A press release from the two State Reps. with Crystal Lake addresses:
Reps. Wheeler and Tryon Launch On-Line Survey Against SB16
Mike Tryon
Barbara Wheeler
CRYSTAL LAKE…..State Representatives Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) and Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) have posted an on-line petition in opposition of Senate Bill 16, a bill that would strip millions away from hundreds of Illinois school districts and channel the money toward other schools.
The petition is available on Wheeler’s legislative web site at http://www.ilhousegop.org/sb16_petition and citizens from across the state are encouraged to sign it.
SB16 is a massive rewrite of the school funding formula that determines how General State Aid (GSA) is distributed to Illinois’ school districts.
It does not add any additional funding toward education.
As written and approved in the Senate, the bill uses a weighted formula that is punitive to most suburban school districts.
“Most of my school districts will lose between 70%-86% of their State funding if Senate Bill 16 is passed and signed into law,” said Wheeler.
“My school districts are hit hard by the provisions of SB16,” said Tryon. “Crystal Lake District 47 would lose about $5.7 million per year if this bill is approved and signed into law.”
“This bill does not solve funding inequities in Illinois. It’s just an unfair redistribution of funds with every one of my school districts losing large amounts of money,” Wheeler said.
In addition to signing the petition, Tryon encourages residents to attend an SB16 Impact forum in their county.
A Kane County forum will be held on Oct. 7 from 6:00-8:00 PM at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles and a McHenry County forum will be held on Oct. 14 from 6:30-8:30 PM at McHenry West High School in McHenry.
Tryon and Wheeler are a Chief Co-Sponsors of House Resolution 1276, a measure that denounces SB16 and encourages a comprehensive and fair funding reform process that is inclusive of all stakeholder points of view. “SB16 is not the answer to education funding reform,” said Wheeler.
“Funding for education is a very serious issue and the ultimate reforms should not create winners and losers, but rather create a system where all kids can be winners,” Wheeler concluded.
Wake up voters!!!
SB0016 is a sideshow!!!
Does it really matter if the funding comes from the state or from local property tax?
THEY ARE ALL TAX DOLLARS!!!!
The problem in Illinois education costs is NOT which unit of government collects the tax, the problem is TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR PENSIONS AND THE SALARIES PAID TO THEM ARE MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN AFFORD!!!
These weak-kneed politicians do not have the will to represent ‘We the People’ and take on the mainstream media supported teacher unions and associations!!
The right to strike needs to be removed for groups involved inthe public sector.
The problem in Illinois is that we have made public sector pensions unaffordable for the people who foot the bill!!
Why do people and businesses leave the state?
It is not due to the unit of government that collects and disseminates tax dollars!!!
It could be argued that SB0016 is good legislation because local taxpayers would then more directly feel the TAX BITE caused by some public sector pensions.
If these two politicians want to do something worthwhile, help get rid of Jack Franks locally.
Along with Pam Althoff, quit acting like they support Franks!!
Campaign for an end to Common Core!!
SB0016 is an absolute abomination which will NOT reduce public expenditure one penny. In fact it will increase government overhead!
Read the description: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=0016&GAID=12&GA=98&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=68381&SessionID=85 Amends the Economic Development Area Tax Increment Allocation Act, State Finance Act, Property Tax Code, Innovation Development and Economy Act, County Economic Development Project Area Property Tax Allocation Act, County Economic Development Project Area Tax Increment Allocation Act of 1991, Illinois Municipal Code, Economic Development Project Area Tax Increment Allocation Act of 1995, School Code, Educational Opportunity for Military Children Act, and Illinois Public Aid Code. Sets forth provisions concerning the basis for apportionment of primary State financial aid to the common schools for the 2014-2015 and subsequent school years, including provisions concerning the foundation level and weighting for district pupil characteristics, average daily attendance, available local resources per pupil, the computation of primary State aid, the compilation of average daily attendance, equalized assessed valuation data, hold harmless and Property Tax Extension Limitation Law adjustments, grants to laboratory and alternative schools, district improvement plans and attendance center distributions, the Education Funding Advisory Board, a Primary State Aid Review Committee, and an adequacy study. Requires State Board of Education rules, for the 2015-2016 school year and thereafter, to prescribe a system for accounting for revenues and expenditures at the individual school level that includes certain information. Sets forth provisions concerning funding for special education children with excess cost. Makes other changes concerning special education. Provides that certain provisions of the Code apply only through the 2013-2014 school year or the 2014 fiscal year, including provisions concerning block grants for Chicago, special education, transitional bilingual education, summer school grants, and transportation. With respect to the Early Childhood Education Block Grant, requires the State Board of Education to award to the Chicago school district 37% of the funds in each fiscal year. With respect to a school district other than the Chicago school district, provides that through June 30, 2017 (instead of June 30, 2016), surplus life safety taxes and interest earnings thereon may be transferred to the Operations and Maintenance Fund for building repair work if a public hearing has been held. Extends the time period during which a school district other than the Chicago school district may transfer moneys from specified funds for any purpose from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.
Insofar as not being able to afford the pensions being paid out by taxpayers, the top 25 pension earners in Harvard D-50 will rake in $ 1,759,196 in income this year.
