Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) voted for the state school funding bill because of its equal treatment of schools and the reduction of unfunded mandates, according to his website.
Senate Bill 1947 passed the House on Aug. 28 and was signed into law on Aug. 31.
Welter said the fact that no district will lose money combined with the lack of special dealmaking with a specific district was appealing to him.
Rep. David Welter (R-Morris)
“In response to concerns expressed by myself and others, Chicago Public Schools’ normal pension costs will be paid in the same manner as all other school districts,” he said on his website. “All 852 school districts in Illinois will now be treated the same.”
One part of the bill drew mixed reactions from his constituents, Welter said: The tax-credit scholarship program designed to assist students from low- and middle-income households to attend private schools. Welter defended that aspect.
“Those children who move from a public school to a private school save the public school resources to reinvest, which is good for all,” Welter said.
Welter acknowledged that the bill was not perfect but argued that the good parts far outweighed the rest.
Alerts Sign-up