Education reform is the way to go if local schools want to make sure they get their fair share of money from the state. State Senator Dave Koehler of Peoria tells WMBD's Greg and Dan, "For example, Florida uses a county wide school system and they elect a superintendent." Koehler continues, "There's no reason in Illinois we have to have over 800 different units of school districts."
Koehler pointed out his predecessor, former Senator George Shadid, was a proponent of cutting the number of school superintendents in the state.
Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis has said he doesn't like the Governor's idea cutting funding two municipalities as part of the effort to balance the state's budget. Democratic State Senator Dave Koehler of Peoria says he can't argue with that. "I think that's a bad move," says Koehler, "but we have to understand the Governor is mandated by the legislature to bring forth a balanced budget."
Koehler says the state has cut 18-to-19 percent of its spending the last two years but is still digging out a budget hole.
