Dear Editor,

As a single mother, I want my child to have the best education possible here in our community. I hear the same concern when I talk to parents each and every day. All children, regardless of their zip code, deserve a high quality education, which starts with changing the way schools are funded. Studies show that the current education funding system is perhaps the most unfair in the country, leaving disadvantaged communities and communities of color with fewer resources.

I am fighting against this broken school funding formula, so we can provide all of Illinois’ students with the opportunity to receive a world-class education. Yet, Governor Rauner is threatening to veto our evidence-based school funding formula, even though he supports 90 percent of the bill, because the discriminating status quo works just fine for him and his wealthy friends. But our communities would continue to be shortchanged if he gets his way.

It was bad enough to hold social service providers, seniors and the disabled hostage during his near three year budget crisis, but the fact that Governor Rauner is now targeting our children’s future is shameful and appalling. I am demanding the governor stop holding our students hostage and sign real, fair and equitable education reform into law, so every child in Illinois can have a chance at a better future.

Sincerely,

Sonya M. Harper
State Representative, 6th District

DECATUR, Ill. – In an effort to fix Illinois’ outdated school funding formula, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, recently voted in support of legislation that changes the current method of education funding and brings more money to local schools in Central Illinois.

“I have been fighting to correct the injustices in our state’s school funding formula since 1978, when I first started teaching in Decatur Public Schools,” Scherer said. “Students in our community deserve to have the same opportunity to receive as high a quality education as those attending wealthier schools in other parts of the state, which starts with changing the way schools are funded.”

Scherer voted to 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 ratios and technology costs, as well as the number of low-income students. 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. The measure includes a “hold harmless” provision so that no school districts receive less money than what they received during the 2016-2017 school year.

“Students, parents, and teachers deserve nothing less than for their needs to be considered in the funding formula,” said Scherer. “The plan I supported accomplishes this by providing more than $3 million in new funding for schools in our district to help children right here in our community reach their full potential.”

For more information, please contact Scherer’s constituent service office at 217-877-9636 or by email at StateRepSue@gmail.com. Scherer represents the 96th District, which includes portions of Christian, Macon and Sangamon counties.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Michael J. Madigan is forming a bipartisan House task force to continue working on an equitable education funding formula and address questions a state commission recently left unanswered.

“The question of how Illinois funds our public schools is one that affects every community in our state,” Madigan said. “As such, the entire process for making formula changes – from crafting an overall outline for reform, to working through the specific details – needs to be carefully considered by legislators from across the state. This task force will continue House Democrats’ commitment to vetting these decisions and making sure all voices are heard.”

Madigan has appointed Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, as well as Reps. Linda Chapa LaVia, Fred Crespo, William Davis, Marcus Evans, Laura Fine, Jay Hoffman, Rita Mayfield, Emily McAsey, Michelle Mussman, Elgie Sims and Justin Slaughter to form an education funding reform task force along with House Republicans. The task force will continue the work of the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission, address unanswered questions in the commission’s final report, and continue to craft equitable school funding reform legislation.

House Democrats serving on the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission recently noted that aspects of the Commission’s final report failed to clearly reflect the group’s discussions. Amongst other concerns, the report did not properly recognize that Illinois’ current school funding system is broken, in large part, because of overreliance on property taxes and underfunding from the state. Illinois’ property tax dollars account for 67 percent of all education spending, while the nationwide average is 45 percent. Without reform that acknowledges this overreliance on property taxes, the current education funding system will continue to be regressive compared to states with less property tax reliance.

“House Democrats played a leading role on the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission, and successfully pushed the Commission to meet more frequently,” Currie said. “While the Commission did not accomplish everything it set out to do, it did show that a bipartisan group of lawmakers can work toward consensus on major issues. There are questions that remain unanswered and points that still need clarification. We look forward to continuing to work cooperatively on this important and complex issue.