A+ Illinois supports the following Education Funding, Education Quality, and Tax Reform Principles

1. Ensure that all children receive a quality education by establishing adequate, reliable, sustainable funding for Illinois schools
   • Ensure the state of Illinois assumes primary responsibility for funding schools by increasing the state share of school funding (at or above 51 percent)
   • Guarantee every school district sufficient financial resources by raising the minimum amount the state secures per student (i.e., the foundation level) to an adequate level ($5,835 per pupil, with adjustments for inflation, by 2006 or earlier), and guarantee additional funds to address particular needs of low-income schoolchildren
   • Reduce the reliance on the local property tax to fund public schools to diminish funding and education quality disparities between school districts
   • Permit school districts to maintain or enhance current funding through local effort
2. Develop state-based tax revenues based on a fair, efficient, stable, responsive, and transparent system that is not regressive, that encourages responsible and accountable use of public funds, that helps create responsible economic development, job creation and sound regional planning, and that helps close the state's structural deficit
   • Decrease reliance on local property taxes
   • Establish minimum property tax relief and additional targeted tax relief to distressed communities or schools
   • Address tax burdens and relief for businesses and individuals
   • Utilize low rates and broad bases to minimize distortion to the economy
   • Off-set any additional tax burden on low- and moderate-income families through targeted tax relief and/or expansion of existing programs
3. Support proven strategies that build capacity to improve student learning and close the student achievement gap
4. Put our state on more sound fiscal footing to protect education, human services, and community programs that are vital to the well-being of children and families, particularly those Illinoisans most in need
5. Break the strong correlation between individuals' addresses and the quality of their schools, availability of housing options, and the health of their local community and economy