State must address school funding woes

Adequate and equitable funding for the education of our children in Illinois is of priority concern to the American Association of University Women. The ability of our young people to compete successfully for college admissions and for jobs in a global economy is directly related to the quality of their educational experience in grade and high schools.

In Illinois, we fall woefully short of the primary responsibility for financing education as mandated by our state constitution. Coupled with an over-reliance on property taxes, Illinois finds itself with the country's second-worst funding gap between wealthy and low-income districts. This disparity is unacceptable in one of the wealthiest states in the nation. Some of our school districts are struggling to provide a quality education with outdated textbooks and severe cuts in vital programs. During election campaigns, most of our legislators have named education as a top priority. However, we're still waiting for meaningful education funding reform, even as the legislature was quick to develop a strategy for ensuring salary increases for themselves.

It is time for our legislators to muster the courage to take a hard look at a tax structure in Illinois that fails to adequately fund education as well as other vital services. AAUW Waukegan Area Branch stands with our 500 fellow member organization of A+ Illinois in calling for tax reform so that we can meet the educational needs of our children.

Sally Zeit

Member, Board of Directors

AAUW Waukegan Area Branch

Waukegan