites don’t understand where tax dollar math monies really come from…
… the downstate Raunerite legislators worried about K-12 and education are purposely aiding in higher education destruction.
So, Sen. Barickman actually cares? Hmm.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:18 am
Trust me, that extra dough to Streator schools won’t let kids forget that they’re still living in Streator.
But still - the public schools in towns like Streator aren’t doing well. But they’re still doing better than schools in Chicago.
The cost of living in Streator is a fraction of living in Chicago. The daily violence perpetrated again the kids in Chicago would never be tolerated in Streator. Diversity, differing special needs, language challenges, teacher retention - not a problem in Streator, compared to Chicago.
Fiscal equality does not result in equality of situation or outcome.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:26 am
CPS is suing the state for not getting enough money, and legislators want to give them LESS? OK…
Comment by Perrid Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:28 am
CPS, CPS you mean there still is a CPS ? I though that went out of business years ago
Comment by T sowell Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:32 am
CPS enrollment is down almost 60,000 from it’s post-2000 peak. Perhaps a re-calibration isn’t too much to ask.
Comment by City Zen Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:39 am
“— … the downstate Raunerite legislators worried about K-12 and education are purposely aiding in higher education destruction.”
Exactly correct and “purposely aiding” is a very appropriate way to categorize their lack of outrage.
Comment by illini Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:52 am
Do we need another PR event between Rauner and Chance the Rapper?
Basing Chicago school funding upon enrollment completely ignores the true costs of educating our children there.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 15, 17 @ 11:58 am
The politics of education funding are such that you can kill any bill by pointing out that it helps someone else. Any increase in Chicago money will be spun as a “Chicago bailout”, which can’t pass. A bill that helps everyone except Chicago can’t pass either. Until that dynamic changes you’re stuck with the status quo.
This is why I’m bearish on the grand bargain, among a number of other reasons.
Comment by The Captain Monday, May 15, 17 @ 12:11 pm
I do not see how the proposed bill and the recent comments CPS Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool’s about the ‘chronic underfunding’ of CPS mesh. Is CPS over funded or under funded, I do not see how it can be both at the same time?
Comment by Hit or Miss Monday, May 15, 17 @ 12:13 pm
Tough, almost intractable political problem. This kind of Quid requires a giant Quo.
Still, extra credit earned by any legislator who goes beyond mealy-mouthed platitudes, and proposes actual numbers to fight over.
Comment by walker Monday, May 15, 17 @ 12:13 pm
“You gotta wonder what Downstate legislators would say if suburbanites and Chicagoans banded together to snatch away the vast majority of state money for road and bridge construction and repair.”
Wel, that would certainly make the truck delivery traffic and other vehicular commerce that necessarily uses roads and bridges throughout the state more problematic, and the Chicago area would suffer as much or more as the rest of the state.
Comment by My New Handle Monday, May 15, 17 @ 12:14 pm
===CPS enrollment is down almost 60,000===
OK, but Streator High’s enrollment is down 15 percent since 2005 https://high-schools.com/directory/il/cities/streator/streator-twp-high-school/173810003903/#section-1
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 15, 17 @ 12:15 pm
The bad ol’ Chicago gag. Never fails in some quarters Downstate.
Here’s what Charlie Wheeler posted here last week when Rep. Bourne trotted out that oldie but goodie:
–Point of information:
“When talking about state policies, I hear often from constituents that the money flows straight to Chicago while the rest of Illinois is forgotten about. We cannot let this happen again. The children of Illinois are too important. Understand though, I agree - the children of Chicago deserve a high quality education. Many of them are not afforded that opportunity under the current system. However, the children outside of Chicago, in central and southern Illinois deserve the opportunity to get a great education too.” Rep. Avery Bourne, 95th Representative District.
The 95th Representative District covers all or parts of 15 school districts, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. During the 2015-2016 school year, 13 of those school districts received a greater share of their operating revenues from the state than did Chicago Public Schools– City of Chicago SD 299– for which state dollars accounted for 29.7% of their operating revenues. The two exceptions were Morrisonville CUSD 1, 28.8%, and Panhandle CUSD 2, 28.2%. Source: http://webprod1.isbe.net/ilearn/
Charlie Wheeler–
Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 15, 17 @ 4:36 pm