Don't force us to support CPS

The failure of the Illinois legislature to pass a balanced budget is most impacted by the contentious issue of school funding. speaker of the House Mike Madigan and his supporters are demanding more money for the Chicago Public School system, which would of course come from non-Chicago residents.

I would argue that an analysis of the revenues and expenditures don't support Madigan's demand.

CPS spends $15,120 dollars per student while Districts 15/211 spend $14,873. While spending more on each student, the educational outcomes delivered by CPS (graduation rates, percent of students at or exceeding state standards, etc.) pale in comparison to suburban districts. Taxpayers have supported significant increases in funding for CPS while educational achievement stumbles along at an abysmal level.

Supporters of additional funding need to explain, chapter and verse, how additional funds will improve education and demand an independent audit that examines every dollar spent by CPS.

On the revenue side, it's a fact, indisputable, that residents of Chicago pay far less property taxes per dollar of assessed valuation than in suburban communities.

In Palatine, the average homeowner pays about $28 per $100 dollars of assessed value. In Speaker Madigan's District, a random selection of homes shows that residents are paying on the order of $15 per $100 dollars of assessed value.

Moreover, a breakdown of funding sources reveals that CPS obtains only 49 percent (51 percent from federal and state coffers) of its funding from property taxes while we in District 15/211, taxpayers contribute 85 percent, meaning we suburbanites are already providing significant dollars to CPS.

Those of you who believe that CPS requires additional funding, feel free to take out your wallet and do so, but keep your hands out of the wallets of the rest of us who are already paying our fair share.

Joe H. Heater

Palatine