House Speaker Chris Welch recently pledged to lead an effort during the fall veto session to provide additional state funding for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), renewing debate over how Illinois should invest in public education.
While additional investment in public education remains a priority, Senate Republicans maintain that any new funding should be distributed through Illinois’ Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula, the bipartisan system designed to allocate resources based on student need rather than political influence.
Rather than providing supplemental funding to a single district, State Senator Dave Syverson believes additional education dollars should strengthen the statewide formula so every underfunded school district has the opportunity to benefit.
He also notes that Chicago Public Schools already received special accommodations when it comes to funding, which is impacting our local schools. Senator Syverson argues that existing provisions reinforce the importance of continuing to use the statewide formula rather than creating district-specific funding packages.