Legalizing additional dwelling units citywide would bring more housing choices, lower costs and help Chicagoans stay in the neighborhoods they love.
The Illinois State Board of Education is giving school districts an incentive to study consolidation, but a flawed process still stands in the way. The state has too many school districts, driving up administrative costs and property taxes.
District 146 Educators Council has voted to authorize a strike. If an agreement is not reached, teachers in Tinley Park could strike as soon as Sept. 22.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dropped by 3.2% in May. Still, nearly 2 million Illinoisans relied on federal food aid, with participation rates exceeding 30% in some Southern Illinois counties.
Illinois companies announced 1,065 mass layoffs in August. Minority-owned Diverse Facility Solutions, headquartered in Alsip, Illinois, and two other janitorial services companies accounted for nearly half of the jobs lost.
Teachers in the 10th-largest school district in Illinois may be on the picket lines instead of in classrooms with students on Sept. 18. Romeoville and Bolingbrook teachers are paid more than the state average but are pushing for more.
Third grade is a critical year for young readers, predicting the success of their future education. See how well your local schools are doing at producing proficient readers by the end of third grade.
Chicago’s pension systems carry over $53 billion in debt, leaving taxpayers with rising bills and no reform in sight.
Apple’s new iPhone launch on Sept. 9 may be a celebration for tech consumers, but it also makes the Illinois taxman smile. Illinois already had the nation’s highest tax rate on cell phone plans before it bumped up even more July 1.
The second installment of Cook County property taxes should have been paid Aug. 1. The county can’t get the calculations completed, so the bills are on hold.
Federal help is needed in Chicago, but it should be professional law enforcement and encompass the entire justice system. Sending just the National Guard is destined to create problems when Chicago’s embattled communities need solutions.
The Chicago Teachers Union exerts power not only over the city of Chicago, but also statewide. Southern Illinois schools and their funding is the target of CTU leaders’ latest attack.
Illinois' high property taxes hurt the economy, particularly in communities already struggling. When government overtaxes, residents and businesses flee – leaving those remaining with a bigger tax bill.