 Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday signed a piece of legislation that will
allow schools to transfer money from their health, life and safety
budget and to their operations and maintenance budgets. This
essentially allows the schools to use money earmarked for a new roof
or a new heating system for more day-to-day repairs and upkeep.
State Rep Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, said the new law gives local
schools some flexibility in already tight budgets.
"I think it's important that boards of education have the
flexibility, locally, to determine the use of (those dollars)."
The transferred money could replace dollars that are not being
spent, either because a local district doesn't have the cash or had
to spend the money in another area.
That's one of the problems that local school officials have with
the idea. Marion schools Superintendent Wade Hudgens said shifting
money, especially life safety money, is a poor way to budget.
"We have a fairly good surplus built up," Hudgens said. "But once
it's gone, it's gone."
Hudgens said that instead of giving local schools the power to
shift dollars, Quinn should find a way to pay school districts what
they're owed.
"We're still owed about $1.2 million in payments from
Springfield," said Hudgens.
In Alton, Superintendent David Elson knows exactly how much he's
owed.
"The state of Illinois owes us $2.47 million. ...We got a check
in early August, but that was for money from last year, and it was
months late."
Elson also is skeptical of shifting life safety money around. He
said the money would pay for a new roof if a tornado hits. Elson
said the new law is just another way for lawmakers to pass the buck.
"It's a way of tapping local dollars for (projects) that had been
paid for with state dollars," said Elson.
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Illini Bluffs Superintendent Sam Light said he's skeptical of any
plan that would free up "new money" for local schools.
The smaller district outside of Peoria learned the hard way that
it sometimes costs money to get money.
"It's amazing to me how 'new' money replaces state money. In the
end you really don't get that much," said Light.
The Illini Bluffs district is owed $210,605, and Light said he's
still waiting on two state payments that should have come in months
ago.
Pikeland school district in western Illinois isn't expecting much
money from Springfield this year.
Superintendent Paula Hawley said her district is still waiting on
$450,000 from last year. She does not see much of a benefit in being
able to transfer dollars around in her budget.
"If (leaders in Springfield) want to help, they can pay what they
owe us. If the state just paid its bills on time, then we'd all be
in much better shape," said Hawley.
Eddy acknowledges that transferring a few dollars around will not
solve the funding crisis for local schools. But he does think that
the flexibility could help a few districts.
"(For some schools) state aid payments are going to be directed
toward transportation rather than maintenance. ... This will allow
some districts to use some money that for a year or two can help
them get through this fiscal crisis. And if they don't want to, they
don't have to," he said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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