UPDATE April 27, 2017 / Statement from Rauner Administration on Meeting with Speaker Madigan
SPRINGFIELD – The Rauner Administration has released the following statement regarding the Governor’s meeting with Speaker Michael Madigan. The following is attributable to spokesperson Eleni Demertzis:
“For the first time in more than two years, Speaker Madigan today hinted that he may be willing to enact a truly balanced budget with changes that will help create jobs, properly fund our schools and lower property taxes. It’s too soon to tell if the Speaker will ultimately agree to follow through, but the governor remains optimistic that all sides can work together to enact a balanced budget with changes that fix our broken system and restore balanced budgets for the long-term through strong economic growth. ”
Posted April 24, 2017
Dear District 204 Families,
More than 390 Illinois school district superintendents, representing more than 1.3 million students, have signed on to support a grassroots statewide initiative called, simply enough, “Pass Illinois’ Budget!” We hope you will support this effort, which launches today, April 24.
While Illinois public schools have benefited from a partially-funded state budget, our schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. We also will suffer if Mandated Categorical state payments, which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year. To date, the State of Illinois owes our District $15.7 million in those Mandated Categoricals, and there is no state budget on the table for approval. We are calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:
- Immediately, and with bipartisan support, end the state budget impasse.
- Improve the state’s education funding formula and invest in students and schools, including higher education institutions.
- Pay school districts what they are owed this year.
Please join the effort and:
- Contact your legislator! Click here to find your state legislator.
- Ask your legislator to take action to address the three items mentioned above.
- Use social media to share your budget concerns with the hashtag #PassILBudget.
- Share this email and ask your friends and community members to join our efforts.
Let’s all work together to #PassILBudget and create adequate and equitable funding for our schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Karen Sullivan
Superintendent
(Click HERE to see the list of 394 participating superintendents supporting this initiative who represent 65 percent of Illinois’ public school students from Carbondale to Chicago to Rockford.)
Editor’s Note: Mr. Dan Bridges, Naperville CUSD 203 (16,788) is on the list with 394 superintendents and supporters of the Pass the Illinois Budget proposal.
Did you know? Illinois has more more than 850 school districts.
Today Illinois has more than 850 school districts. Nearly 45 percent are elementary, 12 percent are secondary and 45 percent are unit districts.
Though one-room school houses are a concept of the past and most have merged, more consolidation of smaller school districts often is considered as a start to a solution.
While Illinois has consolidated successfully school districts a number of times since the biggest push began in 1983 (That’s when Illinois provided incentives and guaranteed that when schools consolidated they would be insured of state aid that would not be less than what would have been generated separately.), the subject often comes up in communities with both elementary and secondary school districts.
The two large public school districts that serve Naperville students and just beyond its borders are unit districts, combining elementary and secondary.
State and local governments oftentimes have been urged to pursue reforms including pension reform and school district consolidations to streamline and be efficient. Local taxpayers currently support multiple layers of government that sometimes duplicate services.
Get to know local taxing bodies to identify efficiencies
For the sake of cost efficiency and services rendered, all residents are encouraged to pay attention to their local property tax bills and to distinguish the difference in spending from the municipality, park districts, school district, community colleges, county, etc.
During the Naperville Area Homeowners Association monthly meeting on Saturday, April 22, 2017, the timely topic of school district budgets and funding was discussed when members of the Naperville City Council comprised the panel. (A similar Q&A was requested to feature school board members.) Councilman Paul Hinterlong reminded residents in attendance that 70 to 75 percent of local property taxes fund the school districts. Hinterlong said as a City Councilman, he’s always looking for efficiencies in city services and is continually concerned that folks who live here now will be unable to afford to stay here after their children graduate from high school.
You could say it’s way past time to work together to find solutions to the ever-increasing costs of living and education.
Kindly contact your state representatives—especially if you have any good ideas that could end the state budget impasse. To find the elected officials representing Naperville, click here.
—Stephanie Penick, Publisher, Positively Naperville
