By: Illinois Senator Steve Landek
In recent weeks, you may have heard Gov. Bruce Rauner justifying his opposition to an historic education funding reform bill by calling it a “Chicago Bailout.” That narrative is false and purposefully misleading. The governor’s veto is nothing more than an attempt to weaken Illinois’ investment in our public schools. Senate Bill 1 is a long-overdue, landmark reform plan that is backed by education experts, non-partisan school finance professionals and nearly everyone who supports a modern, fair and equitable system for investing in our schools. The plan Rauner vetoed invests $350 million in new funding to K-12 education, millions of which is gained by schools in our area.
The meticulous 27-point funding method stops the practice of simply throwing money at schools and instead bases investment on the specific needs of every district. For example, JS Morton High School receives an added $1,062 per pupil, the largest increase of any district in the state. In fact, 268 school districts see a greater investment than the $192 Chicago does per pupil, including Cicero 99 ($750), Berwyn South 100 ($766) and Berwyn North 98 ($565). No schools receive less funding than they did the year prior. Publicly, Gov. Rauner said he vetoed Senate Bill 1 because it includes a so-called “bailout” payment of $221 million to the CPS teacher pension fund. Don’t be fooled. That payment accounts for less than 3 percent of the total spending in the bill, and it simply puts Chicago on level footing with the rest of the state, as CPS is currently the only district in Illinois whose pension costs are not already covered by the state.
The governor’s veto also strips CPS of annual funding totaling $250 million – funding that was designed and approved by a Republican-controlled legislature in 1995. The funds are provided for programs like special education and transportation, which other districts around the state also receive. Under the governor’s veto, Chicago is the only district to receive less than they did a year ago. While these points of contention fit in neatly with the governor’s attempts to divide the state on geographic lines, his true motives are apparent when looking at the 100-plus changes demanded in his veto.
(Steve Landek is the State Senator representing the 12th District. He is a Democrat.)
