Chicago Magazine photo of CPS' Washburne School
SPRINGFIELD – The latest stats from the Illinois State Board of Education show that eighty-six percent of Illinois' students graduate from high school. Of them, only twenty-five percent were deemed “college-ready” in math, science, reading and English. Forty-nine percent had to take remedial courses in community college.
The problem isn't teaching methods, resources, student interest or administrations, we're led to believe. It's money – or the lack thereof.
So the Illinois Democrat majority solved the problem before they left Springfield May 31st, and they're pressuring Governor Rauner to sign into law what the Dems say is the state system's fix-it proposal – SB 1.
The bill's sponsor, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), explained how his bill will fix the state's school funding issue in an op-ed published in Crain's Friday.
State Rep. Steve Reick (R-McHenry) responded on his "Illinoyances" blog, saying Senator Manar's spin of "It's no 'bailout.' Rather, this school funding bill is good for every district in Illinois" isn't the whole story.
Indeed, Rep. Reick says, SB 1 is a Chicago Public School bailout. Rep. Reick takes a deep breath and plows into the school funding formula, which for most readers is just a little too much in the weeds.
But that's exactly the point. That's how the Democrats get us. As we know, the devil's in the details.
Here's the high (or should be "low"?) points the rep makes:
- Grants for state funding poverty assistance jumped from from 10% of the General State Aid (GSA) formula in FY 2000 to more than a third in FY 2012, a 431% increase.
- The PTELL subsidy grew from just $46 million in 2000 to $780 million in 2009, an increase of 1,267%.
- PTELL adjustments have particularly benefited Chicago Public Schools, which enrolls 18% of students, but receives 49% of PTELL dollars.
- SB 1 adds the $250 million of the Chicago block grant into the Base Funding Minimum (BFM) for CPS going forward. Under current law, this is money given to CPS that is over and above the actual claims of the District.
There's more in response to Senator Manar from Rep. Reick. But the conclusion is that Chicago Public Schools back-breaking expense is unpaid teacher pensions. They'll get help while the rest of the state continues to press on property owners to carry the load.
You know, those same property owners that have been doing all they can to pay their skyrocketing taxes in order to keep their property.
And what do they get for all that work? Yes, they get to keep their property and pay for local schools that have dismal education results as shown in the first paragraph.
Rinse and repeat.
