Gov. George Ryan’s recent proposal to increase general state aid and provide school districts with greater flexibility in deciding how to spend their money needs to include an infusion of new dollars into the system, help districts that most need it and not sacrifice certain critical programs, such as early childhood education.
In fact, the $5,000 per student the governor proposed is supported by research done on behalf of Network 21, which determined that fiscally efficient schools, where at least two-thirds of students meet or exceed Illinois learning standards, spend between $5,000 and $5,500 on basic education expenses.
The Network 21: Quality Schools and Stronger Communities coalition of education, business and civic organizations will continue to work with other organizations to find a way to increase state dollars to schools, reduce the overreliance on the property tax as a school funding mechanism and create an adequate and stable revenue stream.
Network 21 has identified a menu of possible revenue sources, from enacting prescription-drug-purchasing reforms to phasing out legislative member initiatives, as part of the solution. We welcome efforts to bring this debate front and center and urge policymakers to find a way to break the linkage between where in Illinois a child lives and his or her education opportunities.
