CHICAGO – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, recently attended a community meeting at Oak Park’s District 97 to discuss state education funding and the adoption of a new school equity policy.

“There is no doubt that education is a very important aspect of our lives, and so it should be treated as a top priority,” said Lilly. “With the new funding formula in place, Illinois has the nation’s most progressive funding system for its schools. Our work, however, does not end there as we still need to find ways to ease real estate taxes.”

Lilly attended one of District 97’s monthly Committee for Legislative Action, Intervention and Monitoring (CLAIM) meetings to discuss the new law along with methods to reduce school districts’ reliance on local property taxes, a more inclusive and progressive equity policy for District 97 students and how that new policy could fit in with the new funding law. Senate Bill 1947, which Lilly supported, was the landmark education funding formula overhaul legislation that changed Illinois from a near dead-last rank in funding public schools to the nation’s leader in progressive education funding.

“We will need to work harder to ensure that Springfield fulfills its obligation to better fund every school in order to ease districts’ reliance on high property taxes,” Lilly said. “There is a property tax swap provision in the law that sets aside $50 million to relieve that particular tax burden, but Illinois needs to adopt a more progressive tax structure that asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share for a truly long-term solution.”

Lilly represents Chicago’s West Side, Oak Park, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park and Melrose Park. Join her weekly newsletter to stay up to date with events and news from the 78th District.

NORTHLAKE, Ill. – As the next school year approaches, and the state still does not have the required evidence-based education funding formula in place, Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, issued the following statement:

“The bi-partisan state budget that cuts billions in spending and supports vital services requires a fair and equitable evidence-based funding formula to be in place for K-12 programs because we need to ensure that every tax dollar that is spent is being used fairly and efficiently.

“Senate Bill 1 will make sure that schools that serve poor students are getting the resources they need, while also protecting funding from other schools to make sure we are not pitting districts against each other.  This measure, will help prioritize investments in education, an area where Illinois is severely lacking.

“Despite the urgency of putting an equitable evidence-based funding model in place, Governor Rauner instead wants to play politics and veto the measure, thus severely compromising the abilities for schools to open for the new school year.  This is reckless and will have dire consequences for our children and working families.  I urge residents to call Governor Rauner at 217-782-0244 and tell him to keep his hands off our schools.”

Willis is serving her third term in the Illinois General Assembly as State Representative of the 77^th District, which includes O’Hare Airport and portions of Addison, Bellwood, Bensenville, Franklin Park, Maywood, Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park, and Wood Dale.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Offering additional funds to cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools (CPS), state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, voted to pass reform that dramatically reshapes education funding in Illinois and creates a fairer, more equitable system to provide support to every public school in the state.

“Educational opportunities for children in Illinois should not be dependent on their zip-code,” D’Amico said. “The way we fund education in Illinois is regressive and antiquated. SB 1 fixes our broken system and ensures that schools in our neighborhoods are getting the funds they deserve.”

The D’Amico-backed Senate Bill 1 would, for the first time, provide Chicago schools with equitable funding, by increasing state support by $300 million annually. Most importantly, the new formula sends more money to schools with a higher percentage of students in poverty, English language learners and special needs students. Senate Bill 1 accomplishes this without reducing funding for any school in the state.

Currently, the state of Illinois contributes the fourth lowest amount to education of any state, even though the Illinois constitution mandates the state serve as the primary funder of education. As a result, local communities have to make up the state’s short fall in education funding.

Senate Bill 1 passed the House and Senate and currently awaits approval by the governor. In a recent interview Governor Rauner’s Education Secretary, Beth Purvis, was quoted as saying that the governor supports “90 percent” of the proposal.

“SB 1 will help schools in Chicago and across the state,” D’Amico said. “I urge the governor to sign this legislation and help improve the quality of education for every student in Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Parents and teachers demanded Gov. Bruce Rauner return to the table and negotiate an honest budget that funds schools at a budget hearing Thursday.

“If my children’s school isn’t able to open this fall, I put the blame squarely on Governor Rauner and his refusal to negotiate,” said Camille O’Quinn of Harvey. “By blocking the budget for over 700 days, Governor Rauner is not only putting our schools at risk, he’s jeopardizing entire communities that look to schools as major employers. He’s denying our children the safety of a classroom and literally putting young people out onto the streets. He’s selling our children’s future short. My kids deserve better than a governor who thinks they’re a bargaining chips in his political game.”

