Phil Kadner seems to be the only way taking up the issue substantively in the press. He has had three recent columns that deal with it including one that addresses a new effort by State Senator Maggie Crotty and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn. It could be that the press just ignores Quinn’s missives, but my guess is that the topic is too confusing to write simple pieces about.
State Sen. Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) and Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn plan to barnstorm the state this fall to gain support for a plan that would increase the Illinois income tax on people earning more than $250,000 a year.
Money raised from the tax would be divided equally, with half going to public schools and half into a property tax rebate fund that would be distributed equally to every homeowner in the state.
As a political necessity, this might be needed. Attempts to funnel the money to only poor districts is unlikely to pass, but passing the money around might help. More important, is that the state doesn’t live up to its obligations to be the primary source of funds for schools
The Chicago mayor, joined by some of his suburban counterparts, demanded Wednesday that the state fulfill its obligation under the Illinois Constitution as "the primary" source of public school funding.
The state currently supplies only 33 percent of the money used to fund public education
As Kadner puts it,
If he was serious about this school funding business, he wouldn’t be holding news conferences, he’d be talking to the governor.
There are some tough choices to make for politicians in Illinois concerning how to fund Illinois schools and everyone is ignoring it. This is nothing new, but sooner or later it will have to change. A comprehensive school reform package that encourages consolidation in some districts and property tax relief.
Senator Meeks is suggesting everything, but the school consolidation bit, which is off the radar other than in rural areas.