Illinois universities are blaming the recent budget impasse for their declining enrollment and financial problems. But the problems in higher education started long before the budget fight, and are largely self-inflicted.

The new taxes are planned to pay for road maintenance and improvement as well as general use. As is the case in communities throughout Illinois, pension costs are crowding out other spending in Oswego.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendments to Senate Bill 1 would bring nearly $25 million more to the 10 Illinois school districts with the highest black student enrollment outside of Chicago.

In the wake of the city’s 2018 preliminary budget report, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is playing it close to the vest about whether to raise taxes.

Twenty school districts in the Metro East rely on the state for 30 percent or more of their total revenue.

In trying to force a Chicago bailout, proponents of Senate Bill 1 are throwing hundreds of thousands of downstate and suburban students into limbo.

Many reforms are still needed in Illinois higher education system despite credit rating affirmations and upgrades to seven Illinois universities.

CPS’ 2017-18 budget shows cuts for many schools as student populations shrink, despite an increase in per-pupil spending for the district as a whole.

Senate Bill 1 is yet another unfair bailout of long-term mismanagement within Chicago Public Schools.

The special session will deal with Senate Bill 1, an education finance bill that contains an annual $215 million pension bailout for Chicago Public Schools.