School construction money chopped again

For another year, schools will not receive state money pledged for urgent building repairs and new construction.

As part of a series of cuts designed to reduce a $2 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Rod Blagojevich this month vetoed the $148.5 million set aside for school capital projects.

House members then failed to muster the three-fifths majority required to override the governor's veto.

In total, 24 districts across the state, including five local suburban districts, fell victim to the cuts.

Winfield School District 34, Carol Stream Elementary District 93, Villa Park Elementary District 45, Westmont Community Unit School District 201 and Big Hollow Elementary District 38 were set to receive between $250,000 and $2.3 million.

Schools in other parts of the state await much larger sums. Joliet Public schools, for instance, would have received $27 million if school construction hadn't landed on the governor's chopping block.

The current construction grant program was established in 1997. In the early years of the program, the state pumped more than $3 billion into renovating and constructing schools.

But the last round of capital disbursements came in September 2003, and the 24 districts have been waiting for state assistance since at least 2002.

The state places schools in line for money based on the severity of their facility needs. Schools hit by natural or man-made disasters receive top priority, followed by schools with crowding or safety issues.

To meet those needs without state cash, many districts have taken out loans by selling bonds, which local property taxes repay.

Other districts continue to wait for state money to materialize.

The 450 school districts that responded to a 2006 survey by the state board of education reported capital needs of more than $8.2 billion.

Of those districts, 98 stated they could not sell enough bonds to meet their needs because they would exceed their state-imposed debt limits.