Vallas: Don't ask local schools to pay for pensions
Political Editor
mriopell@dailyherald.com
Gov. Pat Quinn's running mate says he doesn't like the idea of making local school districts pay more of the cost of their teachers' and administrators' retirements.
The hot-button idea to save the state millions of dollars has lingered in Illinois for a few years now, much to the chagrin of local school officials.
But Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Paul Vallas told the Daily Herald editorial board he's not a fan of asking local schools to pay more.
“I don't support that at all,” said Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools CEO.
Chicago schools already pay the employers' share of teachers' pension costs, but suburban and downstate schools don't. Making the change has been pushed hard by House Speaker Michael Madigan but hasn't found traction in Springfield as suburban and downstate Republicans in particular have feared loading more costs onto already cash-strapped school districts.
“For every rich district that can afford it, there's a poor district that can't,” Vallas said.
On other matters of paying for schools, Vallas is fully behind his running mate's plan to make the 2011 income tax hike permanent.