Network 21, together with the Illinois Farm Bureau, is working towards education funding reform.
The Illinois Farm Bureau, in cooperation with Network 21:Quality Schools and Stronger Communities, will host a series of five public meetings over the next three weeks to alert citizens across central and southern Illinois about issues affecting education funding and quality now going before the General Assembly.
Of immediate interest is the legislature’s setting of an adequate “foundation level”—the amount of per-pupil spending to be guaranteed next fiscal year as part of the state’s school aid formula. Many rural districts rely heavily on the foundation level, especially since changes to the way farmland is assessed have eroded local tax bases.
The legislature has received a recommendation from the state’s Educational Funding Advisory Board (EFAB) to increase the foundation level for Fiscal 2002 by $135 per student, to $4,560.
However, expert research conducted for Network 21 has shown that a substantially higher level—as much as $5,200 per student—is needed to guarantee access to a quality education for all children. Though a one-time increase of that size is not in the state’s budgetary cards for Fiscal 2002, Network 21 advocates raising next year’s foundation level to $4,700 as a “down-payment” on that goal.
Long term, however, Illinois’ school funding dilemma won’t be solved until structural changes are made that shift the brunt of the educational burden away from the property tax. This is especially true for many rural communities, where dependence on the property tax has hurt farmers, homeowners and businesses.
At the upcoming outreach sessions, representatives of Network 21 will present results from new research on the foundation level conducted by national education consultant Augenblick & Myers. More importantly, they will listen and learn. The input and support of downstate leaders, both public and private, are essential to achieving results in Springfield.
All five meetings will start at 7 p.m. and aim for an 8:30 p.m. finish. The dates and locations are as follow:
· Thursday, Jan. 25, St. Clair County Farm Bureau, Belleville;
· Thursday, Feb. 1, Warren-Henderson County Farm Bureau, Monmouth;
· Monday, Feb. 5, Twin County Service Co., Marion;
· Thursday, Feb. 8, Stephenson County Farm Bureau, Freeport;
· Thursday, Feb 15, Illinois Farm Bureau, Bloomington.
Network 21 was formed last year by representatives of education, labor and business groups—including the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB)—to develop and achieve a consensus-based plan to improve education for all Illinois children.
“The Bureau has been a longtime advocate for finding a more equitable way to fund our public schools,” said Ron Warfield, IFB president. “We think it’s time for our leaders in state government to change a funding formula that is short-changing our young people.”
For more information about the five meetings, call William Burns of the Metropolitan Planning Council, or contact IFB headquarters and ask for Adam Nielsen (309/557-3162) or Greg Carney (309/557-3272).
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