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As he heads into an election year, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing big school spending and he’s painting a rosy picture of the school system’s financial outlook. But here are five things that taxpayers, school staff, and parents should know about the budget before it is set in stone:
“The district, without a doubt, is on firmer footing than it was 18 months ago, but they’re not out of woods yet,” said Bobby Otter, budget director for the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. “When you look at the overall picture (the $7.58 budget), they’re still running a deficit. This
Thanks to a new, statewide funding formula, DeKalb School District 428 schools should see more revenue for the upcoming year.
At Tuesday’s district board meeting, Cynthia Carpenter, director of business and finance, presented a 2018-19 operating budget update. The district anticipates
Statistics show 87 of Kankakee County’s current and retired educators pulled in six figures last year, with slightly more than half of them pension recipients. In Kankakee School District 111, the county’s biggest district, 16 of the 30 current retired educators are making more than $100,000.
Illinois budget impasse came to an end nearly one year ago when lawmakers on July 6, 2017, approved a 12-month spending plan. They followed up just weeks ago with another budget approval to cover the year that starts Sunday. And while there is general agreement that having a budget is better
Illinois' African-American unemployment rate is higher than that of any other state in the nation.
And Illinois has been among the states with the highest black unemployment rate nearly every quarter since 2016.
"Nobody's been left behind more than African-American workers. And
From 2015 through 2017, 86 suburban school districts combined to pay more than $2.7 million in penalties to the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System to cover pension obligations created by raises above 6 percent given to school employees. That's according to a Daily Herald analysis of TRS
Rauner’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty is linked to gun control legislation supported by most Democratic lawmakers, including extending the waiting period for assault weapons from 24 to 72 hours. Also under consideration in the compromise deal is a ban on bump stocks for assault
After many years of struggle, it looks like momentum for progressive tax reform in Illinois is picking up. Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker, who’s mounting a strong campaign, has backed a constitutional amendment to allow a progressive income tax, under which rates would be