Legislation pending in the Illinois state senate would shift some funding for public schools from wealthy suburban districts to those with lower property values and more children living in poverty. The goal of the measure is to fix the state's school funding formula, which has been called the most inequitable in the nation.
While the State Board of Education is still crunching the numbers to see which districts would gain or lose funds, a group of downstate lawmakers today said they were "staking out turf" in favor of equitable funding.
The lawmakers themselves declined to endorse any specific plan, but Harrisburg school superintendent Michael Gauch spoke out in favor of the new funding formula.
"I truly think it's beyond worrying about winners and losers at this point, because this is the only bill, in my opinion, that has said we're gonna change what's broken and direct the money where it needs to go. If I win on that… great. If I lose on that, I still think it's the right way things should be figured in the state."
Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed a plan that would increase funding under the current formula, and Speaker of the House Mike Madigan has offered a constitutional amendment that could shift the funding question to the courts.
