school funding

An education funding overhaul failed in the Illinois House, leaving money for more than 800 districts uncertain.

The legislation filed Monday provides a tax credit worth 75 percent of a taxpayer's annual contributions to a scholarship fund, with a maximum credit of $1 million annually. The money may be donated to a specific school, but not to a specific student. 

Students receiving the scholarships must have a total household income of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. 

Teacher unions oppose the tax credit.  

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said it's likely she will have to skip another payment to the state’s public school districts as the result of a political fight between Democrats in the legislature and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Mendoza said schools are expecting another payment from the state on Sunday.

"Every single child across the state of Illinois is being attacked right now because of nonsensical politics at play from Governor Rauner," Mendoza said.

Schools are not receiving state money while elected officials debate how best to distribute state money.

The Illinois State Senate spent Sunday in session, where Senators voted 38 to 19 to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's amendatory veto of the new school funding bill.

The override wasn't a surprise, because this new evidence-based funding plan originally had cleared the Senate with a veto-proof majority. The House, however, represents a higher hurdle, where Democrats will need Republicans to vote with them. That vote is scheduled Wednesday.

Sen. Andy Manar, the Bunker Hill Democrat who sponsored the measure, says he'd rather negotiate a compromise.

Nearly 1,000 Chicago Public Schools employees — including 356 teachers — are getting pink slips due to projected decreases in student enrollment and program changes, the district announced on Monday.

CPS said this is the lowest number of teacher layoffs in a decade. High schools, which are seeing the greatest enrollment declines in the district, are the hardest hit. High schools will lose 466 support staff and 116 teachers. Historically, 60 percent of laid off teachers are rehired elsewhere in the district, CPS said.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner Tuesday vetoed significant portions of legislation that would overhaul the way Illinois funds public schools.  

Much of the legislation has bipartisan support, but the governor took issue with Democratic provisions meant to help Chicago Public Schools.

"This isn't a bailout, this is wonderful for everybody, this... No, that is false! The numbers that I've put out and the numbers that I'm traveling the state every day is the truth," Rauner said. 

The fact-checking group Politifact Illinois today said Rauner’s assessment is “false."