Twenty years ago, Illinois adopted a school funding plan that relies heavily on local property taxes, leaving areas with low property values at the mercy of state aid. And for the past seven years, the state has failed to send those schools the full amount of aid promised under that plan.
Gov. Bruce Rauner is asking lawmakers to approve paying that full amount. That would mean a funding increase, because for the past seven years, the state has pro-rated -- or cut -- school funding by as much as 13 percent.
The issue has turned into a partisan battle. Democratic lawmakers say before just sending more money, they want a complete overhaul of the state's school funding formula.
State Senator Jason Barickman, a Republican from Bloomington, says there's no time for that now. He says school officials need to know what their budget will be for next year.
"Fully fund the formula, do away with pro-ration, send predictability to our school districts, and let's move on!"
State Senator Chapin Rose, a Republican from Mahomet, says fixing the formula will take time.
"The governor stands for fully funding the existing formula," Rose says, "while we take the time to do the very important work of reforming the system correctly. Correctly."
Democrats, who have previously filed legislation proposing a new formula, responded with a statement inviting Republican lawmakers to join their reform effort.
