Joliet Township High School District 204 Superintendent Dr. Cheryl McCarthy joins more than 380 school chiefs from across the state, representing 1.3 million students, in calling for the Illinois General Assembly to immediately pass a state budget. The grassroots initiative, called “Pass Illinois’ Budget!”, also urges lawmakers and the Governor to improve the state’s education funding formula, and pay school districts millions of dollars owed in unpaid bills this year.
As legislators return to Springfield following spring break, school districts are using school marquees to share their frustration with the state budget crisis and taking to social media with a call to #PassILBudget. The state now owes Joliet Township High School District 204 a total of $2,593,148 and counting, and has been operating without a full budget for the past 22 months.
“I wholeheartedly support this call to action,” said McCarthy. “All state funded service agencies, including Illinois public schools, have suffered the consequences of Illinois’ financial problems over the past couple decades. It is time for us to stand up and demand that the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor work together to do their jobs and pass a state budget.”
The superintendents are calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:
Immediately, and with bipartisan support, end the state budget impasse.
Improve the state’s education funding formula and invest in students and schools, including higher education, throughout the state.
Pay school districts what they are owed this year.
While K-12 education has benefited from a partially-funded state budget, Illinois schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. Districts will continue to struggle if Mandated Categoricals, state payments which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year.
State revenue accounts for about 14.7 percent of Joliet Township High School’s budget. The General State Aid payments, which support general operating expenses, are being paid on time, however, the categorical payments are not. Joliet Township High School District 204 has not received any categorical payments this year with the exception of one late quarter payment from last fiscal year.