Senator Kimberly A. Lightford News

Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford sat down Friday to talk about some of the isses important to the 4th Senate District, including pension reform, concealed carry and education funding among others.

The Illinois Senate recently passed a spending plan for next fiscal year that includes an additional $155 million more for education than what is being spent in the current budget. The governor's proposed cuts to General State Aid were roundly rejected but even with the added money, Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford believes more still needs to be done.

Education funding for the next budget year is at an 89 percent proration level, and Lightford says she will continue to push for ending the embarrassing practice of proration and restoring education funding to its proper 100 percent level.

Last week, Lightford made a powerful argument for properly funding education during debate of the budget on the Senate floor. You can listen below.

Proposal to lower the compulsory education age from 7 to 6 passes General Assembly

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford's (D-Maywood) plan to require all children to start school at age 6 has cleared the General Assembly and is on its way to the governor.

"Our kids deserve a chance to succeed. We decided that long ago when we created public schools and compulsory education," Lightford said. "How can a child who doesn't even start school until the age of 7 ever catch up on her reading and math skills?"

Lightford's proposal (Senate Bill 1307) lowers Illinois' compulsory education age from 7 to 6 – a move strongly supported by Illinois teachers.

Illinois is one of 14 states that do not require children to attend school until they turn 7. Two other states start at the age of 8. However, most states require children to go to school starting at age 5 or 6.

According to a Chicago Tribune report, nearly 18 percent of Chicago kindergartners and first-graders were chronic truants during the 2010-11 school year, missing nine or more days without a valid excuse.

Under Illinois law, child truants do not face any penalties – their parents do. A parent who doesn't make every effort to make sure their children are at school can face up to 30 days in jail or a $1,500 fine, though the courts rarely impose such severe penalties.

"Children need to learn good study habits early," Lightford said. "Personally, I do not believe 6 is young enough – I encourage all parents to enroll their children in preschool and other early childhood education programs."

Lightford's legislation requires parents to begin their children's education at age 6, but it doesn't specify where the children have to go. Public school, private school, religious schools, charter schools and home school are equally valid choices.

An earlier version of the measure required children to start school at age 5, but after talking to educators and parents, Lightford agreed that some children may not be mature enough for school until age 6.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford's (D-Maywood) plan to continue the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and Percentage of Income Payment Program has passed the Illinois Senate and is on its way to the governor. Both programs help low-income families afford heat in the winter.

"These programs are too important to allow them to fall prey to budget cuts," Lightford said. "Having access to heat in the winter can be a matter of life or death, especially for seniors and families with young children."

The LIHEAP program provides low-income families with a one-time benefit to help them pay for energy expenses in the winter. Eligibility guidelines are based on the federal poverty level. Families who don't own their own homes can only qualify if the cost of rent is more than 30 percent of their total expenses. The program also has sliding application periods to ensure that seniors get the first opportunity to apply, followed by families with children, followed by all others.

The PIPP program, which was reinstated by a law passed by Lightford, allows participating families to pay a percentage of their incomes toward their utility bills, receive monthly benefits and lower their utility bills each time they make on-time payments of overdue bills by their due dates. The program has been highly successful in helping families lower their winter energy costs.

To learn more about LIHEAP and PIPP, utility customers can call Illinois' Energy Assistance Hotline at (877) 411-9267.

The two programs were in danger of expiring this year, but Lightford's legislation will ensure that winter heating help will be available for at least another decade.

Proposal to lower the compulsory education age from 7 to 6 passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford's (D-Maywood) plan to require all children to start school at age 6 has cleared the Senate and now goes to the Illinois House.

"Second grade is too late to start school," Lightford said. "How can a child who doesn't even start school until she turns 7 ever catch up on her reading and math skills?"

Lightford's proposal (Senate Bill 1307) lowers Illinois' compulsory education age from 7 to 6 – a move strongly supported by Illinois teachers.

Illinois is one of 14 states that do not require children to attend school until they turn 7. Two other states start at the age of 8. However, most states require children to go to school starting at age 5 or 6.

According to a Chicago Tribune report, nearly 18 percent of Chicago kindergartners and first-graders were chronic truants during the 2010-11 school year, missing nine or more days without a valid excuse.

Under Illinois law, child truants do not face any penalties – their parents do. A parent who doesn't make every effort to make sure their children are at school can face up to 30 days in jail or a $1,500 fine, though the courts rarely impose such severe penalties.

"We owe it to the children to pass this law," Lightford said. "As a society, we decided children deserve an education when we passed the first compulsory education law. We should make sure they get it.

"Parents can choose public school, private school, religious school, charter school or home school. The only thing they can't choose is to deprive their children of the opportunity to get the education they need to qualify for a good job later in life."