Sangamon Sun

The 17 school districts suing the State of Illinois and Governor Bruce Rauner, demanding more taxpayer money, have seen their own funding levels increase over the past two decades, while their enrollments steadily fell.

Collectively, the districts spent 29 percent more per pupil in 2015 than in 1997, inflation-adjusted, according to an analysis by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes the Sangamon Sun.

Total spending by the suing districts rose 8 percent, as their enrollments fell 16 percent, from 26,517 to 22,185 students, Illinois State Board of Education data shows.

Cahokia School District 187, in St. Clair County near St. Louis, saw a 70 percent per-pupil spending increase, the largest of the 17 districts, while its enrollment fell 32 percent. 

Cahokia spent $16,270 per student in 2015, or about one-third more than the state average of $12,821. Only 20 percent of that funding came from local property taxpayers; the rest came from Springfield and federal grants.

Art Ryan, the district's superintendent, said that even still, local property taxpayers in Cahokia are paying too much. He believes the state should raise taxes on the Chicago suburbs to fund Cahokia's schools.

Plaintiff Grant Central District 110 in the Metro East suburb of Fairview Heights, per-pupil funding rose 56 percent as its enrollment fell 27 percent, to 556 from 756.

In Macoupin County’s Gillespie District 7, per-pupil spending rose 44 percent while enrollment fell 12 percent. Vandalia District 203 (spending up 35 percent, enrollment down 16 percent), Bethalto District 8 (spending up 32 percent, enrollment down 16 percent) and Taylorville District 3 (spending up 29 percent, enrollment down 18 percent) also saw significant spending increases and enrollment decreases during the 1997 to 2015 period.

Of the suing districts, 15 of 17 saw per pupil spending increases and enrollment decreases.

State funding at the 17 districts fell 8 percent over the period, about half the rate of their enrollment decline, meaning the districts saw per-pupil funding increases from Springfield. 

Federal funding at the districts rose 74 percent.

School districts receive state and federal funding on a per-pupil basis.

The lawsuit, which includes districts located in St. Clair, Bond, Christian, Fayette, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Montgomery and Peoria Counties, was filed Wed. April 5 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

Enrollment change, 1997 to 2015

Of the 17 school districts suing the state and Governor Bruce Rauner, 15 saw enrollment declines between 1997 and 2015.

School District	1997	2015	% Change
Cahokia 187	4,509	3,076	-31.8%
Nokomis 22	795	572	-28.1%
Grant Central 110	765	556	-27.3%
Bunker Hill 8	737	583	-20.9%
Mt. Olive 5	588	466	-20.7%
Southwestern 9	1,829	1,456	-20.4%
Carlinville 1	1,689	1,353	-19.9%
Taylorville 3	2,808	2,289	-18.5%
Wood River-Hartford 14	823	682	-17.1%
Bethalto 8	2,707	2,271	-16.1%
Vandalia 203	1,654	1,394	-15.7%
Mulberry Grove 1	421	368	-12.6%
Gillespie 7	1,307	1,155	-11.6%
Pana 8	1,324	1,189	-10.2%
Staunton 6	1,099	1,059	-3.6%
Bond County 2	1,730	1,771	2.4%
Illinois Valley 321	1,732	1,945	12.3%
TOTALS	26,517	22,185	-16.3%

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Per-Pupil funding increase, 1997 to 2015

Of the 17 school districts suing the state and Governor Bruce Rauner, 16 saw per-pupil spending increases between 1997 and 2015.

School District	1997 $$	2015 $$	% Change
Cahokia 187	$9,550	$16,270	70.4%
Grant Central 110	$7,970	$12,470	56.5%
Gillespie 7	$7,564	$10,874	43.8%
Vandalia 203	$8,113	$10,992	35.5%
Bethalto 8	$7,854	$10,361	32.0%
Taylorville 3	$7,562	$9,753	29.0%
Mt. Olive 5	$7,961	$9,985	25.4%
Southwestern 9	$7,664	$9,413	22.8%
Mulberry Grove 1	$8,581	$10,463	21.9%
Pana 8	$9,244	$11,070	19.8%
Wood River-Hartford 14	$8,430	$10,063	19.7%
Bunker Hill 8	$7,928	$9,450	19.2%
Nokomis 22	$8,419	$9,876	17.3%
Bond County 2	$8,791	$9,991	13.7%
Carlinville 1	$8,020	$8,605	7.3%
Staunton 6	$7,810	$8,324	6.6%
Illinois Valley 321	$9,967	$9,842	-1.3%
TOTALS	$8,432	$10,881	29.1%

Source: Illinois State Board of Education; 1997 per-pupil spending numbers inflation-adjusted to 2015 dollars.