If an elected official tells you the school funding problem in Illinois is a formula, they are telling a lie.
The school funding problem in Illinois is adequate revenue.
By Bev Johns
Is ANY politician telling the truth about Senate Bill 1?
All sides say some schools will NOT OPEN next month (although no one has yet identified even one school that will not open in August). What is true is that many
schools could not remain open all school year without State funding.
State Sen. Andy Manar, who sponsored Senate Bill 1 to change the method of funding for schools, told The Associated Press a veto by Rauner would effectively KILL SB 1.
Manar needs to stop saying we have the “worst school funding formula in the country”.
No, we do not. The lack of funding of our current formula, the failure to increase the Foundation level for 9 years, since 2008, means we rely far too much on the property tax, which results in disparate and inequitable funding.
No matter how many times Manar (and others) say it, the problem is not the formula but the lack of funding. (Comment from Capitol Fax, 7/17/17)
Rauner states that his revised SB1 “for the first time, ensures all school districts in Illinois are equitably and adequately funded.”
His revised plan does NO SUCH THING.
SB 1 (revised or not) is just about funding FORMULAS, not funding.
“But as there are many facets to the school funding equation, the one that is most important — and that often is the first component to fall away from the discussion — is funding it.
“In truth, our current funding formula would likely be meeting most needs if it was properly funded.
“It does attempt to funnel more funding to those districts with less If an elected official tells you the school funding problem in Illinois is a formula, they are telling a lie. The school funding problem in Illinois is adequate revenue. – Fred Klonsky:
