Setting the record straight on education funding
We were not surprised when we saw Gov. Rauner's editorial on June 22, once again admonishing Democrats for trying to fix a broken and outdated education funding system that has been in place since 1997. He likes to say that it was "our" formula and that we are only trying now to fix it because we want to bail out Chicago Public Schools. This is the same CPS that the governor has said made him cry because of the terrible conditions the students are learning in. The schools he called "crumbling prisons." You know how to fix that? Improving education funding. And this is not just a Chicago problem.
The truth is, CPS is no different from any other school district that has been hurt by years of cuts under an inequitable education funding system. The governor is trying to pit school districts across the state against one another, but they are not falling for that tactic. Equitable school funding is not a "Chicago bailout" any more than it is a Taylorville bailout, Peoria bailout, East Moline bailout, or Harrisburg bailout. Districts across the state are united, not divided, over this issue, and the Governor's rhetoric will not change that. They want him to be the governor for the entire state, and that includes high-need school districts like Elgin, Pana, Aurora, East St. Louis, Vandalia, Sandoval, and - yes - Chicago.
The good news is that reasonable, fair solutions are being offered. The best solution on the table is Senate Bill 231 that passed the Senate and was not called in the House. It does those things that Gov. Rauner is touting about his proposal - ends proration, holds all districts harmless - while also fixing the formula used to distribute state education money so districts with the highest need get the most resources.
The governor wants to pour more money into our broken education funding system, like pouring more water into a leaky bucket. That makes no sense and is not a responsible use of taxpayer dollars. We need an equitable solution to our K-12 funding situation, and we need a long-term solution instead of a series of band-aids.
There is agreement on both sides of the aisle that our school funding formula needs reform. This is the very opposite of the "lack of consensus" citing by the governor. Illinois ranks dead last in the nation in education funding. This is an undisputed fact. We need to move forward with real reform and a long-term structural solution to education funding.
A bipartisan funding formula fix like SB231 is an equitable and permanent solution for all districts that bucks the status quo. All districts would operate under the same formula and Illinois will finally have the solution we need to distribute state education dollars fairly to every corner of the state.
The fates of Chicago and Peoria and other cities and towns around the state have important impacts for suburban families. Every student, regardless of where they are born, ought to have access to a 21st century education in a safe, modern facility. One of those students might be the next great innovator whose ideas create a new wave of Illinois jobs. One of those students might manage a farm that supplies food or goods to trade. Each student who transitions from school to career will pay taxes that go toward the roads and bridges and services that we all rely upon.
It's time for Gov. Rauner to recognize that he represents the entire state and commit to real education funding reform that ensures Illinois' future.
State Rep. Christian Mitchell is a Democrat from Chicago. State State Sen. Andy Manar is a Democrat from Bunker Hill.