The Illinois Senate today passed Senate Bill 231, an education funding reform proposal. 

But, not all legislators were happy about it.  State Senator Dale Righter said the bill isn't a fix but instead a bailout for Chicago Public Schools, which he said will get some 400-million dollars in additional money above what he calls the disproportationate share it already gets.

Righter added that this is occurring when Chicago Public Schools are failing financially and failing its students, with its dropout rate 150 percent higher than the state average.  Righter says 27-percent of students are chronic truants, 200 percent higher than the state average.  And, that reading, math, and science levels for Chicago Public School students are all well below the state average.

The Mattoon Senator says that the problem with this debate is that it's weighed too heavily on which school districts are winners and losers, and added that a better education funding system must start with the question of what the state wants to achieve thru the funding formula.