An ambitious plan to reform the way Illinois distributes money for schools comes with laudable goals, myriad complexities and a fluctuating price tag that has so far spanned from $3.5 billion to $7.5 billion, state records show.

Those amounts, likely spread over a decade or longer, would be on top of the usual billions spent on public education every school year.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner says he expects an analysis of his changes to a Democratic education funding bill to show that what he is doing is “right and just and fair” and that his plan will “carry the day.”

A different review released Friday by the Civic Federation of Chicago, though, concludes that his changes could mean school districts across the state gradually losing money in future years, in addition to the governor’s move to take a key grant away from Chicago’s Public Schools.

For the first time in Illinois history, according to the Illinois comptroller, the state might miss its first August payment to public schools. Possibly the second payment, too.

The reason for the delay is familiar. The Democrat-controlled General Assembly and the Republican governor, Bruce Rauner, cannot agree on a path forward. This time, it’s over school funding.

A truly fair system for funding Illinois public schools should include all of the state’s school districts, including Chicago.

The Democrats who control the Illinois Legislature don’t see it that way, however.

A federal appeals court Friday cleared the way for same-day voter registration to resume in Illinois, tossing a challenge to the new law back to a lower court.

The ruling is likely to have no immediate effect, since the next election is not until the March  primaries.

Illinois is ready to unveil the firm it hopes can boost the fortunes of its biggest moneymaking venture — the state lottery — nearly three years after the state began pushing out the firm that has run the games for years.

The Illinois Lottery announced Friday that it will hold a public hearing Aug. 14 to showcase plans by the new firm that could take over managing a lottery that has struggled in recent years with sluggish sales and controversy surrounding how its run games.

In the bill that raised state income taxes earlier this month, lawmakers removed a sales-tax incentive for retailers to sell gasoline with 10 percent ethanol.

The group representing the state’s gas-station and convenience-store owners came out against this move, arguing it will increase gas prices by a few cents and reduce sales, especially near state lines.

More than 1,400 jobs are expected to be cut in Illinois, with most from suburban companies, during the next few months, according to documents filed Friday by the state.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity posted reports filed by 14 companies that plan to lay off 1,482 workers, including 1,020 in the suburbs.

A DeKalb County judge Friday barred Northern Illinois University from paying the remainder of ousted President Doug Baker’s severance package while the court considers whether school trustees violated the law when they approved the deal.

But Baker — who left in June after the release of a state report alleging improper spending during his tenure — already has received most of his money, including a $450,000 payment to end his contract a year early and another $137,500 to resign from his tenured position at the business school.

New parking lots at schools all over town, roofing work and/or tuckpointing at a half dozen more, renovations at Sterling and Trewyn schools . . . Peoria Public Schools is in the midst of a school district’s version of major “honey-do” home improvement projects.

“I’ve never seen this much work going on in one summer,” says Dave Meyers, PPS director of building and grounds, who has worked at the district 18 years. “This year we’re able to get to the schools that are really in need.”