School Funding

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…

The Illinois Senate has approved a new system for funding schools that will reduce large disparities between wealthy and poor districts.Legislators voted…

The Illinois Senate on Tuesday is expected to take up a school funding overhaul that will increase aid to all of the state's more than 800…

Illinois legislative leaders say they're still working out final details of a plan to fund the state's public schools.Bipartisan leaders have been meeting…