Senate Bill 1 isn't a reform bill meant to change the way schools are funded: It's a bailout of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and even the school system admits it, the Illinois Republican Party contended recently.
"After months claiming that SB1 was about fixing the school funding formula, Chicago Public Schools started making the unsubstantiated argument that an amendatory veto of the bill to remove the Chicago bailout would change the 'fundamental purpose' of the legislation," the GOP said in a press release.
SB1 has passed the General Assembly but has not been sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has vowed to veto the measure as it stands. Rauner has proposed keeping some of the bill but instead of giving more than $145 million in funding for its teacher pension fund, the funds should be distributed to Illinois' other 850 school districts.
Gov. Bruce Rauner
The GOP said stalling on the bill will only keep schools from opening on time.
"It’s time Madigan Democrats in the General Assembly either send SB1 to Governor Rauner for an amendatory veto to remove the Chicago bailout, or pass true bipartisan school funding reform that excludes a multi-hundred million dollar bailout of Chicago at the expense of schools across the state," the group argued in the press release.
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