Allen Skillicorn of East Dundee, the Republican candidate in House District 66, said he is opposed to school funding reform efforts, such as state Sen. Andy Manar’s (D-Bunker Hill) SB231, which would take funding away from local school districts and send the money to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
"Part of the reason I am running for office is because I want every child in Illinois to have access to a quality education, regardless of their parents’ income and ZIP code," Skillicorn said. "When I look around this state, it is very clear that just isn’t happening."
The bill's intent is to equalize funding for school districts across the state. CPS funding per child, however, was already higher than many school districts in the state, and CPS spent $15,120 per student in the 2015-2016 school year. Most McHenry County school districts, such as Crystal Lake's, would see a significant drop in funding under the legislation.
Skillicorn said he continues to oppose funding changes that could affect students in District 66 adversely. He also opposes property tax hikes to fill the gap in school funding.
"We need to reform the state’s school funding formula away from property taxes, but remain revenue neutral, with no hidden tax hikes," Skillicorn said. "The plans being discussed in Springfield, like Senator Manar’s SB231, take away millions (of dollars) of state aid from the school districts in Algonquin, Huntley and Crystal Lake. SB231 robs 51 percent of state funding from Crystal Lake (School) District 47. This is unacceptable."
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