McHenry Times

Conservative House candidate Allen Skillicorn (66th House District) is calling out Illinois politicians for advancing an education funding bill that would change the school funding formula and funnel more money toward schools in Chicago.

Earlier this month, Skillicorn posed a question on his Facebook page regarding State Sen. Andy Manar’s (D-Bunker Hill) proposal to shift money from the wealthier districts to poorer ones.

“Springfield politicians are pushing SB 231, a bailout package for Chicago Public Schools that will cost School District 300 $2,383,447.01 in lost education funds,” Skillicorn wrote on May 6. “Do you agree we should not be robbing our kids' schools to pay for Chicago's failures?”

Skillicorn took to his website to state that he opposes Manar’s bill.

“I am committed to protecting the quality of schools in our community so our children continue to get an excellent education,” he wrote. “As the Republican nominee for State Representative, I will oppose any effort to undercut the quality of our schools, and force us to bailout Chicago because they have failed to do their job.”

An analysis of Manar’s bill by the Illinois State Board of Education revealed that schools in McHenry County's District 300 would lose $2,383,447.01; schools in District 155, $2,086,089.01; District 158, $3,326,799.10; and District 47, $4,726,667.91.

The average amount spent on students in Chicago exceeds $14,000, yet only 20 percent of students graduating from the Chicago public school system in the next four years will be “college ready,” Skillicorn wrote. So taking money away from other districts and spending it on a district that is not performing well is wrong, Skillicorn said.

“This is exactly the kind of Springfield math that has bankrupted our state and caused so many families to flee Illinois,” he said. “It demonstrates how out of touch the political class is with our lives. I am going to Springfield to protect our community. To protect your quality of life and protect the investment you’ve made in our community.”

Instead of bailing out Chicago, Skillicorn said education systems in Illinois need reform to make sure every child receives a world-class education. This can be achieved by allowing parents to choose which school is best for their child, and by investing in students rather than bureaucracy, he added.

“(People) are leaving because we are being disrespected by a political class that sees us as a piggy bank to extract money from, not families to protect and empower," Skillicorn wrote, "For decades, the politicians in Springfield have refused to pass reforms and have been making promises they know they cannot keep."