Illinois Owes Valley View $12 Million: District Calls On Officials To Pass State Budget

Valley View School District Superintendent Dr. James A. Mitchem, Jr. is among more than 360 school leaders across the state, representing more than one million students, calling for the Illinois General Assembly to immediately pass a state budget, fix the state education funding formula and pay school districts millions of dollars in unpaid bills this year.

The state now owes VVSD $12 million and has been operating without a full budget for the past 22 months.

As members of the Illinois General Assembly return to Springfield following their spring break, school districts statewide are sharing their frustration with the state budget situation with a call to #PassILBudget.

“I stand with other superintendents from across the state in a call for action,” said Dr. Mitchem. “We need to end the impasse now and move forward with a budget that protects the future of every Pre K-12 Illinois public school student.

The superintendents are specifically calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to:

• Immediately and with bipartisan support end the state budget impasse
• Fix the state K-12 education funding formula and, invest in students and schools, including higher education, throughout the state
• Pay school districts what they are owed this year

While K-12 education has benefited from a partially-funded state budget, Illinois schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. Districts will suffer if Mandated Categoricals, state payments which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year.

Submitted by Valley View School District