Unit 40, Area Districts Among Those Supporting Immediate Passage of State Budget

Effingham Unit #40 Superintendent Mark Doan has joined more than 390 school chiefs from across the state, representing 1.3 million students, in calling for the Illinois General Assembly to immediately pass a state budget. The grassroots initiative, called “Pass Illinois’ Budget!,” also urges lawmakers and the Governor to improve the state’s education funding formula, and pay school districts millions of dollars owed in unpaid bills this year.

(MARK DOAN)

As legislators return to Springfield following spring break, school districts are using school marquees to share their frustration with the state budget crisis and taking to social media with a call to #PassILBudget. The state now owes Effingham Unit #40 more than one million dollars, and has been operating without a full budget for the past 22 months.

“I stand with more than 390 superintendents from across the state in a call for action,” said Superintendent Mark Doan. “We need to end the impasse now and move forward with a budget that will serve the two million K-12 Illinois public school students who represent our future.”

The superintendents are calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:

• Immediately, and with bipartisan support, end the state budget impasse.
• Improve the state’s education funding formula and invest in students and schools, including higher education, throughout the state.
• Pay school districts what they are owed this year.

While K-12 education has benefited from a partially-funded state budget, Illinois schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. Districts will continue to struggle if Mandated Categoricals, state payments which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year.

State revenue accounts for about 26 percent of Effingham Unit #40’s budget. The General State Aid payments, which support general operating expenses, are being paid on time, however, the categorical payments are not. Effingham Unit #40 had not received any categorical payments this year with the exception of one late quarter payment from last fiscal year. That changed with receipt of a payment in the past few days, but the State is still plenty tardy on its payments as far as categoricals.

The 394 participating superintendents represent 65 percent of Illinois’ public school students from Carbondale to Chicago to Rockford.

Other districts supporting the initiative are North Clay, St. Elmo, Flora, Mattoon, Olney, Cumberland, Beecher City, Stewardson-Strasburg, Shelbyville, Neoga, Dieterich, Brownstown, Teutopolis, Altamont, South Central, Windsor, Charleston and Ramsey.