State School Superintendent Warns Of 'Perfect Storm' For Districts
From the Associated Press
As lawmakers consider revamping Illinois' outdated school funding formula, the state superintendent warned Tuesday that more education cuts would create a "perfect storm," putting low-income and minority students at risk.
The State Board of Education is asking lawmakers to provide an additional $730 million in fiscal year 2016 for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade funding, a 10.7 percent boost for schools in the state's 857 districts. But the request comes as lawmakers grapple with a roughly $6 billion budget hole next July stemming from the expiration of the state's temporary income tax increase, and struggle to find middle ground on a way to change the current funding formula, in place since 1997.
State Superintendent Christopher Koch told a House appropriations committee that the numbers of low-income and minority students are growing while budget cuts force districts to cut staff and eliminate various programs.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who bills himself as an education reformer, proposed in his budget address last month to boost funding for early childhood and K-12 education for roughly $300 million. School districts have received less money than they're owed for the past four years, and Koch says many are already struggling to get by.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Associated Press
As lawmakers consider revamping Illinois' outdated school funding formula, the state superintendent warned Tuesday that more education cuts would create a "perfect storm," putting low-income and minority students at risk.
The State Board of Education is asking lawmakers to provide an additional $730 million in fiscal year 2016 for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade funding, a 10.7 percent boost for schools in the state's 857 districts. But the request comes as lawmakers grapple with a roughly $6 billion budget hole next July stemming from the expiration of the state's temporary income tax increase, and struggle to find middle ground on a way to change the current funding formula, in place since 1997.
State Superintendent Christopher Koch told a House appropriations committee that the numbers of low-income and minority students are growing while budget cuts force districts to cut staff and eliminate various programs.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who bills himself as an education reformer, proposed in his budget address last month to boost funding for early childhood and K-12 education for roughly $300 million. School districts have received less money than they're owed for the past four years, and Koch says many are already struggling to get by.
Read more in our daily News Update...