State lawmakers have advanced legislation that revises a proposal to overhaul the way Illinois schools receive funding.
State Sen. Andy Manar is sponsoring the measure. His proposed overhaul would require school districts to demonstrate need before receiving money. The current method factors in a district’s poverty for some types of state aid but not others.
The amendment limits the state funds given to the poorest schools. That would be done to ensure money is distributed to districts that have average amounts of poverty. It’s an attempt to gain bi-partisan support.
Republicans are still opposed. State Sen. Matt Murphy says it takes money from Chicago suburbs to solve problems.