State Rep. Kate Cloonen (D-District 79) joined a Chicago-led coalition in Springfield pushing to raise income taxes, and require suburban and downstate taxpayers to dramatically increase their subsidies to prop up Chicago’s insolvent public school system.
The measures were part of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s (D-District 22) proposed budget for this year, which proposes Illinois State Government spend nearly $40 billion.
The Illinois Office of Management and Budget estimates state tax revenues this year will be just $32.6 billion, leaving a $7 billion deficit that Madigan hopes to fund with income tax hikes and, if markets allow it, more borrowing.
Cloonen voted for the Madigan budget, which passed 63-53, led by nearly unanimous support from the 31-member Chicago House delegation.
In 2015, Chicago’s Public Schools (CPS) spent considerably more -- and received considerably more from state taxpayers -- than most Kankakee-area school districts.
CPS spent $15,120 per pupil, 51 percent of which ($7,651) came from state and federal taxpayers. The bailout will increase non-local taxpayers’ subsidy to Chicago by approximately $1,000 per student, to nearly $9,000 per student.
In contrast, that’s 365 percent more than Bradley District 61, which received just $1,646 per pupil in non-local taxpayer subsidy last year.
Kankakee-Area School Spending vs. Chicago
| Total Spent | % local | % subsidy | $ subsidy | vs. Chicago | % difference | |
| Pembroke CCSD 259/Hopkins Park | $11,639 | 13% | 87% | $10,103 | -$2,452 | -24.27% |
| Kankakee 111 | $12,200 | 30% | 70% | $8,503 | -$852 | -10.02% |
| Chicago 299 | $15,120 | 49% | 51% | $7,651 | ||
| St. Anne CHSD 302 | $14,397 | 52% | 48% | $6,882 | $769 | 11.17% |
| St. Anne CCSD 256 | $10,115 | 43% | 57% | $5,816 | $1,835 | 31.55% |
| Momence 1 | $9,313 | 49% | 51% | $4,778 | $2,873 | 60.13% |
| Manteno 5 | $10,115 | 58% | 42% | $4,258 | $3,393 | 79.69% |
| Bourbonnais 53 | $9,165 | 64% | 36% | $3,345 | $4,306 | 128.73% |
| St. George CCSD 258/Bourbonnais | $7,800 | 59% | 41% | $3,198 | $4,453 | 139.24% |
| Herscher CUSD 2 | $10,421 | 71% | 29% | $3,001 | $4,650 | 154.95% |
| Bradley Bourbonnais 307 | $9,200 | 70% | 31% | $2,806 | $4,845 | 172.67% |
| Grant Park CUSD 6 | $10,529 | 78% | 23% | $2,369 | $5,282 | 222.96% |
| Bradley 61 | $9,855 | 53% | 47% | $1,646 | $6,005 | 364.82% |
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