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New Trier students support Chicago efforts for school funding reform

by Susan Dosemagen
Oct 02, 2008



 

Matt McCambridge spoke to a school funding rally outside Wrigley Field on Wednesday.


More than 20 miles and nearly $7,000 separate New Trier High School students in Winnetka and students in Chicago public schools.

Some New Trier students think that’s unfair and want to close the financial gap.

“I grew up somewhere where I was lucky enough to be in a zip code that had a good school,” New Trier student Matt McCambridge told a rally for education funding reform Wednesday night. “Just because you are born somewhere where you happen to be lucky doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t deserve to be lucky as well.”

McCambridge and other students became interested in funding reform after nearly 1,000 Chicago students attempted to register at two North Shore schools to protest the current school funding plan in a demonstration organized by Illinois Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago). 

Meeks is protesting a controversial funding system that relies primarily on local property taxes. Local taxes account for 57 percent of school funding, the state provides 33 percent and federal dollars make up the remaining 9 percent.

Affluent communities, such as Winnetka, are able to devote more money to each student, in this case almost $7,000 more. The New Trier district averaged about $17,500 per student in 2007 while Chicago averaged $11,000. The statewide average was $9,900 per student, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

So McCambridge, along with other New Trier students, started the Illinois Council of Students to lobby for school funding reform and better schools in Chicago and all of Illinois, said council member Reuben Brown.

 Brown said the students think there should be no reason New Trier and Chicago public schools receive different funding and support Meeks’ school funding reform plan.

According to Illinois Council of Students, it aims to address problems at schools by “changing attitudes towards school, provide basic services the state will not provide, and collaborate with existing organizations.”

The Illinois Council of Students is in the process of building a Web site; the anticipated address is illinoiscouncilofstudents.org. McCambridge also encouraged supporters to contact the group at illinoiscouncilofstudents@gmail.com.