Illinois House can give 831 school districts more money, or just Chicago
Math matters: Just ask the folks at the Illinois State Board of Education. Their peers at the Illinois Department of Revenue found a math error throwing off the numbers for what local school districts would receive after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner used his amendatory veto on Senate Bill 1, the school funding formula rewrite.
Now they got the math right, the results were just released but after the Illinois Senate on Sunday voted to override. Of 923 school districts in Illinois, Rauner’s changes will give more money to 831 of them and make no difference to another 71 that are mainly alternative schools.
There will be 21 school districts that lose under the Rauner plan, and by lose we mean get more money than last year yet a little less than if his amendments fail. Chicago Public Schools would get $242 million less from Rauner than Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and the other Chicago Democrats want to hand it.
Belleville Elementary District 118 is the only local district that would get less from Rauner — $62,977 less than the Madigan plan. That is because Rauner wants to eliminate the ability for districts to subtract the property values tied up in tax increment financing districts, and Belleville has a lot of that.
Still, it is fair to expect schools to include all property value because it was a local city decision to tie up all that taxing ability and deny it to the schools. Chicago abused that authority, ignoring $6.6 billion in taxable property, to suck up half the benefit from that calculation. The rest of us and our students should not be forced to pay for their excesses.
If the Illinois House votes Wednesday to override the Rauner amendatory veto, then Chicago’s $242 million will come out of the pockets of 831 other school districts. Madigan does not have enough Democrats to override, so he will be after Republicans to cross over.
Local state representatives need to stand with their school districts. Both Republicans and Democrats need to pay attention to the math, and choose 831 winners rather than handing a jackpot to the financial mismanagement and bankrupt policies of the Chicago Public Schools.
Rauner changes versus original school funding bill
Here is what local school districts would receive in General State Aid if Rauner’s amendatory veto stands rather than the formula as originally proposed. Only Belleville Elementary District 118 would get less under the Rauner plan. Statewide, 831 districts gain if Rauner can stop Chicago Public Schools from receiving a $242-million windfall.
District | Amendatory veto | SB1 original | Change |
ALBERS SCHOOL DISTRICT 63 | $711,309 | $650,246 | $61,063 |
ALTON COMM UNIT SCHOOL DIST 11 | $21,943,608 | $20,008,598 | $1,935,010 |
BELLE VALLEY SCHOOL DIST 119 | $5,064,818 | $4,955,930 | $108,888 |
BELLEVILLE SCHOOL DIST 118 | $19,570,496 | $19,633,473 | -$62,977 |
BELLEVILLE TWP HS DIST 201 | $16,272,321 | $15,622,991 | $649,330 |
BETHALTO C U SCHOOL DIST 8 | $11,360,629 | $10,589,116 | $771,513 |
BOND CO C U SCHOOL DIST 2 | $7,538,065 | $7,107,360 | $430,705 |
BREESE SCHOOL DISTRICT 12 | $1,159,382 | $1,156,829 | $2,553 |
BROOKLYN UNIT DISTRICT 188 | $910,124 | $874,777 | $35,347 |
