Chicago Urban League Plan Would Revamp Ill. Funding
The Chicago Urban League has proposed a plan to reshape school funding in Illinois to correct inequalities in funding between districts.
In a speech last month, James Compton, the president of the city’s Urban League, recommended increases in per-pupil spending statewide and called for tapping new revenue sources, including a statewide property tax that would replace local property taxes.
“Some children receive five times more educational resources than others,” Mr. Compton said. “And it all simply depends on whether you are born in a rich or poor community.”
Poor districts in Illinois have challenged the state’s finance system in court, but the case has been repeatedly dismissed, and state lawmakers have avoided the issue.
