What is the Metropolitan Community Project?

The Justice Summit: October 11th, 2015

What is the Metropolitan Community Project?

What is the Metropolitan Community Project?

What is the Metropolitan Community Project?

Illinois State Constitution

• A fundamental goal of the People of the State is the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities.

• The State shall provide for an efficient system of high quality public educational institutions and services.

• The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.

How are Illinois schools funded?

School Spending per student, per year

New Trier Township H.S.

$21,372

CPS high schools

$13,791

Courses / Academic Programs /

Extracurriculars

What do the differences in school funding mean?

Strong Teaching / Leadership /

Support Staff /Services

What do the differences in school funding mean?

What do the differences in school funding mean?

School facilities:Physical environment /

Type and designof facilities

What do the differences in school funding mean?

Technology / Instructional materials

Where does the money come from?

So how do we end up with theseextreme differences in school funding?

Property Taxes

Winnetka ● Higher property values ● More $ raised through

school property taxes.

Logan Square● Lower property values● Less $ raised through

school property taxes.

Lower-income areas often havehigher school property tax rates,

but less school funding.

New Trier H.S. District

1.67% school

tax rate/ $100

Chicago Public Schools

2.58% school

tax rate / $100

Illinois Ranks Near the Bottom(47th place) in STATE Contributionto K-12 Public Education Funding

• Illinois sets a “foundation level” for school funding.

• The state guarantees that a school’s funds will not fall below this level…

Guess how much it is?

$6,119

Remember that New Trier spendsover $21,000 per student per year

What could fix disparities in school funding?

Some ideas…• Raise the state’s foundation level for

school funding• Make school funding less reliant on

property taxes

• Implement a progressive state income tax• Implement a “needs-based” funding

system

Who could fix disparities in school funding?

Who could fix disparities in school funding?

The State Legislature

SB001: School Funding Reform Act 2015

No additional state money for education

• Illinois ranks 47 out of 50 in the portion of education funded by the state

• Estimated $5 billion short in adequate education funding

• SB1 does nothing to address this shortfall

What we can do to influence the debate

• Create a “student-based” funding bill based on actual student needs

• Design and advocate for an Illinois “Student Bill of Rights”

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