Sixty-three school districts across the state are waiting for the Illinois Supreme Court to decide if the schools have a case regarding the constitutionality of educational funding based on property wealth.

The lawsuit was filed against Gov. Jim Edgar, the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Education Joseph Spagnolo five years ago. On Sept. 21, the Supreme Court received the case to decide whether or not the Committee for Educational Rights had a valid case that should be tried in court.

Randolph Tinder, chairman of the Committee for Educational Rights, said the lawsuit is for the benefit of Illinois school children, seeking the best education possible for the students.

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In Illinois, school funding is based on property tax, Tinder said. The highest area is Roundout, where they spend $14,525 a year per student. The lowest is St. Rose where they spend $2,760 a year per student. There is no way to provide equitable opportunities for students with those discrepancies.

The Committee believes current funding is in direct violation of Article X of the Illinois Constitution, Tinder said.

The Article states, A fundamental goal of the People of the State is the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities. The State shall provide for an efficient system of high quality public educational institutions and services.

The current funding is biased and does not meet these requirements, Tinder said.

If you live in an area of unlimited property wealth, your children will have far better opportunities than those children who live in property poor areas, Tinder said. What we are trying to do is have this method declared unconstitutional and have the legislature make a new policy. We want to give kids more opportunities for their educational value.

John P. Gardner, superintendent of Harrisburg Community District Number Three, said the lawsuit is statewide and effects anyone in the educational system.

What we want to see is an efficient and adequate system, Gardner said. The system is not fair when some schools get $3,000 and others get $10,000 to $12,000 per student. Our intent is to bring these discrepancies to the public’s attention and get a fair and equitable situation for the schools.

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Robert J. Lenz, attorney for the Committee for Educational Rights, said the lawsuit has been thrown out of two lower courts, and now the decision rests in the hands of the Illinois Supreme Court.

Basically, the lower courts said this is a matter for the legislature to settle not the courts, Lenz said. Illinois has a system to finance schools that depends on how much property wealth is in the community. Now we’re waiting to see if the Supreme Court sees the need for our case to be heard in court.

The Court should make a decision within the next four to five months, Lenz said.

Some of the schools involved in the lawsuit are Harrisburg, Murphysboro, Mt. Vernon, and all Chicago public schools.