Without question, education funding is important for students, parents and schools. A quality education is a key to success in life. After a series of statewide public hearings on the topic, there is now legislation before the Senate (Senate Bill 16), which would drastically rewrite how education funding is determined for the more than 800 Illinois school districts from Chicago to Cairo.
Yes, there were statewide hearings on the issue but unfortunately, Senate Bill 16 has only received about a 3 hour public hearing. It’s a 400-plus page bill. And, as of yet, no specific numbers regarding the impact on local schools has been released. I don’t want this to turn into a situation like we experienced during the Obamacare debate when we heard, “we have to pass it to see what’s in it.”
Senate Bill 16 came about because of an extensive report on public education funding in Illinois by our Senate Republican Staff, after comments from Speaker Madigan that downstate schools were getting “a free lunch.” Our staff analysis showed Chicago schools were the real winners and downstate schools the big losers in many of the funding categories. An early analysis of what details we do know about Senate Bill 16 appears to give Chicago Public Schools a funding advantage over downstate schools that’s worse than under the current funding formula, there is a provision in the legislation that might result in downstate taxpayers subsidizing the pension payments of Chicago teachers to the disadvantage of downstate schools and I’m also concerned that Senate Bill 16 doesn’t relieve state mandates, a source of concern (financial and otherwise) for local schools.
Do we need an education funding formula that provides our schools with the resources they need to prepare the next generation? Yes. Is fairness and equity a requirement? Yes. Are 3 hours enough to learn about the details and impact of a 420-page bill? No. Our staff is digging into this complicated bill but I am analyzing Senate Bill 16 as well. It’s too critical to funding for education in my district.
What is necessary is a major restructuring, reform and decrease in public funding for Public Education. What should happen is a Universal Voucher Program allowing all parents the option to put their student into a Public, Parochial, Private or “Virtual” School System of their choice with the maximum total annual Public Sector funded Voucher of $7K per student. The Public Education Property Tax component should decrease from today’s excessive amounts to less than 30% of the present values. The vast majority of the present failed Public Education System could be closed and the majority if not all students Junior High and above could attend through the “Virtual Education Systems” dramatically reducing the exorbitant Education costs while obtaining a World Class Education for every student.