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NIU Professor Calls The New Education Funding Overhaul Bill A 'Win' For Illinois Children

NIU

A Northern Illinois University expert on education says the state’s new school funding reform bill marks a paradigm shift in how Illinois treats public schools.

Dr. Kristine Kiracofe is Professor of Educational Administration at NIU. She says the funding reform bill is a really significant change. It means Illinois will no longer have one of the most -- if not the most -- regressive system of education funding in the country. 

“Some people are literally calling this perhaps the most historic bill that the General Assembly’s acting on in recent history,” she said.  “Districts that historically have not been funded as well, stand to gain a significant increase in funding.”

Kiracofe said that’s because of what’s at the bill’s core: an evidence-based model that looks at each district’s particular situation.

“It adds up the cost of everything,” she said, “and creates what’s sort of an adequacy target. And the state money that the school receives will be based on this adequacy target. That’s the real win, I think, for children in Illinois.”

But, Kiracofe said, poor districts aren’t the only ones that will be affected.  A provision in the bill allowing for property tax relief could have a significant impact on more wealthy districts.  And reductions in some unfunded mandates will affect everyone.  

Kiracofe said that, while there are questions about the impact of some items in the bill, as well as how it will be implemented, it remains a big step toward addressing the huge disparities in funding among Illinois schools.

Guy Stephens produces news stories for the station, and coordinates our online events calendar, PSAs and Arts Calendar announcements. In each of these ways, Guy helps keep our listening community informed about what's going on, whether on a national or local level. Guy's degrees are in music, and he spent a number of years as a classical host on WNIU. In fact, after nearly 20 years with Northern Public Radio, the best description of his job may be "other duties as required."