{"id":908,"date":"2017-06-01T14:35:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T14:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stand.org\/illinois\/?p=908"},"modified":"2022-07-09T14:38:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-09T14:38:19","slug":"confused-about-the-school-funding-bill-that-springfield-passed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stand.org\/illinois\/our-stories\/confused-about-the-school-funding-bill-that-springfield-passed\/","title":{"rendered":"Confused About the School Funding Bill that Springfield Passed?<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Good news from the Capitol! Four long years into the conversation about fixing the worst school funding system in the nation, both the Illinois House and the Senate passed a strong school funding reform bill last night. It\u2019s the closest we\u2019ve seen to getting a solution!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full name of the bill is the Evidence-Based Model for Student Success Act<\/em> (otherwise known as SB1). Simply put, this bill pulls together relevant research and evidence on how schools should be funded to ensure students\u2019 academic success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this mean for my child\u2019s school?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two key concepts help answer this important question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, remember that school funding is calculated on a per-pupil basis<\/em>. Second, \u201cadequate funding\u201d<\/em> or \u201cadequacy\u201d<\/em> refers to what it costs for a school district to provide the evidence-based practices that drive student achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under SB1, no district loses money. In fact, every district gets an increase in funding from the state.<\/strong> The districts that are furthest from \u201cadequate funding\u201d get the biggest increases, because of the particular needs in their district (such as high poverty). The range of additional funding goes from $900 per pupil for Waukegan, to $193 per pupil for Chicago, to $1 per pupil for Lake Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of Illinois\u2019 860 school districts, about 100 of them would receive more than $400 per pupil. Two-thirds of those are located downstate and one-third are suburban. Another 140 districts, which are already funded at over 100% of adequacy, would see just $1 per pupil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the Illinois State Board of Education\u2019s estimate<\/a> of how much each district would receive. (Follow the link and click \u201cHouse Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1 (Manar\/Davis).” Click the link in the dropdown menu to open the spreadsheet.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does this bill work?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it in four major components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. First, each district get its \u201cBase Funding Minimum,\u201d<\/strong> which means whatever each district gets from the state this year, it will continue to receive in perpetuity. No district loses funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Then, an \u201cAdequacy Target\u201d is calculated for each district<\/strong> based on what it costs for a district to provide the evidence-based practices that drive student achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, research shows that an average-sized school building needs a principal, librarian, and nurse and that low-income kindergarteners benefit from a full day of instruction with a 1:15 class size ratio. Teachers need high-quality professional development and instructional coaches. Students with special needs need extra support, as do English learners and low-income students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Next, a \u201cLocal Capacity Target\u201d is calculated for each district<\/strong> based on how much property wealth each district has available to contribute. When we add the \u201cBase Funding Minimum\u201d to this number, we see how much the district has available to spend, and from there, we can identify how close a district is to being adequately funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Finally, new dollars flow through the new model, funding districts that are furthest from adequacy.<\/strong> Districts are divided into four tiers, from the least adequately funded in Tier 1, to those funded over adequacy in Tier 4. The first half of new funds will be invested in the Tier 1 districts, followed by the next 49 percent invested in the Tier 1 and 2 districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill also creates a property tax relief pool available to districts with low property wealth but high property tax rates. This incentivizes these type of districts to reduce their rates on property tax payers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about the budget?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also need a K-12 education budget so that dollars can be distributed as set forth in SB1. The only budget that passed in the last two years was the K-12 budget; that needs to happen again for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The legislature will continue meeting throughout June to work toward an agreed budget compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What will Chicago Public Schools get?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago is caught in the middle: on the one hand, it\u2019s the economic hub of the state and home to nearly 400,000 of two million Illinois schoolchildren. On the other, it\u2019s the big city that some of the rest of Illinois loves to hate. Chicago Public Schools, which is 269th on the list for SB1, would receive $193 per pupil in new funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why are some calling this bill a Chicago bailout?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We urge you to look at the facts.<\/a> Don\u2019t get played. Earlier attempts at funding reform could have created winners and losers and pitted Chicago against the rest of the state\u2026but not this time and not this bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember these facts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n