EDITORIAL: Save District 7 Schools

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Dear District 7 Voter,

Every taxpayer in our state is frustrated with Springfield. The partisan bickering, absent budget, and constant sense of urgency are making it difficult to find much to admire. At best Illinois is broken, and at worst our state is inept. Those of us south of I-80 often feel as though Chicago is the constant beneficiary of our work and tax dollars.

Our school district has suffered at the hand of the state due to dwindling financing, unfunded mandates, and delayed payments since 2008.  District 7 held fast to its promise to live within its means, even as the state reduced funding and skipped their promised payments.  As a result, District 7 is on the state’s financial watch list and under threat of state takeover in 2019.

Voting yes for Proposition E is a vote to take back control of our local education. Countless studies have examined the economic impact of strong schools and consistently reveal the same results: strong schools result in higher property values.  Being near highly rated schools can increase values by thousands (Wall Street Journal, “Good Schools, Bad Real Estate”, 3/10).  In order to protect our community from the enormous disaster of Springfield, we need yes votes on Proposition E.

Our children have survived cuts each year – working with 20-year-old textbooks, staff reductions, rapidly aging technology, and stalled curriculum updates.  The district performs above state averages in testing and placement and well below state averages in costs per pupil and administrative staffing.  Sacrificing critical items required for today’s learning standards, like internet access, is unacceptable. Protecting our challenge program, our tutoring and writing center opportunities, our fine arts, and our sports are all investments in both our children and our community.

      *Illinois State Board of Education Interactive Report Card Data

Report Card Data

Considering return on investment, there are very few Districts who compare to District 7.  Passing Proposition E gives our community local control of our strongest asset and pushes the state’s threat of takeover aside. We invite all voters to join us in telling the state to stay out of our business by voting yes on Proposition E on April 4th. 

Thank You,

The Committee to Save District 7 Schools

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