The Illinois Senate approved a big change to the way Illinois funds schools yesterday, but that doesn't ensure anything will change.
It's the third iteration of a plan crafted by State Senator Andy Manar, a Democrat from Bunker Hill. It overhauls the formula used to distribute state aid, sending more to districts with high concentrations of poverty. But Republicans decry the plan as a bailout for Chicago schools.
So far, the only other school funding bill is the plan filed on behalf of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. It would increase state spending on schools, but continue to distribute it by the current formula, which even Rauner describes as woefully inequitable.
Manar told reporters no matter what becomes of his own bill, he would not support Rauner's.
"Why should I vote for spending 55 million more dollars that doesn't deliver an ounce of equity to my district or any other struggling school district in the state? That's the straight-up policy question," Manar said.
Meanwhile, a task force on the House side of the rotunda heard about a third funding proposal (not yet filed as a bill), touted as an "evidence-based model."
