Harmon votes for historic school funding reform measure

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) voted today in favor of legislation overhauling Illinois’ broken school funding formula and replacing it with an evidence-based model.

“We took a historic step today to reform our state’s worst-in-the-nation school funding formula,” Harmon said. “The new model will discontinue the current system of winners and losers and ensure that every student has equal access at a high-quality education.”

The measure that passed in the Senate today on a 38-13 vote is based on Senate Bill 1, which passed both Houses in May and was vetoed by the governor in July.

Under the legislation:

•    No school districts would lose funding.
•    Funding would be distributed on a per-district basis, not a per-pupil basis.
•    Initial funding would be based on FY17 disbursement levels. It would increase from that point year over year as school districts get closer to reaching their adequacy targets.
•    The Chicago Public Schools block grant would be repealed, but CPS would be held harmless like every other school district so that it would not lose funding as a result of the change.
•    $350 million in new K-12 state funding for this schoolyear would be distributed to districts using a tier system that prioritizes districts farthest from adequacy.
•    School districts and their boards will have certainty each year about how much state funding they can expect to receive, which will make budgeting easier and more effective.

The measure also includes a Republican-backed tax credit scholarship program that would award a 75-percent tax credit of up to $1 million to any taxpayer who contributes scholarship funding for students to attend private or parochial schools.

Although Harmon opposes the tax credit, he said he strongly supports the measure as a much-needed change to Illinois’ school funding formula.

“In years to come, we will know that we voted for a transformational event in Illinois education policy,” Harmon said.

Senate Bill 1947 passed both Houses and now awaits the governor’s signature.

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Harmon: Governor’s school funding plan is short-sighted

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat and president pro tempore of the Illinois Senate, issued the following statement today after voting to override the governor’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, which creates evidence-based school funding reform:

“I voted today to uphold Senate Bill 1, a tested, evidence-based plan that will fix our state’s broken education funding formula, not temporarily patch it.

The governor’s plan is short-sighted. It may promise low-income districts money in the short term, but it hides provisions that would gravely injure them in the long run, like tying funding to enrollment and counting TIF district wealth as property value.

A fundamental promise of Senate Bill 1 is that no school district loses funding. The governor’s veto is a mean-spirited attack on the nearly 400,000 students in Chicago Public Schools who stand to lose almost $500 million under the governor’s plan. I cannot support a plan that would take money from the children of Chicago to give to other districts. Senate Bill 1 remains the only plan we have that provides fair and equitable funding for all students.”

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Harmon: I am disappointed governor put politics ahead of children

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat and president pro tempore of the Illinois Senate, issued the following statement today reacting to the governor’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, which creates evidence-based school funding reform:

“Today, Gov. Rauner had the opportunity to fix the worst school funding formula in the nation. He had a chance to sign legislation that brings equality to a system that currently shortchanges the school districts that need our help the most.

“I am disappointed that the governor put politics ahead of the needs of our state’s children, but I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure they get the education they deserve.”

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Harmon talks budget at Oak Park town hall

Senator Don Harmon (D-Oark Park) hosted a town hall with Representative Camille Lilly (D-Oak Park) on Monday, June 19 to answer constituent questions about the budget process.

Harmon discussed details of the balanced budget the Senate passed on May 23, including a breakdown of the plan's spending and cuts.

The presentation Harmon shared can be viewed below.