State Seal

EFAB
Rich Voltz, East Central Illinois School Districts

Report To the Governor's Education Funding Advisory Board On East-Central Illinois GSA Survey

East-Central Illinois School Districts Participating In Survey

Christian DeWitt Fayette Marion Sangamon
  Morrisonville   Clinton   Brownstown   Salem Elementary   Riverton
  Pana   Mt. Pulaski   Ramsey   South Central   Rochester
Clark Douglas   Vandalia Montgomery   Tri-City
  Casey   Arcola Macon   Nokomis   Williamsville
  Marshall   Arthur   Argenta-Oreana Moultrie Shelby
Clay Edgar   Decatur   Sullivan   Central A&M
  Clay City   Kansas   Maroa   Lovington   Cowden-Herrick
Coles Effingham   Mt. Zion Piatt   Shelbyville
  Mattoon   Altamont   Niantic   Bement   Stew.-Stras.
  Oakland   Beecher City   Warrensburg   Cerro Gordo   Windsor
Cumberland   Dieterich   Monticello Vermilion
  Cumberland   Effingham   Westsville
  Neoga   Teutopolis

Major Findings

  • School year 1998-1999 to 1999-2000
% Growth in ADA = -1.73%
% Growth in EAV = 6.43%
%Growth in GSA = -4.79%
% Growth in GSA & Block Grant = -2.84%
Estimated ADA Growth for 2000-01 = -.88%

Disparity in Funding

  • Average Operating Expense Per Pupil
East Central Unit Districts $5,518.65
Dupage Unit Districts $7,692.46
Lake Unit Districts $7,216.26
McHenry Unit Districts $6,019.15
Chicago Public Schools $7,995.66
  • An average of $1,712 more per student for (Dupage, Lake, McHenry, & Chicago)

This would result in $2,107,755 per year for the average East Central School District of 1,231 students.

Survey Results for 2000-01 
General State Aid
  • 36 School Districts lost an average of $127,820
  • 8 School Districts gained an average of $43,414
  • An average of $101.31 per student
  • An average of $45,61 per student

Losers & Winners

Decatur -893,762 Cerro Gordo -76,120 Neoga -27,484
Pana -384,491 Rochester -74,855 Bement -24,301
Williamsville -323,110 Tri-City -72,150 Monticello -18,356
Effingham -302,991 Mt. Zion -71,898 Argenta-Oreana -8,490
South Central -267,543 Niantic-Harristown -70,506 Nokomis -2,249
Lovington -216,650 Oakland -69,017 Dieterich -1,777
Mt. Pulaski -188,147 Cumberland -56,696 Salem Elem. 10,187
Stew-Strasburg -169,378 Brownstown -53,485 Ransey 11,991
Shelbyville -163,210 Casey -51,241 Maroa 15,608
Sullivan -152,639 Arthur -50,605 Marshall 30,072
Central A&M -137,249 Clinton -47,759 Cowden-Herrick 35,808
Clay City -136,556 Altamont -37,463 Riverton 35,952
Vandalia -133,683 Morrisonville -34,807 Beecher City 38,062
Arcola -120,829 Mattoon -31,232 Warrensburg 61,689
Windsor -100,425 Westville -30,820 Teutopolis 118,128
Kansas -30,179
East-Central Illinois School Districts 
Change in GSA from 1999-00 to 2000-01

East Central Illinois Survey

Districts Winning = 18% Districts Losing = 82%

Points of Interest

  • When a 1,000 student school district loses 1.4% of its students, it is not feasible to reduce 1.4% of the teacher staff because 1.4% is .6 FTE.

  • Teacher salaries in East Central Illinois are already low and districts cannot attract teaching candidates

  • 1998 Average teacher salary for all unit districts = $41,900

  • 1998 Average teacher salary for medium unit districts = $34,670

  • A typical East Central Illinois school district cannot lose state aid, gain local revenue via increased EAV, give raises and balance its budget.

Example:  Sullivan School District

  • 2000-01 Budget Year

General State Aid -$152,639
  • (Due to reduction in ADA of 42 students and increase in EAV of 3.99%)
Local EAV +$ 85,000
Reduction of two teachers +$ 60,000
Teacher salary increase -$145,000
Result -$152,630

Recommendations:

  • Put new and additional state revenue dollars into the general state aid formula which is designed to distribute monies with a sense of equity, the poorer the school district, the more money received via the formula.  We propose raising the foundation formula to reflect the spending of new state dollars for K-12 education.

  • Cease the current trend of putting new state dollars into categorical grants which tends to aggravate the disparity in funding between rich and poor school districts.

  • The average daily attendance figured in the funding formula needs to go back to a three-year average.  The fluctuations in enrollment need to be cushioned to help school districts.

Additional Recommendations:

  • Keep the concept of the guaranteed foundation level as initiated in 1998-99.

  • Adjust the foundation level for FY 02 to the $6,000 per student amount that ISBE has determined provides for an adequate education.

  • We support the reduction of property taxes and a raise in sales and/or income tax to support increase funding to education.

Also there is a chart listing the following items for all of the East-Central Illinois School Districts.  It includes:

  • 1998-99 ADA

  • 1998-99 EAV

  • 1999-2000 GSA

  • 1999-2000 Block Grant

  • 1999-2000 ADA

  • Growth in ADA

  • % Growth in ADA

  • 1999-2000 EAV

  • Growth in EAV

  • % Growth in EAV

  • 2000-01 GSA

  • Growth in GSA

  • % Growth in GSA

  • 2000-01 Block Grant

  • Growth in Block Grant

  • GSA plus Block Grant

  • % Growth GSA plus Block Grant

  • Estimated 2000-01 ADA

  • % Growth 2000-01 ADA

f you would like a copy of this spreadsheet, please call or email Carol Groves at 217/782-4510.