A new sales tax proposed by Will County school districts would put some residents’ sales tax burden in a league with Chicago, which is home to the highest combined sales tax rate of any major city in the U.S.
As examples of the type of progressive tax plan he would like to see in Illinois, J.B. Pritzker pointed to other Midwestern states. But imposing those income tax rates would raise taxes on the median Illinois family.
Illinois' spending on administrative costs is among the highest in the nation, sapping scarce dollars from the classroom. But a new bill would slow the growth in these expenses and align them with taxpayers' ability to pay.
After passing an unbalanced budget in 2017, Decatur will have to address its declining population and revenue as it looks ahead to crafting future budgets.
Charter schools are intended to offer families more options in the public school system, but Illinois law often restricts and undermines the autonomy with which they were designed.