Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We call on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:
- Immediately support an end to the state budget impasse.
- Fix the education funding formula and invest in students in schools, including higher education, throughout the state.
- Pay school districts what they are owed this year.
Meridian Schools has partnered with 360 other Illinois school districts, representing over 1,370,000 students across Illinois, to support a statewide initiative called, “Pass Illinois Budget”. This effort’s aim is to shed light on the hardships the current Illinois Budget Impasse has on local school districts and its effects on our students.
While public K-12 schools have benefitted from a partially-funded budget, without a full budget our schools, students, families and communities will suffer. For Meridian CUSD #15, state funding comprises nearly 43% of revenue for the Education Fund and about 67% percent of revenue for the Transportation Fund. During the most recent fiscal year (FY17), the Meridian School District has received all of its General State Aid payments. However, the school still hasn’t received a mandated categorical payment for fiscal year 2017. Mandated categorical payments equal approximately $650,000 of revenue per year to our school district. This equates to almost 9% of our total revenue for the operating funds.
The State of Illinois’ delinquency in paying these payments, along with reduced funding over the last several years, has put a stress on Meridian CUSD #15’s financial health. To be more specific, the Meridian School Board has recently begun the process of amending it 2016-2017 school year budget to reflect the missing mandated categorical payments. The budget adopted in the fall of 2016 had a positive balance of $76,000 in these operating funds. However, with the missed payments, the school board will be forced to amend that budget and now will carry a deficit of $266,000.
To date, the Meridian School District has been utilizing its’ reserve funds to maintain the programs it offers our students. However, those reserve funds are limited and we cannot continue to cut another 9-10% of expenditures without effecting the programs that we offer.
We ask that the government leaders to pass a budget, pay schools what they are owed and fix the education funding formula!
#PassIllinoisBudget!
#DoYourJob!
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Updates
April 24, 2017
The budget impasse is draining our classrooms and leaving districts across the state behind. Contact your state representative today and demand they finalize a budget that funds our students. Send a message now and tell them that our schools cannot afford to wait.
April 24, 2017
The momentum behind this push to fix our funding formula is growing faster than I expected. Take this energy and call your state representative today to demand they end the budget impasse. Tell them our schools cannot survive another year of these games.
10 Comments
I can't believe that our education system is being held hostage because of our politicians' personal agendas. Please pass a budget! I have personally lost a job from this state's lack of school funding in the past. Illinois residents are fed up with this government. It is time for lawmakers to set aside their differences and become responsible. This isn't just about leadership from lawmakers anymore.....you've already proven you are awful at leadership and setting aside differences. This is about helping our children of Illinois have a future! Get it done!!!!
As a parent, educator, and citizen of Illinois, I find it unacceptable that Illinois has yet to pass a budget and that our schools are being adversely impacted as a result. I am signing this petition to request that our General Assembly members and Governor do what it takes to end the budget impasse, and provide the much-needed funding for our schools.
Pass the Budget!
Let's get this done for the kids!!
Pass the budget!!!
It is WAY past time to end this budget impasse. Please show that you care about fairness by fixing the funding formula for schools and by supporting higher education so students will choose to get their college degrees in state!
#DoYourJob
Share Petition
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We call on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:
- Immediately support an end to the state budget impasse.
- Fix the education funding formula and invest in students in schools, including higher education, throughout the state.
- Pay school districts what they are owed this year.
Meridian Schools has partnered with 360 other Illinois school districts, representing over 1,370,000 students across Illinois, to support a statewide initiative called, “Pass Illinois Budget”. This effort’s aim is to shed light on the hardships the current Illinois Budget Impasse has on local school districts and its effects on our students.
While public K-12 schools have benefitted from a partially-funded budget, without a full budget our schools, students, families and communities will suffer. For Meridian CUSD #15, state funding comprises nearly 43% of revenue for the Education Fund and about 67% percent of revenue for the Transportation Fund. During the most recent fiscal year (FY17), the Meridian School District has received all of its General State Aid payments. However, the school still hasn’t received a mandated categorical payment for fiscal year 2017. Mandated categorical payments equal approximately $650,000 of revenue per year to our school district. This equates to almost 9% of our total revenue for the operating funds.
The State of Illinois’ delinquency in paying these payments, along with reduced funding over the last several years, has put a stress on Meridian CUSD #15’s financial health. To be more specific, the Meridian School Board has recently begun the process of amending it 2016-2017 school year budget to reflect the missing mandated categorical payments. The budget adopted in the fall of 2016 had a positive balance of $76,000 in these operating funds. However, with the missed payments, the school board will be forced to amend that budget and now will carry a deficit of $266,000.
To date, the Meridian School District has been utilizing its’ reserve funds to maintain the programs it offers our students. However, those reserve funds are limited and we cannot continue to cut another 9-10% of expenditures without effecting the programs that we offer.
We ask that the government leaders to pass a budget, pay schools what they are owed and fix the education funding formula!
#PassIllinoisBudget!
#DoYourJob!
Updates
April 24, 2017
The budget impasse is draining our classrooms and leaving districts across the state behind. Contact your state representative today and demand they finalize a budget that funds our students. Send a message now and tell them that our schools cannot afford to wait.
April 24, 2017
The momentum behind this push to fix our funding formula is growing faster than I expected. Take this energy and call your state representative today to demand they end the budget impasse. Tell them our schools cannot survive another year of these games.
10 Comments
Schools are in desperate need of their funding. We are struggling to provide our students with the tools necessary to be successful in the classroom. To continually ask teachers, administrators, and support staff to keep getting by with inadequate funding is not only unethical, but it also is taking away from our future generation's ability to be successful. As teachers, we are asked to meet and come up with compromises on a daily basis-those that will best benefit our own constituents (essentially our children). It is truly disheartening and maddening to see that our own state government cannot do the same.
I can't believe that our education system is being held hostage because of our politicians' personal agendas. Please pass a budget! I have personally lost a job from this state's lack of school funding in the past. Illinois residents are fed up with this government. It is time for lawmakers to set aside their differences and become responsible. This isn't just about leadership from lawmakers anymore.....you've already proven you are awful at leadership and setting aside differences. This is about helping our children of Illinois have a future! Get it done!!!!
As a parent, educator, and citizen of Illinois, I find it unacceptable that Illinois has yet to pass a budget and that our schools are being adversely impacted as a result. I am signing this petition to request that our General Assembly members and Governor do what it takes to end the budget impasse, and provide the much-needed funding for our schools.
Pass the Budget!
Let's get this done for the kids!!
Pass the budget!!!
It is WAY past time to end this budget impasse. Please show that you care about fairness by fixing the funding formula for schools and by supporting higher education so students will choose to get their college degrees in state!
#DoYourJob
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Schools are in desperate need of their funding. We are struggling to provide our students with the tools necessary to be successful in the classroom. To continually ask teachers, administrators, and support staff to keep getting by with inadequate funding is not only unethical, but it also is taking away from our future generation's ability to be successful. As teachers, we are asked to meet and come up with compromises on a daily basis-those that will best benefit our own constituents (essentially our children). It is truly disheartening and maddening to see that our own state government cannot do the same.