CAHOKIA COMM UNIT SCH DIST 187 | $30,214,062 | $29,825,736 | $388,326 |
CARLYLE C U SCHOOL DISTRICT 1 | $3,372,532 | $3,234,920 | $137,612 |
CENTRAL SCHOOL DIST 104 | $734,377 | $717,666 | $16,711 |
COLLINSVILLE C U SCH DIST 10 | $24,797,992 | $23,223,831 | $1,574,161 |
COLUMBIA COMM UNIT SCH DIST 4 | $3,187,345 | $3,129,267 | $58,078 |
DAMIANSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT 62 | $287,136 | $255,940 | $31,196 |
DUPO COMM UNIT SCH DISTRICT 196 | $5,801,775 | $5,605,215 | $196,560 |
EAST ALTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 13 | $3,929,879 | $3,692,884 | $236,994 |
EAST ALTON-WOOD RIVER C H S D 14 | $1,607,959 | $1,395,897 | $212,061 |
EAST ST LOUIS SCHOOL DIST 189 | $52,171,209 | $51,029,152 | $1,142,057 |
EDWARDSVILLE C U SCHOOL DIST 7 | $8,756,816 | $8,542,731 | $214,084 |
FREEBURG C C SCHOOL DIST 70 | $1,377,668 | $1,334,660 | $43,007 |
FREEBURG COMM H S DIST 77 | $1,290,903 | $1,212,369 | $78,534 |
GERMANTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT 60 | $741,287 | $706,547 | $34,740 |
GRANITE CITY C U SCHOOL DIST 9 | $25,031,684 | $24,895,144 | $136,540 |
GRANT COMM CONS SCH DIST 110 | $1,761,060 | $1,726,528 | $34,532 |
HARMONY EMGE SCHOOL DIST 175 | $2,329,985 | $2,288,943 | $41,042 |
HIGH MOUNT SCHOOL DIST 116 | $2,254,669 | $2,150,807 | $103,862 |
HIGHLAND COMM UNIT SCH DIST 5 | $7,529,472 | $7,203,450 | $326,022 |
LEBANON COMM UNIT SCH DIST 9 | $1,788,345 | $1,717,300 | $71,045 |
MADISON COMM UNIT SCH DIST 12 | $5,078,104 | $5,037,233 | $40,871 |
MARISSA C U SCH DIST 40 | $3,108,434 | $2,918,525 | $189,909 |
MASCOUTAH C U DISTRICT 19 | $16,474,732 | $15,932,805 | $541,927 |
MILLSTADT C C SCH DIST 160 | $1,036,255 | $1,013,222 | $23,033 |
NASHVILLE C C SCH DISTRICT 49 | $980,161 | $939,026 | $41,135 |
NASHVILLE COMM H S DISTRICT 99 | $1,043,481 | $911,835 | $131,646 |
NEW ATHENS C U SCHOOL DIST 60 | $1,277,379 | $1,130,810 | $146,568 |
O FALLON C C SCHOOL DIST 90 | $8,001,907 | $7,802,101 | $199,806 |
O FALLON TWP HIGH SCH DIST 203 | $6,911,028 | $6,339,331 | $571,697 |
PONTIAC-W HOLLIDAY SCH DIST 105 | $675,009 | $674,585 | $424 |
PRAIRIE DU ROCHER C C S D 134 | $847,339 | $806,826 | $40,513 |
RED BUD C U SCHOOL DIST 132 | $815,555 | $814,982 | $573 |
ROXANA COMM UNIT SCHOOL DIST 1 | $2,058,454 | $2,057,264 | $1,190 |
SHILOH VILLAGE SCHOOL DIST 85 | $1,925,984 | $1,857,295 | $68,690 |
SIGNAL HILL SCH DIST 181 | $1,618,792 | $1,564,885 | $53,907 |
SMITHTON C C SCHOOL DIST 130 | $1,188,205 | $1,156,657 | $31,548 |
SPARTA C U SCHOOL DIST 140 | $5,792,467 | $5,516,199 | $276,268 |
ST LIBORY CONS SCH DIST 30 | $265,730 | $261,072 | $4,658 |
ST ROSE SCHOOL DISTRICT 14-15 | $373,481 | $339,598 | $33,883 |
STAUNTON COMM UNIT SCH DIST 6 | $4,953,226 | $4,534,314 | $418,911 |
TRIAD COMM UNIT SCHOOL DIST 2 | $9,750,205 | $9,466,355 | $283,850 |
VENICE COMM UNIT SCHOOL DIST 3 | $659,941 | $659,843 | $98 |
WATERLOO COMM UNIT SCH DIST 5 | $4,419,336 | $4,303,731 | $115,605 |
WESCLIN C U SCHOOL DISTRICT 3 | $4,520,588 | $4,208,885 | $311,703 |
WHITESIDE SCHOOL DIST 115 | $3,310,334 | $3,123,425 | $186,909 |
WOLF BRANCH SCH DIST 113 | $1,205,539 | $1,181,696 | $23,843 |
WOOD RIVER-HARTFORD ELEM S D 15 | $1,978,910 | $1,844,805 | $134,105 |
This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Illinois House can give 831 school districts more money, or just Chicago."