To Create Property Tax Relief and Provide Illinois Students the Quality Education They Deserve, Gov. Pritzker Must Tax the Ultra-Rich

In response to Governor Pritzker stating that local school districts didn’t ‘take the hint’ at the same time that his budgets are more than seven years behind on meeting mandated funding requirements for education, Illinois Federation of Teachers Vice President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm issued the following:

"The Governor just admitted to every homeowner in Illinois that their property taxes would be lower if he fully funded schools at the state level. When he doesn’t provide funding for education, the County Treasurers’ report shows that it's not only students who suffer. When the state doesn’t prioritize education and the ultra-rich aren’t made to pay what they owe, the rest of us are made to pay more for smaller class sizes and wrap around supports like school nurses and counselors. Illinois' students deserve a world-class education and Illinois' homeowners deserve to have the ultra-rich pay their share so that we're not having to fill the Governor's budget gap alone.

Governor Pritzker can’t blame school districts for attempting to survive his inability to fully fund public education. Springfield owes our students over $6 billion dollars.  And there’s no excuse, Illinois has the fifth largest economy and one of the most unfair tax systems in the nation. The top 5% just got nearly seven billion dollars in tax breaks put back in their pocket from Trump.

Not providing full funding for schools at the state-level doesn’t just mean homeowners picking up the bill at the local level. It means students go without hot meals. Schools cut social workers, arts, music, and extracurriculars. It means schools can’t meet the mandated requirements to provide supports to students with special needs. And it means educators dig into our own pockets and go the extra mile because when you’re the one in the classroom, meeting students’ needs doesn’t feel like a line item, it feels like a necessity.

If the Governor sees education and property tax relief as a priority, there’s a simple solution; tax the ultra-rich. Massachusetts instituted a 4% millionaires tax and generated six billion dollars in recent years and it FUNDS public education. Washington state just passed a 9.9% tax on millionaires and those revenues protect and support young people.  Do not starve local governments of resources and then blame them for reaching for crumbs while you dine with the richest in the state at tables that are overflowing with more than enough.”