Meanwhile Back in Reality: A Recap of Illinois Education Reform

Those who have been following my blogs know I have been
focusing exclusively on Governor Pat Quinn, Speaker Michael Madigan, and the General Assembly’s attempts to absolve the state from various financial obligations to our education system.

The quality of our local public education system is the
foundation of our communities. The quality of local schools is a major factor
in housing values.

A recap of what Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan, and the General Assembly wants to push on local property taxpayers:

*State portion of Teacher’s Retirement System (TRS) payments.                    

This will cost local school Districts, 135, 140, 146, and 230, a combined $24 million in the first year alone. These costs will have to come directly out of the classroom for the first year. This will likely cause class sizes to grow, test scores to fall, property taxes to rise, property values to plummet, foreclosures to skyrocket, and jobs will be lost.

*State reimbursement for state mandated transportation costs.                   

Again, the burden of this misguided policy will ultimately fall on the local property taxpayer. The state mandates certain bus routes and now wants to tell districts which bus routes to run without paying for these mandates. The cost of this policy will be $500,000 annually to District 146 alone. Districts 135 and 230 will see additional costs in the millions.

*Giving banks one year tax holiday on foreclosed properties.                    

Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan and the General Assembly want another bank bailout in the form of allowing the banks not to pay the property taxes on foreclosed properties for one year. This proposal will cost District 146 in upwards of $70,000 alone. It may not sound like much money but it will pay for a teacher and a half. Again, the costs to Districts 135 and 230 will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan, and the General Assembly claim these draconian measures are necessary to cure the state’s fiscal woes they created. However, the Governor and Speaker have their creditability undermined on this, and many issues, by their curious fiscal decisions:

*Despite budget deficits of historic proportions, Governor Quinn and Speaker Madigan are proposing overall state spending be increased.
Beyond belief, yet true.

*As fiscal disaster looms, Governor Quinn and Speaker Madigan still have not abolished the corrupt practice of legislators granting tuition
waivers for state universities to the children of political supporters.

There is a solution, and it rests with us.

We, the homeowners, parents, and residents of the Southland must contact our state representatives; the newly appointed Chuck Kreswick (D-Orland Park), Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox), Robert Rita (D-Blue Island); our state senators; Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) and Christine Radagno (R-LaGrange) and insist they oppose these damaging proposals. These issues will be brought up during the Legislature’s spring session, so time is of the essence.

Also, candidates were nominated in the March 20th primary for the Legislature. These candidates will be asking for your vote and will promise many things to get that vote. Insist they take a position on these issues and make sure they are aware your vote hinges on their answer. They can go a long way in securing your vote by adding their comment to this blog below. Contact the candidates and have them respond to these issues. The time for pressure is now.   

To that end, District 146 will be hosting a School Funding Crisis Summit for all school board members, superintendents, and union presidents on Wednesday, April 11th 6:30pm at Central Middle School located at 181st Street & Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park. The Education Community is getting organized and this assault on children will be responded to.

Dean Casper is a member of the Community Consolidated School District 146 Board of Education and has been a volunteer in education since 1988.