Peoria Standard

Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) and fellow Reps. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) and Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale) accused House Democrats of hijacking an education funding reform effort with an amendment that would continue to prioritize Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to the detriment of all others.

“This amendment is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the bill’s outcome to benefit, again, the Chicago Public Schools,” Hammond said. “It skews the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars away from suburban, rural and other districts directly into the Chicago Public School districts. And so there is once again no accountability in a block grant of about $250 million that will go to the Chicago Public Schools.”

The trio also argued that Democrats are pushing unacceptable reforms in an attempt to force a budget agreement. In addition to her concerns about giving preference to CPS, Hammond also said the amendment to House Bill 2808 would cut money to tier 1 schools -- those in the poorest districts -- in favor of tier 2 schools like CPS.

“We all have poor students in every district that we represent across the state of Illinois,” Hammond said. “It’s important that we do an evidence-based model that gives the funding to the students and to the students that need it the most. This is not the answer.”