SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Federation of Teachers is calling on the governor and state lawmakers to fully fund education commitments in the next budget.
Union members say K-12 schools, community colleges and public universities are currently underfunded and cuts from the Trump administration have made the situation worse.
The group is pushing for a billionaires tax this year to generate more revenue for the state, as they argue the evidence-based funding model is not providing enough money for K-12 schools.
"Illinois owes our students over $6 billion," said IFT Executive Vice President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm. "This is not just in one part of the state. This is urban, suburban and rural. Our governor needs to deliver on the funds that have been promised and we have not yet received."
Sponsors believe a billionaire wealth tax could generate $840 million for Illinois. However, some lawmakers believe schools across the state have received millions of dollars in new revenue from the state.
Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) helped negotiate the evidence-based funding model with former senator and current Deputy Governor Andy Manar.
"They can make their case, but we also need to point out that there's only so much that goes around," Rezin said. "We want to make sure that you have enough to work and provide a good education, but our schools have received a significant amount of funding in the past several years."
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