June 19, 2016

Governor Bruce Rauner

Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Governor Rauner,
We are mayors who believe that our childrens future should be determined
by their hard work and talents not by their zip codes.
Unfortunately, our current school-funding system penalizes the children from
our communities. Many of them come from families in poverty. This is both
morally indefensible and a threat to the future of Illinois.
At a time of growing economic inequality in our nation, a strong public
education is the great equalizer. It is the best means of providing each child
in our state with the chance for a promising, productive future. Yet, for years
Illinois has languished near the bottom of the 50 states in financial support
for its schools and students. Our school districts must rely on local property
taxes for the majority of their funding. The result for many children is that
their zip code becomes their destiny. None of us as elected representatives
can accept this reality.
We recognize that this school-funding situation is not of your making. It has
been in place for decades, affecting generations of Illinoisans. But we cannot
allow these terrible inequities to continue. Now is the time, and this is the
session, to provide all of our children with the chance for a brighter future
no matter where they live or their familys economic status.
Many of our school districts across the state have reached a tipping-point.
Hard-won academic progress is endangered by a lack of state support and the
resulting over-reliance on property taxes. Maintaining the current funding

formula for another year will only exacerbate this crisis. Now is the time to
put our schools and students on a new course one that enables students to
reach their full potential as individuals and as citizens.
From all corners of our state and from many diverse communities, we have
joined together in urging you to address the school-funding inequities that
threaten so many Illinois public schools and their students. Your full support
for fair and equitable school funding in this session is necessary to offer hope
and opportunity to millions of children while helping to secure a more
prosperous future for our state.
Sincerely,
Mayor Rahm Emanuel
City of Chicago
Mayor Tom Weisner
City of Aurora
Mayor Barbara Piltaver
Villlage of Schiller Park
Mayor Wayne Motley
City of Waukegan
Mayor Jerry Bennett
Village of Palos Hills
Mayor Dan McLaughlin
Village of Orland Park
Mayor Eugene Williams
City of Lynwood
Mayor Charles E. Tokar
Village of Chicago Ridge
Mayor John A. Ostenburg
Village of Park Forest

President Robert Kolosh

Village of Thornton
Mayor Rod Craig
Village of Hanover Park
Mayor Don A. De Graff
Village of South Holland
President Sam Pulia
Village of Westchester
Mayor Domingo F. Vargas
Mayor of Blue Island
Mayor Beniamino Mazzulla
Village of Stone Park
President Vernard Alsberry Jr.
Village of Hazel Crest
President Stephan K. Pickett
Village of Sleepy Hollow