Rauner announces group to study education funding formula

Rauner announced the formation of the 25-member commission to help overhaul Illinois’ outdated school funding formula.

Rauner and the four legislative leaders each will appoint five members to the commission, which will be chaired by Education Secretary Beth Purvis.

Rauner, who had been pushing lawmakers to approve extra spending on schools but had not sought immediate changes to the funding formula, spent months accusing Cullerton of trying to hold up schools from opening in order to take money from wealthier school districts and funnel it to others, particularly Chicago Public Schools. Rauner’s goal for the commission is to propose new legislation by February 1st so law makers can act on it during the spring session and new funding formula could be in place by the following school year.

Just before the state’s new fiscal year began July 1, Rauner and legislators reached an agreement on a plan for the upcoming school year that boosts funding for schools but doesn’t address the underlying formula used to distribute the money.

“I am optimistic that we can come to some good conclusions from these discussions”, he added, while cautioning it won’t be an easy process as there’s disagreement among Democrats and Republicans within their own parties over how to fund schools. In addition, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Chairman Rev. James Meeks will serve as a liaison between ISBE and the Commission.

Democratic and Republican party leaders appointed the remaining 20 members. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) said.

“As we move forward, we’ve got to come up with a system that gives everyone an equal chance”.

“We need to work together to craft a solution that makes the state’s funding formula work well and makes every student a priority”, Rezin said in a statement issued by her office. “It denies the American Dream to low income families because they don’t get the same level of resources as higher income families do”.