School Funding

From Bloomington-Normal’s mayors to political parties and local unions, those with the power to influence votes on the Unit 5 referendum are starting to form their own opinions about it.

After a paltry turnout for a Unit 5-hosted information session on the tax referendum before voters in November, district leaders are hopeful the next two bring more participants. The school district is asking voters to approve an increase in the education fund tax rate, that if approved, could bring in an additional $20.5 million in property tax revenue.

Five years later, huge disparities still exist among districts, both in funding and academic performance, but lawmakers from both parties who were part of negotiating the new law say it has provided huge benefits, especially to those schools that were most underfunded.

Unit 5 is facing a deficit — a big one that has been growing for years. The district is deep into a public engagement process, gathering opinions on how to deal with the structural budget problem and building public awareness of a potential referendum to address the issue.

The expiring Rivian tax breaks and Uptown TIF district, plus rising home values, will produce more tax money for Unit 5 schools. But none of the three factors will create enough new revenue to meaningfully address the district's budget deficit.

The sales pitch that Unit 5 leaders hope to make to taxpayers later this year began to take shape Monday, as district officials sketched out the need for…

The Unit 5 school board that will be elected this spring will face some unpleasant policy choices.The district can lay off more than 120 teachers and cut…

One of the biggest changes Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed in Wednesday's budget address is making local school districts bear the costs of teacher…

There has been another high-level departure from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration.This time it’s his top education adviser, Beth Purvis, who will step…

A wide-reaching overhaul of the way Illinois funds schools has been signed into law.Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the measure Thursday at a Chicago school. He…