SPRINGFIELD, IL – Following a blistering report prepared by the Senate Republican Caucus on the status of educational funding in Illinois, State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) backed a measure to create a bipartisan committee on K-12 funding.
“Last year, House Speaker Michael Madigan made the assertion that downstate schools are getting a ‘free lunch’ when it comes to school funding. After our staff prepared an analysis, we proved that not only is there no ‘free lunch’ but downstate schools actually achieve better results with a fraction of the money,” Rose said. “It is time to put a spotlight on educational funding and truly examine how we fund schools and ensure that downstate is getting its fair share.”
Senator Rose is a sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 32, which creates the General Assembly Advisory Committee on Educational Funding. The committee will be made up of 12 legislators charged with seeking input from educational stakeholders. A report will be prepared about an equitable distribution of funding across Illinois that benefits all students and not just one region or socioeconomic class.
The report released earlier this year by Senator Rose and his colleagues clearly points out the gross funding irregularities between downstate and Chicago Public Schools. That same study also exposed Chicago Public Schools’ practices abuse the current funding formula.
SJR 32 requires the 12-member panel to release their findings by February 1, 2014.