Unequal Education In The Illinois Constitution

Illinois schools spend an average of $8,786 per student per year. New Trier High School spends more than double that at $21,372. In contrast, Chicago Public Schools, only a short drive from NTHS, spend an average of $13,791 per student per year. For this reason, students in CPS schools receive a vastly different education and high school experience than students at New Trier (and schools with similar budgets). This unequal education is a complicated problem that is the root of many issues in the Illinois education system, and completely goes against the Illinois State Constitution. 

The unequal funding for Illinois schools completely violates the Illinois State Constitution, which states that "a fundamental goal of the people of the State is the educational developement of all persons to the limits of their capacities." I would argue that the limits of my capacities are no different than the limits of a student at any given Chicago Public School; I am no smarter than any other high school student. What the "limit" really is is money; students at New Trier have endless resources, amazing teachers and staff, countless extracurriculars, outstanding academic opportunities that other schools simply cannot afford. It seems to me that the State is not meeting their "fundamental goal" to educate all students equally. For the education of all students in Illinois to be more equal, the funding for Illinois schools must become more equal.

Additionally, the Illinois State Constitution promises to "provide for an efficient system of high quality public education" for all students in Illinois. To what extent, though, can a school provide a "high quality" education without the means to do so? Are students in Chicago Public Schools receiving the same quality education as students at New Trier? I would say no. The average ACT score at New Trier High school is a 26.8; in contrast, the average ACT score at Kelvyn Park High School, a Chicago Public School, is a 15.1. In addition, New Trier has a graduation rate of 98.5%, and 99% of students who graduate go on to college; Kelvyn Park has a graduation rate of 59.3%.The quality of education at these two schools is simply not equal, not what the state promises. The state must provide schools with enough money to provide a "high quality" education if they want to keep the standards they set up in the state's constitution. 

The amount funding a school receives plays a large role in the education the student receives, and we all know how important education and high school is in determining a person's future. How can the state change to provide a better, more equal education for all students?