Post by title1parent on Feb 6, 2009 6:20:38 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1416492,6_1_NA06_KIDSCOUNT_S1.article
Study shows growing education gap
Group says low property value areas suffer in DuPage Co.
February 6, 2009
By PAIGE WINFIELD pwinfield@scn1.com
Expanding income gaps between rich and poor students in Illinois is the emphasis of a study announced Thursday morning at the DuPage County complex in Wheaton by a nonprofit named Voices for Illinois Children.
The study said schools are filled with more students who don't speak English as their primary language, there are great inequalities between school districts with high and low property values and that test scores and graduation rates show "notable disparities."
Voices publishes a study each year that reports on a specific area of well being for children in Illinois. This year's report is intended to highlight the educational well being of students, serving as a guide for policy makers, said Project Director Melissa Baker.
"It's an issue that we've been working on for many years," said Baker, adding that the organization has focused especially on preschool-age children in the past. "We wanted to look more (this year) at students of all ages. We knew with the change in demographics, that would have a big impact on the education system."
Depending on area property values, funding levels in schools vary from more than $20,000 to less than $7,500 per student, according to the study. In 2006, the state share of education funding was 32 percent, lower than the U.S. average of 47 percent and the second lowest among the 50 states.
Jeanna Capito, executive director of Positive Parenting in DuPage, said she sees the largest discrepancies in low-income pockets of the county where family services and schools are overburdened and under-funded.
"The organizations that we have are disproportionately funded," Capito said. "Those that are in the higher-need areas need to be better funded, (and) it's the same in the school districts."
The issue of how to pay for schools is a contentious one for state lawmakers, who debated over a "tax swap" last year that would direct fewer property taxes and more state funding to schools. DuPage legislators have opposed the idea, saying the proposal would simply transfer money from suburban schools to Cook County schools in lower-income areas.
Capito said while she understands the concerns of DuPage residents, lower-income families and school districts need adequate financial support as well.
"You can understand their point in being concerned, but ... we do need to make sure we have the funding going into our schools and the programs that will support our families in the long run," she said.
Voices supports increasing tax credits and exemptions for families, especially those in low-income brackets, and wants the state to create a child tax credit. Raising income taxes would help pay for the tax breaks, according to the group's Web site.
The group also calls for tens of millions more in funding for state programs like the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership, Healthy Families Illinois and Parent Too Soon.
But those goals may be miles away from realization, with an announcement Thursday by Comptroller Dan Hynes. Hynes reported that the state is facing a budget deficit of nearly $9 billion -- almost twice as bad as previously thought.
Study shows growing education gap
Group says low property value areas suffer in DuPage Co.
February 6, 2009
By PAIGE WINFIELD pwinfield@scn1.com
Expanding income gaps between rich and poor students in Illinois is the emphasis of a study announced Thursday morning at the DuPage County complex in Wheaton by a nonprofit named Voices for Illinois Children.
The study said schools are filled with more students who don't speak English as their primary language, there are great inequalities between school districts with high and low property values and that test scores and graduation rates show "notable disparities."
Voices publishes a study each year that reports on a specific area of well being for children in Illinois. This year's report is intended to highlight the educational well being of students, serving as a guide for policy makers, said Project Director Melissa Baker.
"It's an issue that we've been working on for many years," said Baker, adding that the organization has focused especially on preschool-age children in the past. "We wanted to look more (this year) at students of all ages. We knew with the change in demographics, that would have a big impact on the education system."
Depending on area property values, funding levels in schools vary from more than $20,000 to less than $7,500 per student, according to the study. In 2006, the state share of education funding was 32 percent, lower than the U.S. average of 47 percent and the second lowest among the 50 states.
Jeanna Capito, executive director of Positive Parenting in DuPage, said she sees the largest discrepancies in low-income pockets of the county where family services and schools are overburdened and under-funded.
"The organizations that we have are disproportionately funded," Capito said. "Those that are in the higher-need areas need to be better funded, (and) it's the same in the school districts."
The issue of how to pay for schools is a contentious one for state lawmakers, who debated over a "tax swap" last year that would direct fewer property taxes and more state funding to schools. DuPage legislators have opposed the idea, saying the proposal would simply transfer money from suburban schools to Cook County schools in lower-income areas.
Capito said while she understands the concerns of DuPage residents, lower-income families and school districts need adequate financial support as well.
"You can understand their point in being concerned, but ... we do need to make sure we have the funding going into our schools and the programs that will support our families in the long run," she said.
Voices supports increasing tax credits and exemptions for families, especially those in low-income brackets, and wants the state to create a child tax credit. Raising income taxes would help pay for the tax breaks, according to the group's Web site.
The group also calls for tens of millions more in funding for state programs like the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership, Healthy Families Illinois and Parent Too Soon.
But those goals may be miles away from realization, with an announcement Thursday by Comptroller Dan Hynes. Hynes reported that the state is facing a budget deficit of nearly $9 billion -- almost twice as bad as previously thought.