The Illinois House is considering a six-percent cut to state universities in next year's budget. That's nearly double the reduction in the budget plan that passed the Senate last week.
The dollar amount of the cuts would vary depending on the size of the institution:
For the three campuses of the University of Illinois ... in Urbana, Chicago and Springfield ... that amounts to a reduction of more than $42 million dollars.
Southern Illinois University would lose more than 14-point-seven million dollars.
Illinois State University would lose nearly four-point-eight million dollars.
The proposal also slashes 15-million dollars from scholarships for needy students through the Monetary Assistance Program, also known as MAP Grants.
On top of that ... the state could shift more of the pension burden for university employees onto schools. A proposal to deal with the state's under-funded pension systems is expected to come up for a vote today (TUESDAY).
Meanwhile money for K-12 education is also on the chopping block. State Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) says the House wants to cut $260 million from next year's education budget. That differs from the governor's and Senate's proposals, which keep the bottom line unchanged. He says the Senate made up the difference by moving unused money around.
Davis, who chairs the committee that approves education spending, says he would have used that money for education. But the House leadership wouldn't even consider it.
Lawmakers are also considering several other options that would diminish revenue for schools. One proposal would make school districts pay more for teachers' pensions. Another would take $8.7 million from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax revenue to pay for pensions, which is a pot of revenue commonly used by local governments.
Illinois ranks last in the nation for the amount of state assistance it gives to school districts and the state owes schools millions in unpaid bills. Davis says the situation will inevitably force some school districts to make a combination of cuts, layoffs and property tax increases.
Both chambers and the governor must agree before the proposal is final.
