An online petition drive has been launched by a local state leader in an effort to keep area school districts from losing funds.
State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) is seeking signatures on an online petition fighting Senate Bill 16 that would revamp the state school-funding formula.
Wheeler is urging residents to go to www.ilhousegop.org/sb16_petition and sign the petition stating their opposition to the proposed formula change.
Senate Bill 16 would rewrite the school-funding formula that determines how general state aid is doled out to school districts in Illinois. Wheeler notes that there is no additional money being given to education in the proposal and that the proposed legislation uses a funding formula hurting most suburban school districts.
“Most of my school districts will lose between 70 percent and 86 percent of their state funding, if Senate Bill 16 is passed and signed into law,” Wheeler said. “This bill does not solve funding inequities in Illinois. It’s just an unfair redistribution of funds with every one of my school districts losing a large amount of money.”
Wheeler is one of the chief co-sponsors of House Resolution 1276, an effort to derail SB 16 and establish a more comprehensive and fair funding formula. She said any revised funding formula needs to include all stakeholders’ points of view.
“SB 16 is not the answer to education-funding reform,” Wheeler said. “Funding for education is a very serious issue and the ultimate reforms should not create winners and losers, but rather create a system where all kids can be winners.”
Wheeler is being joined in her fight against the senate bill by fellow Republican state representatives Mike Tryon of Crystal Lake, David McSweeney of Barrington Hills and Ron Sandack of Downers Grove.
“In its current form, SB 16 strips the districts in this area of most of their general state aid dollars and channels most of the money to the Chicago Public School System,” Sandack said. “While I support full, fair comprehensive reforms to the school-funding formula, I cannot, and will not, support an initiative that would cripple the school districts in … suburban counties.
“…It is an unacceptable short-cut solution to Illinois’ school-funding issue.”
SB 16 was approved in the state Senate at the end of the spring legislative session, but was not called for a vote in the state House. A revised version of the bill could emerge during the General Assembly’s veto session in November.
“I remain hopeful that the General Assembly can find a way to fully fund education, or at the very least, find a way to help those districts that are struggling the most,” Sandack said. “However, I will not support funding reform that places an undue burden on the taxpayers I represent.”
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