Area School Officials Are Concerned By Governor's Pension Proposal

Last week, the Illinois governor’s budget address outlined several proposals to reduce state spending. One focuses on K-12 schools. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner wants public school districts to begin “cost sharing” their employees’ state pensions over the next few years. Districts would be responsible for 25 percent of their pension cost during the first year, then an additional 25 percent each of the following three years. He said this overhaul is a fiscal necessity. “The simple truth is this: We have to change the way we manage pension costs and group health expenses. If we don’t, our finances will continue to deteriorate, our economy will remain sluggish and our tax burdens will stay high and keep rising,” he said. Rauner said he would give schools and local governments new “tools” to offset these costs, such as boosting education funding, granting greater control over merging and dissolving local government districts, and more flexibility in contracting and bidding for services.