Written by Noland Staff Thursday, 29 April 2010 11:16
"Elgin School District U-46 is running desperately short on money," Noland said. "Providing better, more reliable school funding is one of my highest priorities. By correcting a loophole in Illinois law, I can help U-46 balance its budget with millions of dollars from the state." Because U-46 encompasses portions of both Cook and Kane Counties, it loses millions of dollars in General State Aid every year. Kane County uses actual property value assessments when it applies to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for funding. Cook County uses estimates, and in this case the combination of estimates and actual property value assessments costs the district vast amounts of money Noland’s legislation, Senate Bill 2499, requires ISBE to use property tax values from the county that will most benefit the school district for districts that encompass multiple counties (the county with the most equalized assessed valuation). In this case, ISBE would use Cook County’s data. "When this bill is signed into law, U-46 will receive approximately $22 million in additional funding from the state," Noland said. "This is money U-46 should have been receiving for years. Restoring it will help prevent further teacher layoffs and protect the quality of our children’s education." Senator Noland is a major advocate for schools, education, and school funding reform. Last year, he voted for comprehensive funding reform that would have shifted some of the tax burden from property tax to income tax, resulting in lower property taxes and higher state payments to schools. He recently held a town hall meeting attended by more than one hundred people to discuss this plan (House Bill 174) and school funding in general.
SPRINGFIELD, IL— State Sen. Michael Noland’s (D-Elgin) plan to restore millions of dollars in lost state funding to Elgin School District U-46 has passed both Houses of the Illinois General Assembly and now goes to the governor for his signature.
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Senator Noland Menu
22nd District
Years served: 2007 - Present
Committee assignments: Judiciary; Public Health; Criminal Law (Chairperson); Energy; Committee of the Whole; Licensed Activities; Subcommittee on Special Issues; Subcommittee on Transparency (Sub-Chairperson).
Biography: Bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago; Law degree from John Marshall Law School. Served as a Corpsman in the United States Navy at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. Community volunteer with local organizations protecting the environment and assisting homeless persons. Resides in Elgin with his wife, Veronica, and their two children.