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Robert Pritchard - Public School Funding

Former State Representative Robert (Bob) Pritchard, Republican from Hinckley, discusses the history of Illinois public school funding from its beginning the early 1800’s. He traces the school funding debate through the late 1960’s with the new state income tax, the 1970’s with a new State Constitution (Article X), the 1980’s with the Farm Bureau’s CHIEF effort (Changing How Illinois Education is Funded), the 1990’s with Funding Commissions/Task Forces, the Constitutional Amendment vote on Article X, and the many legislative efforts in the 2000’s. He reviews the New Evidence Based Funding Model which was adopted with the successful passage of Senate Bill 1947 in 2017. He further talks about future challenges to this funding model from his perspective as a School Board member, University trustee, county board member, and farmland owner.