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Governor's Opposed To School Funding Constitutional Guarantee

At East Alton-Wood River High School, as well in schools across the state, the measurement of academic improvement is based on a single test given over two days once a year. “It’s silly to measure a school’s performance by that,” says the Superintendent.
WUIS/Illinois Issues

Yet again, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Governor Bruce Rauner are at odds. This time, over a constitutional amendment introduced by the Speaker. It may not matter -- the plan is dead if it doesn't advance Wednesday.

Above all else, Gov. Rauner, a Republican, says education comes first.

But apparently, he doesn't want to secure that with a constitutional guarantee.

His political foe, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan wants the constitution to say adequate education funding is a fundamental right.

Rauner isn't on board.

"We have a constitutional requirement to have a balanced budget," Rauner said. "I don't know that our General Assembly has ever paid any attention to that constitutional requirement. And now to add other requirements that will get ignored?”

A spokesman for Speaker Madigan says the governor's shown education isn't a priority, given that last summer he vetoed all funding for colleges and universities. Higher ed went without state support for roughly ten months.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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