Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham | Photo Courtesy of Blaine Wilhour
Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham | Photo Courtesy of Blaine Wilhour
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, is taking aim at the Illinois House Appropriations Committee for its request this week of an additional $350 million in state funding for schools.
According to an Advantagenews.com report, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) members met with the appropriations panel on Friday to seek the additional funds, which would be earmarked for the Evidence-Based Funding formula to help it meet its goal of achieving 90% adequacy for schools over the next decade.
"It seems like oftentimes we define success on how much money we spend and we are spending a record amount of money on education in Illinois," Wilhour told the website. "Across the state, $16,000 per student, which is much, much higher than a lot of states, and our numbers are not much better at all."
Advantagenews.com also noted in its report that of more than $5 billion in pandemic relief tax funds, ISBE secured $480.2 million and more than 850 schools across the state directly received a total of $4.5 billion in pandemic relief money.
According to the report, the money the ISBE already has received is raising eyebrows among some lawmakers. State Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood, told the news website that the ISBE should spend the funds it already has received before it seeks additional funding.
Advantagenews.com cited a report by Wirepoints that detailed how 53 schools have no students able to complete math at their grade level and 30 schools where no student can read at their own grade level.
Moreover, the report cited also noted the ISBE also found that of the state’s 3,547 schools, 185 have only one of 10 students able to read at their grade level.
According to the news outlet, Pritzker’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year has earmarked $506 million for K-12 education.
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