Suburban leaders still seeking viable funding change

Is there a better way to fund public schools in Illinois? Suburban leaders say yes, even though they haven't seen a workable solution so far.

State Sen. James Meeks, a Chicago Democrat, brought nearly 2,000 Chicago students to the North suburbs Tuesday to protest what he believes is an unfair school-funding system in Illinois, one that favors rich areas over poor ones.

Suburban educators understand Meeks' frustration. But they're not willing to let local districts get hurt in the quest for a solution.

"When people raise questions about the equity of school funding - these are real issues that should be discussed," said Tom Leonard, superintendent of Barrington Area Unit District 220. "But when you're talking about solutions, the concepts we've seen so far tend to fall apart when you look at the nitty-gritty details."

Some have suggested, for example, that local property tax revenue be supplemented with revenue from a statewide tax, like an income or sales tax. Now, Illinois schools derive the bulk of their money from property taxes, which gives property-rich areas an advantage.

Suburban educators, though, say such a "tax swap" would force them to cede some of their resources and control to the state, something they vehemently oppose.

"There's a belief out here that such a plan wouldn't leave suburban districts with enough resources," Leonard said.

State Sen. Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat, said lawmakers should consider taking a regional approach to the issue, establishing slightly different funding mechanisms for the city, the suburbs and downstate districts.

"That way, each region can raise money in a way that works best," Garrett said. "In the suburbs, we'd retain control of our own system. The money that we pay in taxes would continue to go to our own schools."

For his part, Meeks has proposed a $120 million program that would establish four school clusters in the state and study how they perform in a variety of areas, data that could be used to overhaul the state's funding system down the road.

Robert LeFevre, school board president in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, agrees that new funding systems should be discussed, but he said that money isn't the only factor that determines the quality of education in a particular area.

"The family, for instance, is also important," he said. "As to how you address that issue statewide, I'm not sure. But the entire discussion shouldn't just focus on money."