SE Illinois News

On May 15, hundreds of members from the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) took a taxpayer-funded day off to rally at the Capitol, demanding an additional $1 billion in state funding for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The move was criticized by some as hypocritical, given that the union's members were absent from their classrooms, causing the district to hire substitute teachers at significant cost to taxpayers. Additionally, salaries were still paid to CTU members who made the trip to Springfield.

Republican lawmakers held a press conference in response to this demonstration, emphasizing the unique funding CPS receives that is not accessible to other schools in Illinois facing more severe financial challenges.

Under the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) model, school districts are categorized into a four-tier system. Tier One districts are those with the greatest need for new state funding for adequate student education. Since the implementation of this funding formula and with added state support, CPS has already advanced to Tier 2.

Senator Fowler pointed out that CPS has received a disproportionate share of state education resources for many years through special carve-outs and unique grants. These include hundreds of millions from the Chicago Block Grant that was incorporated into the CPS base as part of the formula.

The Republican lawmakers also highlighted that in a financially strained year for Illinois, demands made by Chicago's Mayor and CTU members appear insensitive to fiscal realities faced by Illinois while drafting its Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Members of the Senate Republican Caucus pledged their continued support for taxpayers and equal funding for schools throughout Illinois.