Press Release: 10-28-2011

The Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Donaldo R. Batiste are seeking community support in opposing pending State of Illinois legislation that would reduce funding to school districts and other taxing bodies.

If passed, House Bill 3793 and Senate Bill 2073 would negatively affect Waukegan Public Schools by cutting funding by more than $1 million over the next two years. House Bill 3793, which is currently on the floor General Assembly, would prohibit taxing bodies from increasing their levies in years that property assessments decrease.

Those annual levy increases represent a modest increase in property taxes to homeowners, while providing a significant amount of funding to taxing bodies like Waukegan Public Schools, which are already operating with reduced revenues. That funding helps to offset the ever-increasing cost of providing a first-rate education, and could lead to potential cuts and reductions in gifted programs, music programs, classroom technology, staffing, transportation, and a host of other programs that benefit the students and staff of District 60.

As legislators in Springfield prepare for a very important vote on these bills in the upcoming days, the Board of Education and Superintendent Batiste are urging parents and community members to join them in contacting their state legislator and implore them not to support bills that would negatively affect education and reduce educational opportunities for students.

More information on these bills can be found on the General Assembly’s website.

House Bill 3793: www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=3793&GAID=11&SessionID=84&LegID=61913

Senate Bill 2073: www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2073&GAID=11&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=84&GA=97

Email Contact: nalajakis@wps60.org