Dear District 203 Community,

I’d like to bring to your attention once again proposed legislation being considered in Springfield that could negatively impact Naperville 203.  The School Funding Reform Act of 2015, also known as Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), is a reintroduced version of Senate Bill 16 (SB 16), a proposal last year to replace the way the state funds education. You may recall that SB 16 did not increase the level of education funding, but instead proposed a change in the way state funding would be distributed.

If enacted into law, Senate Bill 1 would have a severe, negative impact on our district by diverting nearly $10 million in State funding from District 203 to other parts of the state. This reduction in the state’s already inadequate revenue would put District 203’s high academic achievement, quality staff, and excellent programs at risk.

The impact of Senate Bill 1 in District 203 would be significant in our classrooms, eliminating most of the limited state dollars available to support the students of our district. In the financial models provided by the Illinois State Board of Education, annual revenue provided to District 203 by the state would be reduced by approximately $9.6 million, which is a 78 percent loss of state revenue. In each model, Naperville 203 would experience the 2nd or 3rd largest reductions in state funding in Illinois. Senate Bill 1 alone would be harmful to our district, but when added to other recent reductions made by the state, the impact would be dramatic.

While Senate Bill 1 does attempt to redistribute the state’s resources, it does not address the real issue; adequacy of funding to school districts. If education is truly a priority in Illinois, like it is in our community, legislative leaders must address the inadequate financial commitment our state government makes in supporting the school children throughout Illinois.

ALL children in Illinois deserve a quality education. An adequate, simple, transparent, equitable, and outcomes-focused funding formula should be developed. Senate Bill 1 in its current form falls short.  We will continue to monitor this, and all legislation that could impact our district, and will continue to keep you informed.

For more information on Senate Bill 1, visit naperville203.org.

Sincerely,

Dan Bridges

Superintendent of Schools