Category Archives: Finance
Why Schools Resist Consolidating —-There are financial and educational benefits to merging small school districts, yet it’s almost always a hard sell.
No great surprise here: A recent audit in New Jersey recommended that the state move forward with school district consolidation efforts. While New Jersey has already merged several school districts, it still has some 545 of them, more than many … Continue reading
Illinois Has Too Many School Districts
From 1930 through 1970, a gradual consolidation process eliminated 9 of every 10 school districts nationally. The number of districts in the U.S. fell dramatically, to fewer than 20,000 from over 120,000. Illinois followed similar trends. In 1942, Illinois had … Continue reading
Should We Consider Consolidating School Districts In Leyden Township ?
School funding in Illinois is the subject of considerable debate as Illinois weighs the fairness of its funding formula and tries to narrow the budget chasm. Education in Illinois needs a major overhaul, not just a tweak. That’s why, as … Continue reading
Interesting Editorial in the Pantograph To Think About
Pantograph Editorial: Illinois needs to push harder for school consolidationMay 1, 2016 One of the maddening aspects of the state’s ongoing financial crisis is that some obvious long-term solutions are rarely considered. As we’ve stated before, one solution to the … Continue reading
New Bill Just Introduced in Springfield to Expand Gambling
The Illinois General Assembly gambling bill includes six new casinos in Chicago, Lake County, Rockford, South Suburbs, Danville, Williamson County, slots at tracks
Ald. Ameya Pawar Throws First Official Hat in Democratic Ring for Illinois Governor
For a sitting, massively rich Republican governor who just added $50 million in personal cash to his re-election campaign, a sitting Chicago alderman with a measly $50,000 probably doesn’t seem much of a threat.And perhaps pro-business, union-critic Governor Bruce Rauner … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Education, Elections, Finance, Franklin Park, Horse Racing, Illinois Pensions, News, O'Hare Noise, Schiller Park, Schiller Park Commentaries, Taxation, Union
Tagged governor, Illinois, Pawar
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Is Illinois Going to Have A Budget Soon ?
A plan to end a two-year Illinois budget standoff negotiated in the Senate — which likely includes an income tax increase as well as items on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda — could get a vote in Springfield as early as … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Education, Elections, Finance, Franklin Park, Illinois Pensions, News, Schiller Park, Schiller Park School District 81, Special Education, Taxation, Union
Tagged budget, Cullerton, Illinois, Madigan, Rauner
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Illinois Residents Movin’ On
United Van Lines reports that Illinois is Number 2 is the ratio of people moving out versus those moving in. 63% of the loads are leaving Illinois. I wonder where weather would be categorized. Interesting that young people are moving … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Education, Elections, Finance, Illinois Pensions, O'Hare Noise, politics, Taxation, Union
Tagged Illinois, leaving illinois, moving
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Daily Herald: Suburban schools’ legal bills cost taxpayers $11.5 million last year
Taxpayers in Elgin Area School District U-46 paid almost $1.9 million to nine different law firms during the 2015 school year. That’s almost five times the $390,383 spent on lawyers in Naperville Unit District 203, which had the second-highest legal … Continue reading
Roy F. McCampbell's Blog 
Can Illinois Have A Budget Deal without Madigan ?
Possible budget deal in the Illinois Senate announced this afternoon. But where is the Illinois House and Mike Madigan? Details remain fluid, but the Senate began moving multiple pieces of legislation Monday that include an increase in the income … Continue reading →