Elected officials must be accountable for education funding

A child has only one opportunity to experience a quality K-12 education.

Unlike adult training or college experiences, where multiple opportunities exist, there is only one "at bat" as a student completes each grade level.

That is why stable funding that provides the critical resources needed is so important.

In nearly every state, funding for public schools, when adjusted for inflation, has either remained flat or is lower than it was in 2008.

Inadequate funding, over prolonged periods of time, erodes what could be a quality educational experience, particularly for children in low-income families.

In a recent groundbreaking study of 15,000 children, poor children were much more likely to graduate from 12th grade if they were in schools that received a financial increase of 10 percent per student from the beginning of their education until the end of high school.

Another study analyzed math and reading tests taken over five years in 11,000 school districts across the country. It found that average academic performance levels in the richest and poorest school districts were more than four grade levels apart.

As Illinois residents, we need to hold our elected state officials accountable to equitably and adequately fund K-12 education.

Our legislators and governor need to be reminded that their constitutional obligation to provide the necessary resources to fund a quality K-12 public school is Priority Job One.

And while education does not seem to be a priority for our President-elect Donald Trump, he needs to be reminded that a key factor in achieving economic growth is strong local public schools.

Children who entered first grade in 2008 during the Great Recession will graduate in 2020. The next few years will be their only "at bat" to receive a quality education. Let's hold newly elected local, state and national officials accountable for fair, consistent and stable funding.

• David F. Larson is superintendent of Glenbard High School District 87. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.