Spending gap between state's rich, poor schools is vast

11-09-2011

By Lisa Black/Chicago Tribune

The kids at Taft Elementary School in Lockport enjoy small class sizes and a strong basic curriculum, but the school offers no arts, language or technology classes, and the building's heating system hasn't been upgraded since 1959. Rondout Elementary School, near Lake Forest, offers Spanish in every grade, beginning with kindergarten. Most students are issued laptops, and they can join the band or chorus and study art, drama or dance. The schools are both in the Chicago area, but they're miles apart in funding because of the state's heavy reliance on property taxes to finance education. Taft spent $7,023 in operating costs per student in 2010, while Rondout spent more than three times that much — a whopping $24,244 — for each child. (more...)

Document Actions

Send this
Print this

Personal tools

Sections

Spending gap between state's rich, poor schools is vast

Document Actions