Dear Neighbors,

As most of you know, the Chicago Public Schools face a crushing deficit of $1.1 billion.  This intolerable situation developed over decades and is a crisis our city must now confront. 

On Friday, July 10th, I joined with elected officials and community leaders from Chicago and throughout Illinois to urge the passage of Senate Bill 1, which takes steps towards a comprehensive solution for school funding.  This action is needed because of the political deadlock in Springfield and because the Illinois Supreme Court has virtually tied the hands of Chicago and the Chicago Teachers Union from reforming pension plans.   

In order to balance the budget, CPS recently announced layoffs of almost 1,100 employees plus closing 300 positions. But in fact, even this budget relies on  $500 million in state aid or pension relief that is currently not in the state budget. 

 While the legislative standoff continues, two facts are clear: first, school funding from the state has dropped substantially since 2010, translating to $1.4 million less for Lincoln Park High School alone. Second, pension funding has become dramatically more unfair for Chicago taxpayers.  

 Your state income taxes pay a substantial amount of the pension debt of teachers' pensions throughout Illinois, but very little of your state taxes pay for Chicago teachers' pensions.  In reality, every Chicago taxpayer pays twice for teacher pensions.

The state paid $3.4 billion last year for the pensions of teachers in every Illinois school district except Chicago. Instead, Chicago property taxes just paid $634 million in a state-mandated pension payment for our teachers, but only $62 million in state funds came back to us for pensions.  

Illinois Senate Bill 1 would change the basic school funding formula to make it more fair to Chicago.  To learn about SB 1, click here.  A summary of our recent City Council education committee meeting is reported here.

Here in the 43rd Ward, our parents are doubling down on public education - enrollments are up and school outcomes are outstanding.   Our principals are determined to make the best of these cuts.  But we as parents and taxpayers have to do more.    Join the "Funding IL's Future" coalition to change the funding formula.  Email our state representatives to urge them to adopt SB1 and to end the double taxation of Chicago residents for pensions.

Friday, July 10th event at City Hall