ROCHELLE –– This past summer, Illinois lawmakers reached a deal to fund public schools. However, the impact from the previous year and a lack of funding has left many schools in the state questioning their budget and the future of the school district.
League of Women Voters will hold a forum on public education funding in Illinois on Thursday, Oct. 19. The discussion will be held at Northwest Medicine Clinic at 7 p.m.
Jamie Craven, Superintendent of DeKalb School District 428, and Nicole Stukert, Chief Financial Officer of Sycamore District 427, will discuss the decline in general state aid and the new funding formula.
“Several of us worked at the higher education level and without Illinois funding, college students see rises in tuition and fees that prevent them from pursuing education that effects them forever. While higher education is not the topic this month, the content of this program will raise questions for those that participate regarding higher education as that is where our common school students are heading,” explained League of Women Voter Dianne McNeilly.

Craven, former Rochelle Township High School superintendent, will be able to discuss the impact of the public school funding on a small district and the impact on a larger district such as DeKalb. Stukert, a RTHS alumni, works on a daily basis looking at the state funding and how to operate a school district on the limited funds.
“Our speakers are from local public schools and all of the material will be relevant to our local school systems. The audience we would like to reach are those citizens and parents who want to understand the funding challenges our local schools are facing and who might take action to contact their legislators about funding issues,” McNeilly added. “The program is not directed toward local school issues. The presentation is addressing a State of Illinois challenge with a discussion of its effect locally.”
The two will discuss the decline in general state aid and how it impacts local schools.
“At RTHS we were not as dependent on state funding as some other districts. When state aid was prorated it didn’t impact us as much of some neighboring districts. The new formula contains hold-harmless provisions as long as education is funded at its current level,” explained Craven. “With the new funding formula school districts will experience a shift in how general state aid is calculated based on multiple factors including local ability to pay.”
Craven and Stukert will provide an overview of how the new formula is designed and how districts will be categorized depending on multiple factors.
“The League of Women Voters of Illinois’s studied position on public school funding follows: ‘The State should assume the major responsibility for funding public schools and guarantee an adequate level of financial support’,” added McNeilly. “They are not meeting the needs of all of our public schools. This is their responsibility to fix NOT the responsibility of the local school systems.”