Education and Property Taxes

Yes, Illinois is one of those states in which property taxes largely fund public schools and the state does far less than the local government bodies. Part of that process could change relative to local schools having the chance to reduce their property taxes.

The last part of the equation which deals with the state doing a larger share of the funding of schools remains a mystery.

Here's the skinny. The new education bill, recently passed, says that school districts must meet an 'adequacy target.' What that term means is this...it is the dollar amount needed to generate a quality education. And it shouldn't be lost on anyone concerning this point. Who should determine what constitutes a quality education? Should it be left to the states or local governing bodies?

That my friends, before I get into the nuts and bolts of the manner in which districts can reduce property taxes and therefore spend less on public schools, ought to be a question that gets far more attention than has thus far been the case.

From my viewpoint there ought to be a base threshold that the state sets and if local public school districts want to spend more, beyond that threshold, on public education why should they be denied!!

Tomorrow, as I mentioned, I'll get into the mechanics of how the new law may have some deep and far reaching consequences relative to the programs offered.

Dick