Kane County schools would be net winners of state funding under a bill that passed the Illinois State Senate Wednesday.
Collectively, the county's nine school districts would get approximately $27 million per year more from the state's school funding formula, a nine percent increase from their 2015 funding levels, according to an Illinois State Board of Education analysis obtained by the Kane County Reporter.
Two Kane County state Senators -- Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora)
-- voted "yes" and three -- Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove), Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles) and Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) -- voted "no" on Senate Bill 1, which passed 35-18 with three Senators voting present.
St. Charles School District 303 (76% decrease), Geneva School District 304 (74% decrease), Batavia School District 101 (48% decrease), Central School District 301 (36% decrease) and Kaneland School District 302 (32% decrease) would all be losers if Senate Bill 1 is enacted into law.
Elgin School District 46 (21% increase), Aurora West School District 129 (18% increase), Aurora East School District 131 (13% increase) and Algonquin Community Unit School District 300 (1% increase) all stand to receive more state funding from the bill.
Senate Bill 1, sponsored by State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), includes a $385 million bailout of Chicago Public Schools, which face bankruptcy due to years of deficit spending.
The state funding cuts wouldn't take effect immediately. Manar's bill also includes a temporary "hold harmless" clause that would effectively delay them for two years.
The ISBE analysis was conducted last summer, after Manar unveiled his school funding proposal. It is the last known analysis of the bill.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the legislation should it reach his desk.
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How does your district fare under the state's new proposed school funding formula?
Senate Bill 1 promises a fairer distribution of state funding to local school districts. In Kane County, it takes from some and gives to others.
Rank | District | Current State Funding | New State Funding | Change |
1 | Elgin School District 46 | $111,502,771 | $134,711,567 | 21% |
2 | Aurora West Unit School District 129 | $39,043,134 | $46,105,282 | 18% |
3 | Aurora East Unit School District 131 | $89,173,754 | $100,551,953 | 13% |
4 | Algonquin Community Unit School District 300 | $32,265,103 | $32,655,169 | 1% |
5 | Kaneland Community Unit School District 302 | $5,360,304 | $3,638,925 | -32% |
6 | Central Community Unit School District 301 | $3,472,177 | $2,226,803 | -36% |
7 | Batavia Unit School District 101 | $4,940,606 | $2,563,035 | -48% |
8 | Geneva Community Unit School District 304 | $3,715,398 | $954,427 | -74% |
9 | St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 | $9,126,947 | $2,192,278 | -76% |
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