While I’m on the subject where do you think the state is spending its dough? It certainly isn’t on the public schools:
Of each dollar spent on the Illinois lottery, 33.4 percent is transferred to the Common School Fund, which aids public schools.
However, of the 50 states, Illinois is ranked 49th in state funding for public schools. This only accounts for about 32 percent of the cost it takes to educate a student, according to Clare Fauke, communications coordinator for A+ Illinois.
A+ Illinois is a statewide campaign to improve the quality and funding of Illinois schools, comprised of a couple hundred groups including the Illinois Farm Bureau, Voices for Illinois Children and the Chicago Urban League.
Fauke said that Illinois schools are primarily funded by property taxes, which means that in poorer communities the income from this tax is not enough to provide the students with the things they need like a longer school day, better teacher training and smaller class sizes.
Property taxes paying for schools can cause hardships, according to Fauke, because the property tax does not take in to account a persons ability to pay.
“There is a huge difference and achievement gap, in test scores and overall achievement, between rich and poor communities,” Fauke said. “Finding a sustainable, long-term funding for schools like an increase in the state income tax would be a reasonable reform to the system.”
I’m so proud. There’s still the #50 slot to aspire to, I suppose.
Well, Illinois doesn’t do too bad here:
http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank03.htm
ISTM that funding levels, by themselves, are a poor indicator.
The issue is what portion of funding is borne by the state as opposed to counties and cities. In Illinois less than a third of school funding comes from the state. This is in apparent contradiction to the state constitution which insists that the state should be the primary source of funding for the schools.
Illinois has very good schools, typically those in high income, high real estate value areas. But it also has some very poort schools, often in rural areas.
Thank God for Mississippi.