For decades, Illinois PTA has advocated for adequate, equitable and sustainable funding of public schools. Just a few of our specific platform statements are that the Illinois PTA supports:
- adequate legislative and/or financial support for operation, maintenance, and construction of tax supported schools, and opposes the direct or indirect use of public funds for non-public schools;
- increase in the state distributive funds for public schools until the amount contributed by the state to supplement local support shall fully guarantee an adequate and realistic foundation program; and
- full funding of all mandated educational and special programs.
For decades Illinois has gone deeper into debt, cutting education budgets, pro-rating and only paying a portion of what is owed to schools, and making payments to schools later than scheduled. Illinois has now dropped to last in state standings of support of education.
In January, Illinois had a turnaround in state government with the election of a Republican Governor for the first time in over a decade. There is early speculation that Governor Bruce Rauner is looking to support additional funding for some areas of education, while making huge cuts in other areas of education and health and human services. PTA’s position is that funding for education should not adversely affect other services that support children’s health and safety. For very detailed information on Governor Rauner’s budget, go to http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/budget/Pages/default.aspx.
For a good read on latest developments on school funding, read the following from the State Journal Register:
Task force on school funding meeting Wednesday
One Voice Illinois 