The plight of Illinois' public education

DOUGLAS L. WHITLEY

The single most important public policy issue facing Illinois' citizens and politicians is school finance. Despite all that has occurred to promote and improve public education in this state since 1985, a candid assessment must conclude that there has been no dramatic progress in fiscal affairs.

Even so, the state's income tax should not be raised until political leaders and school officials acknowledge that the state's current school finance system is fundamentally flawed, and they are prepared to do something about it.

The funding inequities among the state's school districts are far too great. It is unreasonable to believe that students enjoy equal educational opportunities when one school district spends $11,000 per student and another only $2,100. Yet many educators continue to argue that progress can be achieved simply by raising the state income tax rate and providing the new dollars to our schools through the existing mechanisms. Such a view suggests that educational progress in Illinois can be measured by the total number of dollars invested regardless of how the revenue is spent. Such a view only perpetuates long-held, parochial interests in a funding structure that should be scrapped.

It is time for the leaders of this state to acknowledge that the proper standard for public education is the secure future of all children and not that of a few privileged schools. While the state's financial commitment to public schools may be woefully deficient, there are dozens of school districts in Illinois that are extremely secure financially. These communities are fortunate to have the benefit of high property values and citizens who have exhibited an uninhibited willingness to accept more local taxes. Other communities are not so fortunate, and the gap between these rich and poor communities is widening.

For almost two decades, Illinois public policy on school financing has emphasized increased local tax effort: first via the state school aid formula and later by a reduced commitment on the part of the governor and General Assembly that eroded education's portion of the budget. The consequence has been increased stress on local real estate taxpayers and a growing resistance to property taxation in general.

For the same two decades, there has been a dispute over the state's share of funding to local schools. The 1970 Illinois Constitution does not say that the state must provide more than half the dollars spent on public schools, but that is exactly the interpretation more and more citizens desire. It is impractical, however, to expect the state to make a commitment to fund half the costs of local schools without a reduction in the statutory tax rate power of school districts and a limit on their ability to raise taxes by referendum. As long as there is a free-floating local tax rate option, the state's ability to match local funding will be a continual struggle with both policy and political overtones.

Limiting local tax power, however, challenges the very foundation of Illinois' historical commitment to local governmental independence, local tax diversity and community self-reliance. No state has more local governments, and few have a greater reliance on local tax revenues than does Illinois. Yet where schools are concerned, it is time for Statehouse leadership to take control of funding responsibilities and time for the schools to abdicate autonomy in local funding.

School districts put the major burden on property taxpayers, and the increasing resentment associated with this tax burden may be explained in part by a simple review of demographics. The state's population growth is not robust, school enrollments have declined, the population is aging, and an overwhelming number of adults do not have children in the public school system.

In rural Illinois, where farmland accounts for more than half of the tax base, the reduction in the number of farm families and decreases in farm income are developments that encourage a shift from local to state funding. Many small, rural communites are slowly recognizing that educational costs are rising while their tax base is declining. The tax bite on the citizens will have to increase just to maintain their schools.

At the same time, statistics suggest that citizens in many rural counties are naive both about their residential property tax burden and what it costs to maintain a quality public school system. Many downstate taxpayers think they are overburdened by school taxes when in fact they are not, and their desire to preserve an educational experience that remains similar to that which the parents knew 30 years ago is not good enough.

May 1989 | Illinois Issues | 36

Demographics reveal another painful reality: Illinois continues to maintain too many small school districts, especially at the high school level. Many high schools have enrollments that are too low to offer much curriculum choice to their students. As these districts suffer financial erosion, so do their curricula to the point where accreditation is jeopardized. It's the students that suffer, Illinois now supports more school districts than any other state except California and Texas, both of which have more square miles and people. To encourage district consolidation and reconfiguration, there must be financial incentives if only for high schools with less than 400-500 students.

Illinois citizens are still looking for signs of efficiency in school finances. School administrators are used to responding to demands of parents and teachers, but fiscal realities suggest that administrators should reassess their true constituency: Taxpayers who do not have children in school but are paying the bills have expectations as well. It is not appropriate for taxpayers to provide more resources for continued inefficient operation that permits school managers to avoid difficult local decisions such as closing buildings and reducing employment.

Academic offerings, curriculum standards, extra-curricular activities, the number of hours taught in a school day and the quality of school facilities and faculty are serious concerns. One must ask, "How do we raise parent and community expectations for quality educational experiences, when often the individuals least willing to accept change and accountability are school officials themselves?"

Those who favor the status quo in school finance do not deserve any significant boost in state revenues.

It's going to take political courage for Illinois to move away from the "printout" politics of school finance where the only question asked is: "Will my school district get more or less money next year from any proposed changes in school funding?" We must find a way to elevate this debate on education finance where the legitimate question is: "Is this a sound investment in human terms — in children's futures and ours?"

Douglas L. Whitley is president of the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois.

May 1989 | Illinois Issues | 37