SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Andy Manar (D–Bunker Hill) passed a measure in the Senate Thursday that would award a tax-equivalent grant to the Springfield School District to make up for lost property tax dollars from state government-owned properties.

“Springfield is unique because of the large number of government-owned properties scattered throughout the city,” said Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat whose district includes much of Springfield School District 186. “This unique situation required a unique solution.”

Government-owned properties such as the Capitol, Supreme Court building and the State Library are exempt from property taxes, which impacts the general state aid formula used to determine how much money Springfield schools receive from the overall education funding pot. So the decreased property taxes means Springfield receives less money from the general state aid formula.

Read more: Manar passes measure to address education funding inequality

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Andy Manar (D–Bunker Hill) today launched an online petition where members of the community can add their name to a growing list of parents, teachers and concerned citizens calling for education funding reform in Illinois. The petition can be signed by visiting www.SenatorAndyManar.com/FundingReform

“By far, one of the biggest concerns I hear about from parents in central Illinois is concern over how we’re funding—or not funding—their children’s schools,” said Manar. “As a parent of three children in a small public school, I share that concern. It’s time we take a serious look at our current system and look for ways to improve.”

Manar has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 32 that begins the reform process by creating the General Assembly’s Advisory Committee on Education Funding. The committee's job will be to conduct a comprehensive review of the current K-12 education funding system in Illinois and make recommendations for a more fair and adequate funding distribution method by Feb 1, 2014. No such review of education funding has been conducted in over 10 years.

Read more: Manar invites community to voice support for education funding reform

EDWARDSVILLE – Newly elected State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) joined local educators from around the region Tuesday to discuss ways to improve education in the state.

Manar fielded questions and shared his ideas on what should be accomplished in the upcoming session of the General Assembly during the Illinois Education Association Region 5 dinner in Edwardsville. One of the major issues Manar has been focusing on is the disparity in school funding in Illinois and the different ways the issue can be addressed.

“Where you live shouldn’t determine how much is invested in your child’s education,” Manar said. “There are serious disparities in funding for schools throughout our state and the situation gets worse every year. We need to refocus our state on helping those whose needs for too long have been neglected.”

Manar said that some school districts in the suburbs of Chicago spend three or four times more per student than his home school district in Bunker Hill. 

“We are a small district in Bunker Hill but we have teachers who work hard every day and make a difference in the lives of their students under difficult circumstances,” Manar said. 

Lawmakers for decades have discussed major reform ideas to combat this problem.  Manar said that the Legislature hasn’t made the issue as much of a priority as it should be.

Manar, who has his Illinois Teacher Certification, also discussed the need to recruit and retain quality teachers and personnel.