Article updated: 10/17/2011 6:42 AM

Suburban schools' dilemma: Mandates vs. quality

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BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com ¬ Fix school funding sign at Elgin High School.

CHRISTOPHER HANKINS/chankins@dailyherald.com ¬ Debbie Pangilinan and her daughter Angel, a third grader at Nature Ridge Elementary School in Bartlett, show their support for education funding rally at South Elgin High School.

Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com Teacher Amy Freiberg has more than 30 students in her classroom at Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates, part of Elgin Area School District U-46, which is struggling to compensate for overdue payments owed by the state.

Anwol Bawja of Metea Valley High School in Aurora says technology cuts are hurting students who dream of attending top-echelon colleges.

PAUL MICHNA | Staff Photographer

Students file out of one of four mobile classroom at Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates. Class sizes have grown as high as 33 students at the school.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Classes have grown as large as 33 students at Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates, where four mobile classrooms are in use.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Kindergartners arrive for afternoon classes at Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates, where some classes have grown as large as 33 students.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

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Students vie for attention from art teacher Tom Graholski at Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates. The school is part of Elgin Area School District U-46, where school officials have been forced to make up for millions of dollars owed by the state.

Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

About this Article

Suburban families are used to school quality. That's why they're here, lured by achievements like the 26.2 average composite ACT at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Japanese dual-language classes in District 54 and Grammys won by District 204's music program. Yet renowned programs like those are at risk because of the state's inability to pay bills it owes schools for services they're required by law to offer.