CHICAGO (August 1, 2017) -- Fix the Formula Illinois members, including Advance Illinois, released the following statement upon the Governor’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1.

We are disappointed in the Governor's amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, which promises a fair and equitable school funding system. At a time of scarce resources, this broad amendatory veto hits low-income school districts the hardest, cutting funding from poor kids while diverting dollars from low-income districts to wealthier districts, including a cut of more than $200 million from Chicago Public Schools by removing the cost of its block grants from the district's base funding minimum. The veto punishes all districts by putting a cap on regional costs, ignoring inflation, and removing protections for districts in the future in the event that local resources are used to pay for pensions. These actions are unfair and unacceptable to our coalition or parents, educators, civil rights leaders, and superintendents across the state.

Now we turn to the General Assembly to demonstrate leadership, put partisanship aside and make history by ending the era of inequitable school funding that has shortchanged low-income students in Illinois for two decades. Such bold, bipartisan action is needed now more than ever, not only to provide certainty to students and families who are wondering if their schools will be able to open on time and stay open this fall, but to do the right thing for generations of students to come. We call on the General Assembly to get this done for kids across Illinois and fix the school funding formula once and for all.

About Fix the Formula Illinois

Fix the Formula Illinois is a campaign of Advance Illinois, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Educators 4 Excellence, Equity First, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, Funding Illinois’ Future, Gamaliel of Metro Chicago, High School District Organizations of Illinois, Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Illinois for Educational Equity, Illinois Parent-Teacher Association, Illinois Principals Association, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Latino Policy Forum, League of United Latin American Citizens, Noble Network, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, Quad County Urban League, South Suburban Action Conference, Springfield Urban League, Taylorville Citizens for Education, Teach Plus Illinois, Tri-County Urban League, United Congregations of the Metro East, Urban Muslim Minority Alliance and Vision 20/20. Learn more about the Fix the Formula Illinois campaign at www.fundingilfuture.org/fixtheformulaillinois.