Members of the House Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee listened to parents, teachers and advocates from the south suburbs, Metro East, central and southern Illinois explain how the Rauner budget crisis has put schools throughout Illinois at risk of being unable to reopen in the fall. Schools throughout the state have indicated they would be unable to open for a new school year without state funding.

While Democrats have pushed the governor into signing a budget for elementary and high schools throughout the governor’s impasse, Rauner has indicated will not sign another such measure. Instead, the governor is backing another unbalanced budget, and refusing real bipartisan negotiation.

“Over the course of five budget hearings held by House Democrats since it became clear that the governor’s manufactured crisis would extend beyond the spring session, legislators have heard real people from every corner of the state explain how Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis is putting lives at risk, threatening their businesses and their economic security, and denying opportunities. Now, the governor is even holding some of our most fundamental institutions hostage: our schools,” said House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. “Through it all, the governor has dismissed these people, called them ‘props’ and continued to substitute his fake budgets for real compromise and negotiation. It needs to end. Governor Rauner, it’s time to listen to the parents, teachers, business owners, seniors, survivors, and their advocates who are calling on you to return to the table and do what it takes to pass a real, honest, bipartisan budget.”

PEORIA, Ill. – After many years of working with legislators, local school districts and advocates, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, helped pass legislation that makes changes to the current education funding formula and brings more money to schools in the Peoria region.

“Our school funding formula has been broken for years,” Gordon-Booth said. “The plan I supported has increased state funding for low-income districts, including school districts in Peoria, Bartonville and Peoria Heights. This will help our students get the world-class education that they need to compete in a global economy.”

Gordon-Booth helped pass Senate Bill 1, which makes data driven changes to the state’s school funding formula. The new formula takes 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 wealthier school districts will not receive as much financial assistance and state money instead will go to districts with greater need.

“This legislation ensures that every school district receives, at minimum, what they received during the 2016-2017 school year,” Gordon-Booth said. “Schools in my district will receive nearly $3 million in additional funding. This will help make much needed improvements to school buildings, reduce class size and increase technology in the classroom. I will continue to fight for additional funding for our schools, which will make a greater impact for schools in our communities under this new formula.”

For more information, contact Gordon-Booth’s full-time constituent service office at 309-681-1992 or email repjgordon@gmail.com.

NORTHLAKE, Ill. – In an effort to fix Illinois’ outdated school funding formula, state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, helped pass legislation that changes the current method of education funding and brings more money to local schools.

“The disparity between wealthy and struggling school districts is growing due to our flawed funding formula,” Willis said. “The plan I support will increase state funding for schools in Addison, Bensenville and Melrose Park. This will give our schools the tools they need to ensure all students in our community can receive a world-class education.”

Willis helped pass Senate Bill 1, which makes data driven changes to the state’s school funding formula. The new formula takes 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 will go to districts with greater need.

“Not a single district in the state will lose money under the new formula,” Willis said. “Schools in our community will receive over $3 million in additional funding that will lead to reduced class sizes, improvements in technology and better access to resources for English language learners. Students, teachers and the community as a whole will benefit from this vital reform.”

For more information, contact Willis’ full-time constituent service office at 708-562-6970 or email RepWillis77@gmail.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, has been named to the House Education Taskforce to help craft a solution to Illinois’ broken funding system for K-12 schools.

“The goal of the taskforce is to ensure adequate and equitable funding for all schoolchildren in the state,” Hoffman said. “Children downstate and in the Metro East deserve the same educational opportunities that are afforded to students in the wealthiest suburbs of Chicago.”

Hoffman is one of 24 legislators that comprise the bipartisan taskforce on school funding reform. Sixty-seven percent of all education spending in Illinois comes from property taxes levied at the county level, while the rest of the U.S. averages around 45 percent.

“Educational opportunity should not be decided by your zip-code,” Hoffman said. “I look forward to working on the task force and reforming the school funding system to ensure our local schools have the resources they need to educate our children.”

For more information contact Hoffman’s full-time constituent service office at 618-416-7407.