New Report Shows Majority of State’s Students Are in Underfunded Schools

In this Aug. 10, 2017 photo, children hold signs outside Feitshans Elementary School in Springfield, Ill. at a rally for Senate Bill 1, the legislation that revamps the way public schools are funded. Gov. Bruce Rauner substantially changed SB1 with an amendatory veto. The Democratic-controlled Legislature is grappling with the Republican governor over how to fix the biggest gap in the U.S. between a state’s richest schools and its poorest.The Senate convenes Sunday, Aug. 13. Democrats say they’ll attempt to override Rauner’s veto. (AP Photo by John O’Connor)
Children hold signs outside Feitshans Elementary School in Springfield, Ill. at an Aug. 10, 2017, rally for Senate Bill 1, the legislation that revamps the way public schools are funded. John O’Connor / Associated Press
In this Aug. 10, 2017 photo, children hold signs outside Feitshans Elementary School in Springfield, Ill. at a rally for Senate Bill 1, the legislation that revamps the way public schools are funded. Gov. Bruce Rauner substantially changed SB1 with an amendatory veto. The Democratic-controlled Legislature is grappling with the Republican governor over how to fix the biggest gap in the U.S. between a state’s richest schools and its poorest.The Senate convenes Sunday, Aug. 13. Democrats say they’ll attempt to override Rauner’s veto. (AP Photo by John O’Connor)
Children hold signs outside Feitshans Elementary School in Springfield, Ill. at an Aug. 10, 2017, rally for Senate Bill 1, the legislation that revamps the way public schools are funded. John O’Connor / Associated Press

New Report Shows Majority of State’s Students Are in Underfunded Schools

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The negotiations for SB1, the school funding bill, bounced back and forth, with both sides of the aisle claiming they cared deeply about equitable funding for all schools, and a desire to shrink the wide gap between wealthy and poor school districts. Gov. Rauner signed a final version into law late last month. That’s just the beginning; a new report shows that 60 percent of the state’s students attend schools in under-funded districts so there is a lot of ground to make up to create a level playing field. We talk with WBEZ education editor Kate Grossman about the report, and how this plays out for students.