District 87 uses cash reserves to account for unprecedented state shortfall

Posted on August 24, 2017

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly said the school funding shortage in Illinois has reached unprecedented levels.

“We haven’t received our two state general aid payments (due this month) for this school year, the first time in history that’s happened,” Reilly said. “That is a big deal and until they get something done in Springfield, those payments will not come.”

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Patti’s interview with Reilly on WJBC.

Reilly told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn aside from general state aid, the district is waiting on so-called categorical payments which cover things like transportation and special education while legislators work on a new school funding formula.

In all, the district is waiting on $1.25 million from the state. Reilly noted the district has strong cash reserves to weather the storm in the short term.

“Because we have a good amount of fund reserves we can make it throughout the course of the year, but what it does is it causes us to draw down our balance,” Reilly said.

Reilly will join superintendents Mark Daniel at Unit 5 and Gary Tispord at LeRoy to address the school funding shortage tomorrow at a McLean County Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington from 7-8:30 a.m.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…