May 26--Parents, students and school officials from throughout the state descended on the Capitol on Thursday in support of legislation that would change how the state doles out money to school districts.
It's a measure Republicans have called a bailout for the struggling Chicago Public Schools and Democrats have said is a chance to level the playing field for poorer districts.
The bill already passed the Senate, but its future is uncertain in the House, where Democrats have yet to support a change to the funding formula, instead approving a separate spending plan that would pump an additional $700 million into elementary and secondary education.
Wielding signs and chanting "fix the formula," and "all children matter," supporters and speakers lobbied for the House to call the funding overhaul bill for a vote. Participants included CPS CEO Forrest Claypool, who described the rally as "about as close to unity as you'll ever see in Springfield."
"Public education is supposed to be the great equalizer. It's supposed to give every kid a chance and opportunity," Claypool said. "It doesn't say just some kids should get an opportunity, or some are more important than others. But that's the message of the current system."
Politically, the legislation is a tough ask, with only so much money to go around. Opponents argue that helping districts less able to rely on property tax dollars shouldn't come at the expense of more well-off or financially stable districts.
But sponsoring Sen. Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat who has been pushing a formula fix for three years, contends his bill is needed to provide equal resources for students.
"In Illinois, some children have $6,000 per year invested in their education, while others have $32,000 a year invested in their education," Manar said. "(This) bill will fix our system for the first time in a generation."
The measure would leave the state to pick up an estimated $200 million a year in teacher pension costs for CPS, and provides hundreds of millions of dollars for the district's early childhood education programs and transportation for special education students.
CPS families and educators pointed to long-term problems they say the bill could solve. Claypool said many took the day off to attend the rally, but others, like Catherine Jones, a school council member at Frederick Douglass Academy High School in Chicago, said she was there on behalf of CPS parents who work minimum wage jobs and can't afford to make the trip to Springfield.
"Our school is in dire distress. Next year we might lose more teachers. There are a whole lot of things our kids don't have now, and if we don't pass the bill, we'll lose more," Jones said. "Our West Side and South Side have been struggling for years. And we need a funding bill for all over."
Asked after the rally about Madigan's proposed budget plan, which would also pick up $100 million in Chicago teacher pension costs, Claypool said he supported efforts from Democrats in both chambers and the onus is now on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
"At the end of the day, the House and Senate will reconcile what the ultimate goal is," Claypool said. "Only the governor right now stands in the way."
The Rauner administration already has threatened to veto the spending plan from House Democrats, with the governor continuing to call for grand budget compromise that would fully fund schools without favoring CPS over other districts throughout the state.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats offered up a new, tweaked education funding proposal Thursday. It mirrors Manar's bill in seeking to give more money to poorer districts, but would also distribute funds based on what's called an evidence model. For instance, research shows bilingual students benefit from more spending, while all students learn better in small classrooms. The legislation passed a Senate committee.
cbott@tribpub.com
