Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool laid out a compelling case for treating Chicago’s students fairly, asking for the state to spend 20 percent of its education funding on the District. Chicago’s children are 20 percent of the state’s enrollment, and their families and neighbors provide 20 percent of the income tax money that funds public education in our state. However, Chicago’s students receive only 15 percent of the state’s spending on education. “Our children deserve equal treatment. Since 2009, CPS has accounted for nearly 20 percent of state enrollment,” Claypool said. “If we simply got our fair share – 20 percent of funding – we would receive an additional $458 million this fiscal year alone, eliminating the budget gap that is threatening to derail our school year.” Because of annual reductions in funding since 2009, CPS students now receive on average 26 percent less in education funding per pupil than children in the rest of the state. For every four dollars the state of Illinois provides suburban and downstate districts, it provides just three to Chicago’s students. “As we all know, the reality is that the playing field isn’t level for all of Illinois’ students,” Claypool said. “A fair formula would provide these students with no less than 20 percent of the state’s education funding, and would mean that CPS could follow through on our promise to provide every child from every community in Chicago with a high-quality education that prepares them for success in college, career and life.”