In Cary CCSD 26, they will rake in $ 2,488,954.
Teachers and administrators are GUARANTEED A ANNUAL INCREASE OF 3 PERCENT OR MORE –if the rate of inflation is higher.
Harvard D-50 has a school board member, Richard Crosby who is married to Jacklyn Crosby.
This year they will rake in $244,847 in taxpayer funded pensions.
Do you really think Mr. Crosby will be negotiating on behalf of the taxpayers for the next union contract?
Want to lay blame?
Blame the taxpayers who are dumb enough to allow this guy to sit on the school board!!!
If conservatives want to stop this madness, get off your butt and either run for the school board or get another conservative to do so and then work to get him / her elected.
Total salaries paid in Cary CCSD 26 in 2012 was $14,343,10.
Total salaries paid in Harvard D-50 in 2012 was $8,157,26.
Salary and pension info comes from: http://www.openthebooks.com/search/documents/?PensionCode=1853
Welcome to deomocrazy, tax-paying serfs.
In case you notice because of all of all the carefully crafted MSM taboos, the productive elements of society must shell out for the totally unproductive ………
it’s called ‘redistribution of wealth’ in Marxist, errr ‘Progressive’ circles.
That’s why over 5,000 productive citizens leave Illinois every month, while the welfare rolls grow and grow and grow.
BTW, no amount of money is ever going to improve the IQs of inner city ‘pupils.’
It’s time to leave Illinois to the parasites, illegal alien hordes …..
maybe they’ll elect Jesse Jackson, Jr. or “Rep.” Guiterrez their King …. (well, in Guiterrez’s case their Queen)
When will they EVER address the real problems in education?
Start with the unions and their over inflated pensions, benefits, early retirement, and on and on.
Next – work on getting rid of Common Core!
The public sector needs to follow the private sector and get rid of pensions and create 401K types of retirements.
Just as a long time ago public sector followed the private sector and created the pensions.
We can not afford this any more.
Whoops!! Did not include the whole number: ”
Total salaries paid in Harvard D-50 in 2012 was $8,157,26.”
It should read $8,157,260.
See this link, a .gov website, to compare your school district against 100 national peers’ financial data.
http://nces.ed.gov/edfin/search/search_intro.asp
Woodstock CUSD 200 vs. peers data:
Only one school out of 100 national peers spent more per student on Administrative Costs annually.
D200 spent $1805 per student per year on Administration, with the average cost per student per year by peers being $1001.
In every category measured, D200 outspent peer averages significantly.
In total expenditures per student, capital outlays, and categories of support or other services, D200 was in the highest 8 out of 100 spenders.
Property tax rates in D200 are in excess of 3% of property value. (My tax rate was 3.67% last year.)
The D200 school budgets have increased annually with student enrollment falling, and home prices plummeting.
According to City-data.com, Woodstock median home value in 2012 was $165000 and median income per household was $56000.
At 3% property tax rate on a $165000 home value, the tax would be $4950. Two thirds (2/3) of property tax bill goes to school district. (.66x$4950) /$56000=.0588
That is, 5.9% of median Woodstock households’ income every year goes to the local school district.
That is higher than the 5% State of Illinois income tax rate that has everyone very upset.
There are supposedly roughly 6200 students in D200.
If administrative costs per student were lowered to the peer average expenditure rate of $1001 per student from the current $1805 per student expenditure, a savings of $4,985,000 would be generated annually.
It appears the school,board is making a value judgement: families’ money is better spent paying school administrators 80% higher than average than if families were allowed to save that money for children’s’ college educations.
This is not an issue of whether our local districts are spending too much. (We all know that they are spending too much)
The issue with SB16 is that they will be funneling more of your tax dollars to Chicago schools.
You will still continue to pay the same in state taxes.
Local districts will receive less of those state income tax dollars.
Those districts will continue to spend the same amount.
In order to make up for that budget shortfall, they will have to collect more Property taxes.
SB16 is a bad bill.
More of your income tax dollars will be funneled into other districts, where they pay less in property taxes, and as a result you will have to pay even more in property taxes as a prize for already paying more in property taxes.
Here’s a novel idea – Illinois should create an Act 10 like Walker did in Wisconsin!
The unions still have their panties in a bundle, but the taxpayers are seeing real relief with LOWER tax bills.
I think profligate spending is part of this issue, and should be part of the discussion, when one faction is trying to wrest money from another faction for its own use.
A solution formula could emerge which rewards school districts that spend frugally and don’t dramatically overspend national averages in each category ( such as administration).
State funds could be shifted toward fiscally responsible school districts, and funding amounts reduced for fiscally irresponsible schools.
And making these figures mandatory components on ‘ report cards’ published every year by law would create political Incentive for school boards to change their wicked ways.
This would not be such a desperate cockfight for state money if Illinois schools’ expenditures were closer to national averages.
Reduce funding our public schools across the board.
http://www.cato.org/blog/addressing-critics-purportedly-no-good-very-bad-chart?utm_content=bufferd20a4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Funding our public schools has not increased ‘smartness’ in the students.
Do away with teacher unions.
They are the bad apple in our public schools.
Act 10 was a great and bold move by Gov. Walker.
It has saved millions of tax dollars for the tax payers in Wisconsin.