Lawmakers reach tentative deal to break school funding deadlock

Posted on August 25, 2017

State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, in his role as Senate Minority Leader, helped hammer out a deal with Democrats on school funding reform. (WJBC file photo)

By Howard Packowitz

SPRINGFIELD – An apparent breakthrough in Springfield as legislative leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner said they reached a school funding agreement. That means District 87 and Unit 5 might soon receive overdue state dollars to help balance their budgets.

House and Senate Republican leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady of Bloomington, released a statement Thursday announcing they made a deal “in principal on historic school funding reform.”

Democrats said leaders had reached a “bipartisan agreement in concept and will meet again on Sunday in Springfield.”

The bill is being drafted, and the governor’s staff said Rauner “looks forward to the coming days when the legislation is passed by both chambers.”

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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