West Aurora Unit District 129 to host town hall on school funding

Education advocates are coming together for a "Fix the Formula" town hall from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 at Herget Middle School, 1550 Deerpath Road in Aurora.

The town hall is an effort to put pressure on Illinois lawmakers. Superintendents, teachers and families from across the state are saying their students cannot wait any longer to fix Illinois' funding system - the most unfair funding system in the entire nation. The town hall is one of several that will take place in the coming month in communities across the state.

Currently, Illinois' funding formula is inequitable, spending just 81 cents on a low-income student for every whole dollar it spends on a non-low-income student. One proposed funding bill, HB2808, fixes Illinois' 20-year-old funding system and provides a fair solution for all students.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Will Davis, passed through the House Appropriations Committee in early April with bipartisan support. It presents an evidence-based funding model that ensures no school district loses money, neediest districts receive new funding first, takes local resources into account and closes funding gaps between low-income and wealthier districts.

The goal of the town hall is to provide community members and advocates with a better understanding of the current inequitable funding system, to explain a sound, evidence-based model as a solution and to help advocates call on their local lawmakers to get a funding bill passed this legislative session. To find out more about Fix the Formula town halls, visit fundingilfuture.org.