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The governor’s school funding reform commission completed its work on deadline today, but fair and adequate education funding remains out of reach for too many children across Illinois, Senator Andy Manar said.
“If we can get a bill in front of lawmakers this spring, then that will be the true measure of success for the governor’s commission,” said Manar, a longtime advocate for school funding reform and the Senate’s point person on the issue. “But forgive me if I’m not ready to unfurl the mission accomplished banner just yet.”
During the summer, Gov. Bruce Rauner appointed a 25-member commission tasked with studying Illinois worst-in-the-nation school funding formula, which creates winners and losers among students and school districts across Illinois because of its overreliance on local property taxes to fund schools.
The commission met 18 times between August and today. Its final recommendations include moving Illinois to a new funding formula, a hold-harmless clause to prevent districts from losing state funds, more local control and greater transparency about spending, mandate relief for school districts, additional money for English learners and low-income students and more.
The bipartisan commission also recommended an increase of at least $3.5 billion for school funding.
“The commission should be commended for its work the past six months. I am pleased that we have a new level of awareness of the state’s school funding crisis because of this bipartisan, bicameral discussion,” Manar said.
“But in terms of a product, that work yielded another report on Illinois’ already well-documented school funding reform problems. We have a loose framework – a guide – for moving forward. What we do not have today is a piece of legislation to debate in the General Assembly. That has to be the next step.”
Manar commended Beth Purvis, Rauner’s secretary of education, for her leadership role with the commission and said he looks forward to the governor’s staff translating the recommendations into a bill that will be introduced in the Legislature this spring.
“The commission’s work was substantial, but what happens now is up to Gov. Rauner,” Manar said. “The goal has always been and should continue to be permanent reform that guarantees fair funding for all Illinois schools.”
The report and my own underwhelmed take is here.
* Related…
* Governor’s commission urges more state money for poor students
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 9:36 am
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And I’m underwhelmed by Manar… so I guess it all balances out.
Comment by Big Muddy Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 10:21 am
Senator Manar has been out in front on this issue and has had to do a lot of the heavy lifting to get anything moved. He has taken shots from all sides but has tried to reasonably accommodate or compromise to keep things moving. Numerous districts have upcoming tax referendums on the ballot as they are unable to depend on the State for any consistent funding levels. The governor needs to engage himself and his energies on K-12 and Higher Ed funding rather that this constant “tear em down” campaign mode he is in. Education provides economic opportunities that produce real results for the State.
Comment by Tough Guy Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 10:23 am
Imagine if the governor had appointed a Future of Nuclear Power commission and after 6 months of hearings and work the commission issued a report concluding that, indeed, there are nuclear plants in Clinton and the Quad-Cities that face uncertain futures if we don’t do something about it
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 10:33 am
>Imagine if
I’m in on the imagination thing. Imagine if Rauner believed so much in privatization that he made schools, higher education and human services be funded by nuclear power. Yes, they’d have to raise the rates to do so, but we can tell people that it’s not a tax and it saves jobs!
Comment by Earnest Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 11:36 am
Ernie. Thats good stuff.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 12:17 pm
Senator Manar probably has seen drafts the school district by school district spread sheets using the EBM for his home school districts using a projected maximum overall increase of $500 million and it doesn’t add up to a lot. If you look at a little place like Farmersville IL that is in the Panhandle Community School District that covers about 170 square miles that has a budget of $4.4 million and is running a deficit of about $341,000 or close to 8% of the budget, what will this plan do to help that district?
Comment by Rod Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 12:26 pm
Just so people know there is no intention to increase the FY 17 school budget by $3.5 billion that is the long term goal (pathway to adequacy). At most $500 million next year from the documents on the task force website.
Comment by Rod Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 12:55 pm
It seems Manar wants someone to do his work for him. Maybe nobody mentioned to him that introducing bills was part of the job description when he got elected.
Comment by Chicagonk Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:21 pm
“It seems Manar wants someone to do his work for him. Maybe nobody mentioned to him that introducing bills was part of the job description when he got elected.”
Chicagonk…introduce legislation? Huh. I am not sure why Senator Manar didn’t think of that himself.
Comment by Opiate of the Masses Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:26 pm