Post by doctorwho on May 1, 2010 7:46:28 GMT -6
State schools chief paints dire funding picture
By John Patterson | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 5/1/2010 12:03 AM.Send To:
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=377511&src=76
Illinois' top education official warned local schools Friday they should expect continued delays of state payments and urged them to contact lawmakers and explain the real-world consequences of the state budget not being balanced.
Ongoing school layoffs will quickly impact the quality of education, Chris Koch, superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education, said during a stop in Naperville.
Gov. Pat Quinn and lawmakers used $1 billion in federal stimulus money to prop up education spending for this past year. But that money is gone and the state doesn't have the money to fill the budget hole. Overall, the state's fiscal plan is nearly $13 billion in the red and billions of dollars in past-due payments to schools, businesses and social service providers are stacking up in state offices.
Many schools have responded by trying to shame the state into paying, posting the amounts due on their electronic message boards. But the problem in Springfield is there's not enough money to pay for everything in the budget, there's not enough votes to pass a tax increase and not enough support to deeply cut spending. With only days left in the legislative session, many expect the situation to linger until at least after the November elections offer some political clarity.
"We're going to expect late payments for a while," Koch warned.
Quinn has proposed deep education spending cuts _ cuts he said would not be needed if lawmakers would approve a 1 percentage point income tax increase.
Lawmakers, however, have been cool to Quinn's tax plan while also making it clear severe education cuts are not going to happen.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said in a news release that while state spending cuts are needed, "draconian cuts to education would drop Illinois to worst-in-the-nation" as far as state support for schools and put 20,000 educators out of work. Among the moneymaking options Cullerton supports is a cigarette-tax increase.
Quinn on Friday remained committed to his tax increase for schools and said there was no way lawmakers could leave town next week without dealing with the budget problems. Lawmakers have targeted May 7 for adjournment.
Daily Herald staff writer Justin Kmitch contributed to this report
By John Patterson | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 5/1/2010 12:03 AM.Send To:
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=377511&src=76
Illinois' top education official warned local schools Friday they should expect continued delays of state payments and urged them to contact lawmakers and explain the real-world consequences of the state budget not being balanced.
Ongoing school layoffs will quickly impact the quality of education, Chris Koch, superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education, said during a stop in Naperville.
Gov. Pat Quinn and lawmakers used $1 billion in federal stimulus money to prop up education spending for this past year. But that money is gone and the state doesn't have the money to fill the budget hole. Overall, the state's fiscal plan is nearly $13 billion in the red and billions of dollars in past-due payments to schools, businesses and social service providers are stacking up in state offices.
Many schools have responded by trying to shame the state into paying, posting the amounts due on their electronic message boards. But the problem in Springfield is there's not enough money to pay for everything in the budget, there's not enough votes to pass a tax increase and not enough support to deeply cut spending. With only days left in the legislative session, many expect the situation to linger until at least after the November elections offer some political clarity.
"We're going to expect late payments for a while," Koch warned.
Quinn has proposed deep education spending cuts _ cuts he said would not be needed if lawmakers would approve a 1 percentage point income tax increase.
Lawmakers, however, have been cool to Quinn's tax plan while also making it clear severe education cuts are not going to happen.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said in a news release that while state spending cuts are needed, "draconian cuts to education would drop Illinois to worst-in-the-nation" as far as state support for schools and put 20,000 educators out of work. Among the moneymaking options Cullerton supports is a cigarette-tax increase.
Quinn on Friday remained committed to his tax increase for schools and said there was no way lawmakers could leave town next week without dealing with the budget problems. Lawmakers have targeted May 7 for adjournment.
Daily Herald staff writer Justin Kmitch contributed to this report