Statement from Fix the Formula Illinois on SB6 and SB9

CHICAGO (July 4, 2017) -- Fix the Formula Illinois members, including Advance Illinois, released the following statement upon the Senate's passage of SB6 and SB9.After two years without a budget that protects schools, the General Assembly has now passed a full budget on a bipartisan basis that provides security for our schools and students. The budget includes $350 million in additional revenue to better support schools, especially those that have been historically underfunded.  We urge the Governor to swiftly sign these bills into law so that families can spend the remaining weeks of summer knowing that school will start on time and so that students will be where they should be in the fall—in the classroom. As part of this package, the Governor should also sign SB1, the more equitable school funding formula that provides funding to the neediest districts first and closes funding gaps between low-income and wealthier districts.

We are grateful to the members of the House and Senate who took politically courageous votes in recent days to support a full budget.

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 Illinois, 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 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.

Statement: The General Assembly must act to pass a comprehensive budget today

CHICAGO (July 2, 2017) -- Advance Illinois urges the General Assembly to act today to pass a comprehensive budget including the revenues to fund it. Without a full budget, many school districts will not be able to open their doors in August and many are already working on contingency plans. We can’t afford to have students lose a day in the classroom while districts wonder if they will receive state funding.School districts across Illinois have already suffered for too long from years of pro-rated state funding, underpayment, and a regressive school funding system. It is now time to provide the resources to put Illinois on a path to more adequate and equitable school funding under SB1, the fix to the school funding formula that passed the General Assembly on May 31.

Members of the Illinois General Assembly: please act now to pass a budget to save our schools.

Statement attributable to John Edwardson and Marin Gjaja, Co-Chairs, Advance Illinois

About Advance Illinois

Advance Illinois serves as an independent, objective and bipartisan voice promoting a healthy public education system that prepares all students for success in college, career and civic life. Advance Illinois is equity-driven, student-centered, data-focused and connected to community and educators. Advance Illinois identifies, designs and advocates for policies that are tailored to the needs of students in Illinois.

Media advisory: Superintendents, education advocates to launch town halls across Illinois to discuss SB1 and the school funding crisis

CHICAGO (June 23, 2017) – Superintendents and education advocates are coming together with the Fix the Formula Illinois campaign for town hall meetings next week to discuss a solution to the state's worst-in-the-nation school funding formula. The meetings will include a presentation on the evidence-based school funding model and SB1, which passed the General Assembly on May 31 and fixes Illinois’ broken school funding formula. Illinois’ inequitable funding system and the lack of a state budget have left many schools concerned about their ability to open their doors for the 2017-2018 school year. Speakers at the town hall meetings will share facts about SB1, which provides dollars to the state’s neediest districts without taking money from any district. Click here to learn more about SB1.

The town halls will take place at the following locations and times:

Thursday, August 10

• International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2
5860 W. 111th Street, Chicago Ridge, Illinois 60415
10:00am – 12:00pm

• Murphysboro School District
593 Ava Rd, Murphysboro, IL 62966
6:00 – 8:00pm

• Troy Middle School
5800 Theodore Dr, Plainfield, IL 60586
6:00 – 8:00pm

• Monmouth Roseville High School
325 W 1st Ave, Monmouth, IL 61462
6:30 – 8:00pm

Saturday, August 12

• Waubonsie Valley High School
2590 Ogden Ave, Aurora, IL 60504
8:30 – 11:30am

• Upper Room Ministries
17601 Wentworth Ave, Lansing, IL 60438
10:00am – 12:00pm

Monday, August 14

• Carrollton Grade School Common
721 Fourth Street, Carrollton, IL 62016
6:00 – 8:00pm

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 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

Statement: Passage of school funding reform is a historic triumph

SPRINGFIELD (May 31, 2017) -- The General Assembly’s passage of SB1 tonight is a historic triumph for students and ends an era of Illinois having the most inequitable school funding system in the nation.

Thank you to everyone who voted for this bill. We are grateful to Representative Will Davis, Senator Andy Manar and Senator Kimberly Lightford for their leadership. We also are grateful to many other members of the General Assembly for their longtime support of school funding reform, including Representative Robert Pritchard. Congratulations to the thousands of educators, parents and students who have long advocated for equitable school funding. This is a victory for students in every school, every district and every county in Illinois.

We urge the Governor to sign this bill.

About Fix the Formula Illinois

Fix the Formula Illinois is a campaign of Advance Illinois, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Chicago Urban League, Educators 4 Excellence, Equity First, Funding Illinois’ Future, High School District Organizations of Illinois, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Illinois for Educational Equity, Illinois Principals Association, League of United Latin American Citizens, Teach Plus Illinois, and Vision 20/20. Follow #fixtheformula on Twitter or visit www.fundingilfuture.org.

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Press release: Statewide series of town halls to address school funding reform

CHICAGO (April 17, 2017) – Education stakeholders are coming together for regional town hall conversations across the state this week as momentum builds toward passing school funding reform legislation this spring. Superintendents, teachers and families are saying their students cannot wait any longer for a fix to Illinois’ funding system—the most unfair funding system in the nation according to The Education Trust. The town halls will include remarks from superintendents, legislators and policy experts and an opportunity for audience Q&A.Currently, Illinois’ funding formula is inequitable, spending just 81 cents on a low-income student for every dollar it spends on a non-low-income student. One proposed funding bill, HB2808, fixes Illinois’ 20-year-old funding system and provides a fair solution for all students. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Will Davis, passed the House Appropriations Committee in early April with bipartisan support. It presents an evidence-based funding model that ensures no school district loses money, neediest districts receive new funding first, takes local resources into account, and closes funding gaps between low-income and wealthier districts and keeps them closed over time.

Schedule:

Quincy Town Hall
April 17, 1-3 p.m.
Quincy School Board District Office Rm 214
1416 Maine Street, Quincy, IL 62301

U-46 Town Hall
April 17, 7-9 p.m.
Elgin High School
1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin, IL 60120

Aurora Town Hall
April 18, 5-7 p.m.
Herget Middle School
1550 Deerpath Road, Aurora, IL 60506

Berwyn Town Hall
April 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Havlicek Elementary School
6401 W. 15th St., Berwyn, IL 60402

Crab Orchard Town Hall
April 19, 10 a.m.
Crab Orchard CUSD #319189
Cory Bailey StreetMarion, IL 62959

Quad Cities Town Hall
April 20, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Bowelburg Elementary School
2221 10th St., Silvis, IL 61282

Illinois Leadership for Educational Equity Legislator Forum (Chicago)
April 20, 6-8 p.m.
Chicago Theological Seminary
1407 E. 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637

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, Funding Illinois’ Future, High School District Organizations of Illinois, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Illinois Principals Association, League of United Latin American Citizens, Teach Plus Illinois and Vision 20/20.

Follow #fixtheformula on Twitter or visit www.fundingilfuture.org to receive updates about the campaign.

Contacts:
Bob Dolgan, bdolgan@advanceillinois.org, 773-447-1980
Anna Schneider, aschneider@advanceillinois.org, 217-242-9645