Rockdale Public School, which is set to lose 87 percent of its state funding under a recently passed bill in the state Senate. | Rockdale Public School
Rockdale Public School, which is set to lose 87 percent of its state funding under a recently passed bill in the state Senate. | Rockdale Public School
Will County schools would be net losers of state funding under a bill that passed the Illinois State Senate Wednesday.
Collectively, the county's 29 school districts would get approximately $5 million less per year from the state's school funding formula, a two percent decrease from their 2015 funding levels, according to an Illinois State Board of Education analysis obtained by the Will County Gazette.
Seven state Senators representing the county — Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey), Donne Trotter (D-Chicago), Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park), Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights), Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), Pat McGuire (D-Crest Hill) and Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) — voted "yes" on Senate Bill 1, which passed 35-18 with three Senators voting present. Michael Connelly (R-Naperville), Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) voted "no."
Laraway School District 70C (89% decrease), Rockdale School District 84 (87% decrease), Union School District 81 (83% decrease), Peotone School District 207U (80% decrease), Homer School District 33C (79% decrease), Will County School District 92 (79% decrease), Lockport Township School District 205 (78% decrease), Frankfort School District 157C (76% decrease), Mokena School District 159 (75% decrease), Summit Hill School District 161 (75% decrease), Reed Custer School District 255U (74% decrease), New Lenox School District 122 (73% decrease), Elwood School District 203 (72% decrease), Channahon School District 17 (60% decrease), Lincoln Way School District 210 (37% decrease), Troy School District 30C (27% decrease), Fairmont School District 89 (20% decrease), Beecher School District 200U (16% decrease), Manhattan School District 114 (11% decrease), Lockport School District 91 (7% decrease) and Plainfield School District 202 (2% decrease) would all be losers if Senate Bill 1 is enacted into law.
Chaney-Monge School District 88 (28% increase), Taft School District 90 (23% increase), Joliet School District 86 (20% increase) and Crete Monee School District 201U (9% increase) all stand to receive more state funding from the bill.
Senate Bill 1, sponsored by State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), includes a $385 million bailout of Chicago Public Schools, which face bankruptcy due to years of deficit spending.
The state funding cuts wouldn't take effect immediately. Manar's bill also includes a temporary "hold harmless" clause that would effectively delay them for two years.
The ISBE analysis was conducted last summer, after Manar unveiled his school funding proposal. It is the last known analysis of the bill.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the legislation should it reach his desk.
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How does your district fare under the state's new proposed school funding formula?
Senate Bill 1 promises a fairer distribution of state funding to local school districts. In Will County, it takes from some and gives to others.
| Rank | District | Current State Funding | New State Funding | Change |
| 1 | Chaney-Monge SD 88 (Crest Hill) | $1,720,957 | $2,195,024 | +28% |
| 2 | Taft SD 90 (Lockport) | $669,884 | $820,922 | +23% |
| 3 | Joliet SD 86 | $64,266,015 | $76,779,083 | +20% |
| 4 | Crete Monee CUSD 201U | $12,943,462 | $14,067,058 | +9% |
| 5 | Valley View CUSD 365U (Romeoville) | $37,636,306 | $40,464,950 | +8% |
| 6 | Wilmington CUSD 209U | $1,793,475 | $1,894,688 | +6% |
| 7 | Joliet Twp HSD 204 | $9,714,018 | $9,861,568 | +2% |
| 8 | Plainfield SD 202 | $74,008,172 | $72,620,874 | -2% |
| 9 | Lockport SD 91 | $552,648 | $514,285 | -7% |
| 10 | Manhattan SD 114 | $2,314,261 | $2,056,408 | -11% |
| 11 | Beecher CUSD 200U | $1,351,056 | $1,137,725 | -16% |
| 12 | Fairmont SD 89 (Lockport) | $1,257,511 | $1,005,063 | -20% |
| 13 | Troy CCSD 30C (Plainfield) | $3,958,740 | $2,900,477 | -27% |
| 14 | Lincoln Way CHSD 210 (New Lenox) | $6,480,493 | $4,095,724 | -37% |
| 15 | Channahon SD 17 | $577,656 | $232,883 | -60% |
| 16 | Elmwood CCSD 203 | $243,105 | $68,188 | -72% |
| 17 | New Lenox SD 122 | $3,734,662 | $1,022,313 | -73% |
| 18 | Reed Custer CUSD 255U (Braidwood) | $1,093,270 | $286,052 | -74% |
| 19 | Summit Hill SD 161 (Frankfort) | $2,319,280 | $579,997 | -75% |
| 20 | Mokena SD 159 | $1,151,195 | $284,087 | -75% |
| 21 | Frankfort CCSD 157C | $1,672,890 | $404,815 | -76% |
| 22 | Lockport Twp HSD 205 | $2,898,975 | $643,607 | -78% |
| 23 | Will County SD 92 (Lockport) | $1,385,227 | $295,360 | -79% |
| 24 | Homer Glen CCSD 33C | $2,895,261 | $598,050 | -79% |
| 25 | Peotone CUSD 207U | $1,533,919 | $310,427 | -80% |
| 26 | Richland SD 88A (Crest Hill) | $919,478 | $179,722 | -81% |
| 27 | Union SD 81 (Joliet) | $148,903 | $26,017 | -83% |
| 28 | Rockdale SD 84 | $544,592 | $68,583 | -87% |
| 29 | Laraway CCSD 70C | $819,001 | $92,566 | -89% |
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