Saturday, April 29, 2006

Letters From: Pekin, Illinois

Folks, there is a teacher lobby group called “A+ Illinois” going around the state asking school boards and other elected and private bodies to support a resolution, demanding lawmakers provide a different method of funding education.

Typically, they are using the same old tired story of how this is needed for fairness to students, to hide the real deal, more money for the system to abuse. The new method of funding is a large hike in income and sales taxes! The new funding method DOES NOT lower property taxes!

Below are state figures for the past fifteen years that show the increases that involve education. It is CLEAR, money is NOT the problem. The problem is the “lack” of accountability for those spending the ever growing “Billions” they do get. This history proves more tax monies will not help students, but only the bureaucracy who uses students for camouflage!


(15 Year Consumer Price Index = 39.2%)

Illinois Education "State Report Card" Information 1990 - 2005 :

Total Education Dollars (Billion) 2005 : $6,966,200,000 - $3,487,500,000 (1990) = $3,478,700,000 (99.7%) 15 Year Increase

General State Aid Dollars (Billion) 2005 : $3,712,331,000 - $2,077,733,000 (1990) = $1,634,598,000 (78.7%) 15 Year Increase

Operating Dollars Per Student 2005 : $8,786 - $4,519 (1990) = $4,267 (94.4%) 15 Year Increase

Student Enrollment 2005 : 2,062,912 - 1,766,186 (1990) = 296,726 (16.8%) 15 Year Increase

Teachers 2005: 128,079 - 101,732 (1990) = 26,347 (25.9%) 15 Year Increase

Administrators 2005 : 9,847 - 7,110 (1990) = 2,737 (38.5%) 15 Year Increase

Avg. Administration Salary 2005: $97,051 - $52,564 (1990) = $44,487 (84.6%) 15 Year Increase

Avg. Teacher Salary 2005 : $55,558 - $32,925 (1990) = $22,633 (68.7%) 15 Year Increase

Percent Of Students "NOT" Meeting Standards In Reading 2005 : 47.5% - 25% (1992) = 15.5% A 13 Year "Failure Increase" !

Percent Of Students "NOT" Meeting Standards In Math 2005 : 47.2% - 34% (1992) = 13.2% A 13 Year "Failure Increase" !

Percent Of Students Graduating 2005 : 87.4% - 80.8% (1992) = 6.6% A 13 Year Increase "Inspite Of The Failure Increases" !


Sincerely,

Jim Mangan, Pekin, Illinois

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