It is time to talk to the Governor about education funding

March 4, 2010

Governor Quinn posted his proposed budget online last week and requested letters of response as to how the budget might be adjusted and the fiscal situation in the state addressed.

Governor Quinn's budget contains a 15 percent across-the-board reduction in education funding. As District 308 superintendent, I constructed the following letter that outlines my thoughts on how to address the budget problem. I believe it contains the seeds to sow a solid financial future for our state and our students. That can't happen without all of us putting something on the table from which a solid, sustainable recovery will begin, and which will serve as a solid economic base for us to build on going forward. We all must be willing to contribute to the solution.

Governor Quinn,

I am writing in response to your request for comments on the proposed state budget. I am the Superintendent of the Oswego Community Unit School District 308 serving the Village of Oswego and portions of Montgomery, Aurora, Plainfield, Boulder Hill, Joliet, and Yorkville. We serve 16,200 children in our schools and employ more than 1,600 teachers, administrators and support staff.

You requested input on how to solve the state’s fiscal problems. I have three suggestions as to how that might be accomplished. They are:

• Reform the pension system
• Reduce expenditures across the budget by a reasonable amount
• Reform the tax system in a fair and equitable manner

I would encourage you and the legislature to work together in a bipartisan effort to accomplish this task in a fair and balanced way for all citizens of Illinois. I would make the following general suggestions for each of the three areas listed above.

To reform the pension system, first pass legislation that prohibits borrowing from the system by any individual or governmental body. Second, increase contribution levels gradually over the next few years for both employees and employers. Finally, extend the retirement eligibility as recommended by an independent actuarial study until the system is again stable and self sustaining.

To reduce expenditures, the state should roll back spending by an average of 7.2 percent to 2007 levels as recommended by The Civic Federation of Chicago. I would also recommend that the reduction for education be no more than 5 percent, rather than the 15 percent you suggested. The 5 percent reduction will be bad enough—limiting educational opportunities for children across the state and putting thousands of teachers, support staff and administrators out of work. The 15 percent you propose would be devastating and have a negative impact on the education of our children for years.

To increase revenue, form a bipartisan task force to address individual, corporate, and sales tax rates to rebuild our tax system into one that is fair and progressive. The system should also limit the impact to businesses, and provide some incentive for business and job creation to increase state revenue.

It is time to put aside partisan politics and political gamesmanship and exhibit the leadership that you and the legislators were elected to provide. The children and citizens of Illinois deserve your best efforts to resolve these fiscal problems, not more of the same tired rhetoric and inaction that led to this unprecedented problem.

Sincerely,                         
Dr. Dan O’Donnell     
Superintendent of Oswego CUSD 308