The District 205 board’s discussion on preparing for the “doomsday scenario” of no state funding past July 1 has been delayed due to encouraging messages Superintendent Ralph Grimm heard throughout the day today.
Grimm said he had been in contact with local legislators and has heard the General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Grimm said he understands a “budget deal” is in the works, including a one year spending plan for K-12 education and “perhaps” a six month stop gap budget for the entire state.
He cautions against breathing a premature sigh of relief.
“We’re not in the end-zone yet,” Grimm says. “We may be on the two-yard line but we’ve got to push it across the goal line tomorrow. It’s not a done deal.”
As Grimm understands it, the deal is to fully fund schools at the foundation level, instead of prorating which has left the district without $7.6 million in promised funds since it began in 2009.
He tells WGIL that he feels confident enough in the legislature and Gov. Bruce Rauner reaching a deal to delay the “doomsday” discussions but…
“Hopefully there will be a vote tomorrow and all of this will be for not,” Grimm says. “If it’s not, then we’ll come back next week. We’ll still have time and we’ll have the conversation a week from now that we were planning to have tonight.”
Grimm calls the effects of the impasse “paralyzing.”
Not just for 205, but for people, organizations and municipalities across the state.
