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State education stalls, CPS proposes budget
Submitted by Medill News Service on Mon, 08/13/2007 - 11:16am.
By Allison Roeser
Medill Reports - Chicago
After the Pledge of Allegiance, two camps of the Illinois State Board of Education - Chicago and Springfield - convened via teleconference last Wednesday to discuss the deadlocked 2008 budget.
The state education budget for the 2008 fiscal year is still tentative, and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christopher Koch and Chief Financial Officer Linda Mitchell said they have been spending a lot of time trying to resolve the issue.
"We have been in close association with the General Assembly and the governor's office, coming together to determine what the budget will be," Mitchell said. "Out of those discussions, we still, of course, do not have a budget."
Matt Vanover, spokesman for the State Board of Education, said the delayed budget will not affect funding to schools.
"The general state aid payment is scheduled to go out on Friday for schools," he said. "Earlier this week, the governor directed the Illinois Finance Authority to work with us to make available to schools up to $170 million, an interest-free advance, on their general state aid payments as the budget impasse continues."
Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools has released a tentative 2008 budget, which assumes a 3% salary increases for all unionized employees. CPS forwarded the budget assuming approximately $100 million in new state funding, $55 million in new property taxes and $73 million from reserves.
A public hearing about the budget will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thurssday at Morgan Park Academy, 1744 W. Pryor Ave., and the Board plans to vote on the budget at its Aug. 22 meeting
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