Letter to the Editor: Illinois Senator Matt Murphy Talks Pensions, School Funding

March 14, 2013

Speaker Madigan and others would have us believe that suburban and downstate school districts are receiving a “free lunch” from the state because the state picks up some teachers’ pension costs.  As a suburban legislator, I find it particularly difficult to accept that we are receiving any sort of a free lunch after a 67 percent income tax increase and the understanding that our property taxes account for approximately 90 percent of the funding for suburban schools. 

On March 13, I joined Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno and put to rest the notion that suburban and downstate school districts are being subsidized by the state to a significantly greater extent than Chicago Public Schools.  We took an in-depth look into the funding disparity and discovered that while Chicago Public Schools only account for roughly 18 percent of Illinois’ public schoolchildren, they receive $772 million of additional funding compared to downstate and suburban schools.

So the question is who is really getting a “free lunch?” Let’s get to the bottom of pension reform and not cloud it up with misstatements, misdirection and talk of a so-called “free lunch” for downstate and suburban school districts. 

Matt Murphy

State Senator

27th District