Tag Archives: Pat Quinn

Peoria Public Schools, State of Illinois

What will district consolidation mean for Peoria?

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Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced recently his intention to eliminate over half of Illinois’ school districts through mandatory consolidation. There are already bills introduced in the state legislature toward that end:

State Senator Jeffrey M. Schoenberg (D-Evanston) recently introduced a bill, SB1324, which proposes to amend the Illinois School Code to require the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to conduct a feasibility and cost-saving benefits study on the prospect of consolidating school districts in the same geographic area. The ISBE would be required to recommend specific school districts for consolidation in a report due to the general assembly and the governor on or before January 1, 2013. […]

State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora), Chair of the Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, has introduced HB1216 to create an 18-member School District Realignment and Consolidation Commission to report the “optimal enrollment for a school district and where consolidation would be beneficial.” The Commission would make recommendations to reduce duplication of efforts, eliminate obstacles between qualified teachers and students, lower property tax burdens, calculate the net costs savings of realignment, and advise school districts on reorganization.

So what will this mean for Peoria? The City of Peoria includes three school districts: Peoria, Limestone, and Dunlap. Peoria Heights’ district is completely surrounded by Peoria. Analysts say, “Anticipated targets of the legislation are small school districts with low staff-to-student ratios.” But, they add, “A less obvious aim of the bill is the opportunity to merge small, well-financed school districts with disadvantaged ones to balance economic inequities.”

At first glance, it would appear that Peoria would be a prime candidate for merging school districts. This would mitigate one of the major factors leading to population migration to the north by putting the whole city under one school district with a unified tax rate to support it.

But there’s always been a complication to reforming District 150. The makeup and election of its Board of Education is set by court order, not legislation, as the result of a civil rights lawsuit back in the 1980s. Will this be able to keep the State from consolidating this board with other districts in the region? Or can the State get around the court order by dissolving the various school charters and creating a new district from scratch? Will the State have the political will to make such a move?

The process as currently defined boils down to recommendations from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). It will be interesting to see what they recommend … if the process gets that far.

General News

New York Times skeptical of the Wonderful Development

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This story is from last month, but I just ran across it yesterday. Remember when Tom Ricketts asked the State of Illinois for a bunch of money to help him improve Wrigley Field, which he recently acquired? That idea went over like a lead balloon. Doling out millions in taxes to a millionaire while the state is in such dire fiscal condition? Guffaws all around.

Not so fast, says the New York Times. They wonder whether Ricketts got a fair shake, given the other projects in Illinois that did win millions in taxpayer dollars. There are no doubt hundreds, if not thousands, of projects in Illinois the Times could have used to make their point. Guess what they cited?

In June, Mr. Quinn unveiled tax credits to renovate the Hotel Père Marquette in Peoria and add an adjacent Courtyard Marriott. The state figures to forgo $10 million in income-tax receipts due to this pilot project, said State Senator John J. Cullerton, the Senate president.

The Peoria gambit will supposedly generate 1,000 construction jobs, the number Mr. Ricketts cites for his Wrigley plan. In Peoria, Mr. Quinn spoke of jobs and the taxes to be paid by workers.

Note especially the word “supposedly” — the New York Times doesn’t sound convinced that this project is really going to provide the number of jobs promised. The question is, why did Gary Matthews get such a sweet deal down here in Peoria, while Ricketts got shown the door in Chicago? There are many possibilities, but I’m sure this isn’t one of them.

General News

Probably no connection

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On 11/17/2009, Gary Matthews of E. M. Properties contributed $10,000 to “Taxpayers for Quinn.” Previously, Matthews had given no more than $500 in a single contribution to any political candidate, most of them Republicans, according to campaign disclosures currently available online.

In a completely unrelated matter, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 2534 on June 19, 2010, giving Gary Matthews’ Wonderful Development a 25% income tax credit for qualified renovation costs with a cap of $10 million. The legislation is designed to be a “pilot” program for possible statewide historic tax credits of a similar nature, meaning that, for the time being, Mr. Matthews is the only developer in Illinois who benefits from this tax break.

State of Illinois

Press release: “Koehler Thinks Quinn’s Budget Is a Good Start”

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From a press release:

State Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria) believes that Governor Quinn’s budget proposal will provide a good base for negotiations.

“Governor Quinn has included some things in this budget that the state has desperately needed for a long time,” said Koehler. “I’m particularly happy to see a capital plan that includes road repair for Peoria, Tazewell, and Fulton Counties. We need to repair Illinois’ aging infrastructure.”

According to the Governor’s office, the capital construction plan will cost approximately $26 billion and create as many as 340,000 jobs. The proposed plan includes both new construction and repairs, targeted at roads and bridges, schools, and mass transit. It also includes investments in green technology, Illinois-based energy sources, and economic development.

“Another area I’m pleased about is education,” said Senator Koehler. “The budget proposal contains an increase in money for K-12 education. We need to do all we can to ensure Illinois students can compete with their peers nationwide, even in these tough economic times. This increase may not be as high as we’ve provided in the past, but given the state’s financial woes, it’s still a positive step.”

The Governor’s proposal also includes a number of initiatives to enhance revenue. One initiative is an income tax increase of 1.5%, accompanied by higher exemptions to protect low-income families. The Governor also suggests increasing a number of fees.

“I think Governor Quinn’s tax proposal is a good starting point,” said Koehler. “It’s clear that we are going to have to do something to increase revenue. It’s hard to say exactly what form tax and fee increases will take, but knowing that the Governor is committed to protecting low and middle income Illinoisans is reassuring.”

Senator Koehler lauded several of the Governor’s other commitments.

“The Governor has promised to make sure the state pays its bills on time,” said Koehler. “Our failure to provide timely reimbursements to doctors, hospitals, and other vital service providers has been a huge disappointment. A prompt payment schedule will help ensure Illinois citizens receive quality services and keep businesses and facilities open. I also like Governor Quinn’s idea of a 10-day sales tax holiday to help families afford back-to-school shopping. When we vote on a final budget, I hope it includes measures that help struggling families.”