Series emphasizes unfair school funding system

I would like to thank the Daily Herald for telling the stories of the outstanding East Aurora students and the inequities these students have to deal with because of the ZIP code they happen to live in.

I hope this story helped readers learn about our incredible students and the way our state's broken education funding formula continues to penalize them.

Our students sometimes need assistance with food or clothing when they show up to school. We gladly provide it, but they also deserve access to great technology, appropriate learning spaces and robust schedules. Because of the broken funding formula that disproportionately penalizes the poorest districts, our high school students take fewer classes than peers in neighboring districts. We cannot provide busing. Without transportation, our attendance suffers, and in turn we receive less general state aid. Three-quarters of our kindergartners learn in bilingual classes. It's common sense that students learning language as well as subject matter need more support. Instead, the lack of resources causes too many students to stay behind and to ultimately drop out of school.

The state steps in to help during a natural disaster because we value helping our neighbors in times of crisis. There is a slow-motion, generational tragedy taking place in property-poor schools and assistance is needed. There is an opportunity for the state to make a change.

I urge everyone to learn more about our funding issues at www.d131.org/fixtheformula, and I urge everyone to contact their legislator about supporting Senate Bill 231 - a long-term fix to educational inequities.

Yes, this bill is good for East Aurora students. But there is a reason that superintendents from places as diverse as Aurora, Chicago, East Moline, East St. Louis, Elgin, Pana, Springfield, Vandalia and Waukegan have found common ground. This bill is good for Illinois.

Michael A. Popp Superintendent

East Aurora School District 131