Illinois has budget but no school funding plan


              FILE - In this Thursday, May 15, 2014 file photo, Illinois Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood speaks on the House floor at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Lawmakers in July 2017 enacted an overall spending plan for the state that includes money for education. Gov. Bruce Rauner has suggested he will veto that newly devised school funding method, which could leave the state with no plan to allocate the general state education aid, which includes a $350 million increase for schools. Davis is the legislation's House sponsor. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman,, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, May 15, 2014 file photo, Illinois Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood speaks on the House floor at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Lawmakers in July 2017 enacted an overall spending plan for the state that includes money for education. Gov. Bruce Rauner has suggested he will veto that newly devised school funding method, which could leave the state with no plan to allocate the general state education aid, which includes a $350 million increase for schools. Davis is the legislation's House sponsor. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman,, File)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois has a budget. But school starts in a month and there's no method of funding education.

That's because the spending plan lawmakers enacted this month over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes includes a requirement that school funding be distributed through a new method. But that method isn't law yet and Rauner has promised to veto it.

The funding method funnels more money into districts with less local property wealth and specific socio-economic needs.

But Rauner objects because he says it unfairly boosts Chicago school funding. A veto could leave little time for legislative remedies before school starts in August.

Jennifer Gill is superintendent of the Springfield School District. She supports the legislation and worries legislative wrangling will interfere with the coming school year.

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The bill is SB1.

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