PORT BYRON, Illinois (KWQC) – April 8, 2016 Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner visited Riverdale Middle School to talk to students and address educational funding reform.
An overhaul of the current funding formula, that has been in place since the early 2000’s, has been a hot topic in Springfield. Governor Rauner made it no secret that he doesn’t think that the state contributes enough to schools.
“We are fifty out of fifty in state support for education,” said Rauner. “We give less money from the state than any other state.”
The governor believes that a new funding formula will help and says he will support one.
“We can relieve the property tax burden and relieve our schools by giving more general state aid,” said Governor Rauner.
Currently, the governor does not want to support some of the proposed plans such as Illinois Democratic Senator, Andy Manar’s. The governor added he will not back proposals that take money away from school districts.
“I will consider a different school funding formula. I will support that, but the way to do it is not to take the money from one school district and give it to another like to the city of Chicago,” said Governor Rauner. “The right way to do it is to overall increase state aid significantly and focus that new money on local districts and low income districts.”
While the governor admits that he does not know when a resolution in the battle for a new funding formal will be reached, he does think it could happen before next school year.
“We have been in negotiations with members of the general assembly for months and there is some pretty good agreement at the levels of the general assembly,” said Governor Rauner.
But with a Republican governor and a Democratic controlled legislature, Riverdale Superintendent, Ron Jacobs, said he thinks reaching an agreement on educational funding reform will be challenging.
“I think it’s gonna be extremely difficult,” said Jacobs. “Obviously we have an election in the back-drop in November and I think that’s gonna put additional pressure on legislatures and how they are gonna be able to vote.”
The Superintendent does say he wants to see a raise in the amount of money the state gives to school districts for each student.
“I think we need to have a foundation level that’s adequate to meet the needs of all the students in Illinois that will provide opportunities that will allow them to be successful,” said Jacobs.
Superintendent Jacobs said the district is operating “bare-bones” but does not plan on cutting any teachers this coming school year.