Illinois legislators gave the state the perfect present for its 200th birthday: historic school funding reform, Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley) posted on his website recently.
“While voices opposed to parts of the compromised legislation can be loud, we must not overlook the bigger picture of moving our state toward paying a 'majority' share for the cost of education, offering property tax relief, and lifting the underfunded districts up to the adequate level needed to help their students get a quality education,” Pritchard wrote.
Under Senate Bill 1947, which was signed into law on Thursday, the state will determine each district's cost to educate its students and put in new funding of up to $7 billion to get there, Pritchard wrote. The compromises in the bill include state payment of employee pensions in Chicago's school system and reforms that other administrators and legislators wanted.
Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley)
“There are several ways for property tax payers to see relief, a streamlined school waiver process for responding to state mandates, and a tax credit for donations to a scholarship fund that will allow low-income students to attend private schools if the public school they attend does not meet their educational needs,” Pritchard wrote.
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