Hernandez Urges Governor to Back Education Funding Reform, Emphasizes Impact on English Learners

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Committed to ensuring every child has the tools necessary to succeed, state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, is calling on Gov. Rauner to sign Senate Bill 1 into law once it arrives on his desk.

“A quality education gives every child a foundation to dream and achieve as big as they want. And where someone lives should never determine the sort of education they can receive,” Hernandez said. “I urge Governor Rauner to think about what SB 1 would mean for English learners across our state before he says no to expanding opportunity to all children with the stroke of a pen.”

Hernandez voted to pass Senate Bill 1, which would change the education funding formula to one that is data driven and based on student need. The new formula would take into account various factors including teacher to pupil ratio, technology costs, the number of low-income students and English learners. Additionally, the legislation factors in the ability for local taxpayers to contribute to school districts. This means that more financial assistance and state money would go to districts with greater need. Under Senate Bill 1, local schools in the 24^th District would receive the following in additional funding:

• Sterling Morton High School District 201— $8,805,316
• Cicero School District 99— $8,688,626
• Berwyn South School District 100— $2,944,270
• Berwyn North School District 98— $1,723,873

Senate Bill 1 would also ensure that Bilingual Education be fully funded for the upcoming school year by increasing its funding to $38,546,000. Bilingual Education has not been fully funded for several decades. Despite Gov. Rauner’s veto of the bi-partisan budget that funded this vital program, Hernandez is fighting to make sure that every student has access to the tools they need for a strong future.

“Students in District 100, like so many across the state of Illinois, have suffered the consequences of inadequate funding and proration for years.  Our students deserve access to high-quality educational programs that are based on student need and are not dependent on where they live,” Berwyn South School District 100 Superintendent Mary Havis said. “Senate Bill 1 provides a school funding solution that addresses individual student needs while ensuring that no districts lose funding.  We applaud the legislators that have continued the fight to fix the state’s broken funding formula and urge Governor Rauner to consider every child in the state and sign SB1.”

State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez is a member of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and represents the 24th District, which includes Cicero, Little Village, Berwyn, Brookfield, Riverside, and Stickney.