A new commission will recommend a change in the way Illinois funds its public schools, Governor Bruce Rauner announced today. The state relies heavily on property taxes to pay for primary and secondary education, creating a huge chasm between schools in wealthier suburbs compared to those in small towns. Rauner said the state’s status of having the most inequitable system in the nation has to change.
“We’ve got to measure ourselves on the size of our gap. To me, it’s unconscionable that Illinois is the state that has the biggest gap between rich schools and poor schools on funding. I mean, that’s just wrong. How did we end up here?” This new legislative commission will have 25 members, including 15 Republicans. They will meet monthly and produce a recommendation by February 1st.
