North Cook News

Jillian Bernas, the Schaumburg Republican vying for the seat held by Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumburg), said the only good thing coming out of bailing out the Chicago public school system in the newly proposed school funding is scholarships for the less fortunate.

Bernas, who garnered 44.7 percent of the vote in her 2016 race against Mussman, discussed SB1, an evidence-based funding formula that assists the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) more than other districts, with the North Cook News, saying Mussman voted for the formula and Bernas' March GOP primary opponent, Char Kegarise, admitted she would have voted for it.

“We are told by the Illinois State Board of Education chief that another income tax increase is required to fund this bill,” Bernas said. “That is another $1,500 per household in addition to the 32 percent increase on income taxes passed last year.”

Recent reports by Illinois Policy, "New Education Funding Plan Repeats Chicago Public School Bailout History," and "Evidence Based Education Funding Doesn't Work, Would Cost Illinois Taxpayers Billions," suggest that in SB1 there is financial assistance to CPS’ pensions by rigging the new evidence-based funding formula that “crowds out funding for other districts,” while also giving CPS $200 million in state funding not offered to any other district.

“The only saving grace of this legislation are the opportunities scholarships that it established for low-income students,” Bernas, an international relations manager, said. “I believe that opportunity scholarship legislation could have been reached in ways that didn’t commit our families to bailing out the financial mess at CPS.”

Seeking the 56th House District, which includes Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Roselle and Elk Grove Village, Bernas said she questions whether the dollars that are being asked of Illinoisans will really improve the quality of education for students.

“Right now, Illinois pays the most for education per student than any of our Midwestern neighbors, in addition, to the high property taxes that goes toward education,” Bernas said. “I do not think that more money means better outcomes, however, it is the way we spend our money that produces better outcomes.”

It is obvious special interests are more of a priority than students’ needs, according to Bernas.

“Unfortunately, through this funding formula, school districts throughout the state will not see any hope for additional funding go towards the financial mess in CPS as it will be the only school district in the state whose pension payment is made directly through the state aid formula,” Bernas said.

The House hopeful said the formula also ensures CPS gets the same amount of money as previous years even though student enrollment is shrinking, while Chicago continues to hide property wealth in tax increment financing (TIF) districts.

“Poor-performing schools should not be financed at the expense of high-performing schools without considering necessary reforms to education,” Bernas said.

Bernas said she has a better plan than SB1.

“There are actions that we can take today to help our financial position,” Bernas said. “For example, all new hires could benefit from 401(k) or 403(b) style pension programs that help districts organized their pension obligations. We can also look at ‘Cadillac pensions’ paid to school administrators that cost taxpayers multimillions of dollars and multiple pensions going to any one individual and how to change those moving forward.”