Schools Could Lose $8.5 Million in State Funding; Residents Asked to Contact Springfield

News Release from:
Community High School District 99, Downers Grove, Illinois
Downers Grove Grade School District 58, Downers Grove, Illinois
Woodridge School District 68, Woodridge, Illinois

A proposed bill in the Illinois legislature, Senate Bill 16 (SB16), is projected to substantially reduce the amount of state funding that 41 of 42 school districts in DuPage County receive. If the bill is passed by the House of Representatives, Districts 99, 68 and 58 stand to lose a combined $8.5 million in state funding:

· Community High School District 99 would lose $3.1 million per year, representing about $596 per student.
· Downers Grove Grade School District 58 would lose $2.2 million per year, representing about $483 per student.
· Woodridge School District 68 would lose over $3.2 million per year, representing about $1,212 per student.

The General Assembly will host a public hearing about Senate Bill 16 on Tuesday, November 18 at 3 p.m. in Springfield, Illinois. Residents also may register their opinion online by completing a “Witness Slip,” found at http://my.ilga.gov/WitnessSlip/Create?committeeHearingId=12229&legislationId=0.

“Without question, SB16 would have a devastating effect on our district and the five public elementary districts that send students to us, including Districts 58, 60, 61, 66 and 68,” says District 99 Superintendent Dr. Mark McDonald. “DuPage County taxpayers already receive very little return in terms of state education aid from their annual contribution to Springfield. Senate Bill 16 will more than cut that in half.”

If SB16 passes, DuPage County is expected to lose $140 million in state funding for education.

“If Senate Bill 16 passes as it is currently written, Woodridge 68 would lose over 87% of its state funding annually. That is the fourth largest percentage loss of all school districts in DuPage County,” says Dr. Cathy Skinner, Superintendent of Schools for Woodridge School District 68. “This is yet another threat to the finances of our district. The state has already failed to fully meet its current funding obligations for three years, and a potential pension cost shift to school districts would also have a negative impact on Woodridge 68. The state needs to fully fund its obligation to the public education system and support the students in Illinois.”

“SB16 is shifting money without increasing funding for public education, for which Illinois already ranks 50th in the nation,” said District 58 Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli. “This shift and decrease in funding could be catastrophic to the great work that is being accomplished within our District.”

Last July, a committee of state legislators was charged with recommending ways to improve public education funding in Illinois, which has remained unchanged since 1997. The result of the task force was the creation of SB16.

For more information about SB16, including how to complete a “Witness Slip,” please visit:

· www.csd99.org/sb16 (District 99)

· woodridge68.org/pages/Woodridge68/News/SB16 (District 68)

· www.dg58.org/sb16 (District 58)