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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Illinois must keep its promise and maintain evidence-based funding for schools
Illinois made a promise to its children in 2017 — a promise that every student, no matter their ZIP code, deserves a fully funded public education. Lawmakers kept that promise by passing the evidence-based funding (EBF) formula. Since then, students are doing better. Schools are stronger. Communities are more stable. Now, that progress is at risk. Before EBF, more than 160 school districts in Illinois were operating with less than 60% of the resources they needed. That meant outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms and not enough counselors, nurses or special education services. Today, just one district remains below that 60% mark. The average adequacy level in underfunded districts has climbed from 67% to 77%. That's not just a number — that's more teachers in classrooms, more help for struggling students and more opportunities for success. Take the small district that was finally able to hire a full-time social worker. Or the growing high schools that now offer dual-credit programs, saving students thousands in college tuition. In Chicago and beyond, pre-K classrooms have expanded, graduation rates have risen and students are recovering from the deep impacts of COVID-19 faster than in many other states. None of this happened by accident. It happened because the Illinois General Assembly made a long-term commitment to invest in public education: $300 million in new state dollars each year, targeted to the districts that need them most. The plan also included reimbursements for special education and transportation, plus a Property Tax Relief Grant fund to help ease the pressure on local taxpayers. This wasn't a one-year fix. It was a deliberate, bipartisan effort to repair decades of inequity — and it's working. But seven years in, some are questioning whether we can keep going. The economy is uncertain. Federal COVID-19 relief funds have disappeared, and other federal funds are in jeopardy. Districts have seen reimbursements for non-negotiable mandated categorical (MCAT) costs erode. And inflation is hitting families and school budgets alike. That's exactly why now is the wrong time to pull back on EBF or MCATs. Our schools need steady support to keep moving forward, not to start slipping back. EBF isn't just good policy. It's also one of the most effective education investments Illinois has made in a generation. Lawmakers deserve credit for enacting it — and for holding the line through tough years. Now we're calling on them to stay the course. Let's keep our promise to Illinois' nearly 2 million public school students. Let's keep building on the progress we've made. And let's send a clear message: In Illinois, we don't shortchange the future.A bill, HB 1234, that is pending in the Illinois Senate proposes putting the secretary of state's office in charge of studying the fairness of underwriting factors used in auto insurance pricing — specifically, credit scores, ZIP codes and age. While the insurance industry is not opposed to a study, the way this legislation is structured raises serious concerns. Rather than forming an independent task force to conduct an impartial review, the measure would place full control of the study in the hands of the secretary of state's office, which wants to eliminate these very factors. This arrangement is akin to putting the wolf in charge of the hen house — the conclusion seems predetermined. The secretary of state's office has no insurance expertise, and it does not possess the technical knowledge needed to accurately assess and evaluate the factors that contribute to pricing in the auto insurance market. The fact is this: No one wants to pay more for insurance than they should. And that's why insurers use a wide range of driving and nondriving factors to ensure that no single variable has a disproportionate impact on an individual's premium. When insurers can accurately price policies, consumers benefit with lower rates overall, more choices for coverage, and greater market and price stability. Misguided legislation can have direct financial consequences for residents. For example, the state of Washington serves as a cautionary tale: After banning credit-based insurance scoring in 2021, over 60% of Washington drivers saw increased premiums. Given the secretary of state's established opposition to certain underwriting factors, handing over control of this study raises significant concerns about impartiality. A more credible approach would be to entrust an independent body, such as the University of Illinois Office of Risk Management & Insurance Research, with conducting a truly objective analysis. By having the University of Illinois conduct the study, policymakers could ensure that Illinoisans receive unbiased findings and avoid unintended consequences that may increase costs for consumers.I am writing to express my concerns about the safety issues faced by thousands of public transportation operators like me. I'm a proud member of ATU 241 and have been a CTA bus driver for seven years on routes such as King Drive and Cottage Grove on the South Side. These routes are crucial lifelines for the community. Every day, I transport children to schools such as Simeon Career Academy and Phillips Academy High School and adults to work or medical appointments. My work supports people like Mary, a wheelchair user I regularly take to the University of Chicago Medical Center. She relies on me to get her there safely. Many others depend on the CTA for their daily needs. If we fail to pass a bill soon, people like Mary and the communities I serve will be adversely affected, impacting all of Illinois. However, growing safety challenges overshadow my responsibilities. Transit workers face physical attacks and threats. Bus drivers operate their routes without any other staff. Despite having a panic button in my bus, I often resort to prayer for reassurance, which is unsustainable. Our community deserves safe public transport, free from fear. Incidents of attacks on workers and riders make headlines, yet effective safety improvements are lacking. If we are to retain a quality workforce that can serve the ridership demands, it is imperative that any legislative reform must also address safety. I urge state legislators to prioritize funding for the United We Move legislation to enhance security and support for drivers. Our goal is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone relying on public transportation. Improving bus safety is not just a priority — it's also essential. By working together, we can ensure every journey is safe for our community members. Both public transit operators and passengers are desperately relying on this immediate Leslie S. Richards' op-ed 'Philadelphia's transit faces deep cuts. Chicago can still avoid this fate.' (May 21), she makes a clear case that Chicago needs to act now in order to avoid drastic and ultimately costly reductions in service. I accept that. Too many people need reliable and continuous rail and bus service, and it would be awful for a city the size of Chicago not to have suitable mass transit. But what continues to infuriate me is how and why Chicago is in this mess in the first place. Sure, the pandemic impacted ridership significantly, but everyone knew ridership would continue to be slow to come back, and we certainly knew when federal dollars would dry up. Many of the structural problems facing mass transit in Chicago existed well before the pandemic and could have been addressed years ago, before the current crisis. Chicago's transit system got stuck with an old funding model that couldn't keep up with rising costs. Leaders should've taxed more services, such as streaming, to raise steady money. They also missed chances to keep riders on board with improved safety and better service. Merging agencies and setting aside a rainy-day fund would've helped too. Instead, the city leaned on temporary federal cash, and now that that's gone, we're facing this huge gap. This is typical of our city: Don't address the problem initially and then simply wait for the crisis in order to attempt to fix it. Poor leadership all around. And the city and state taxpayers will bear the cost of any fix — and does anyone really think our government is capable of doing that effectively?
Chicago Tribune
08-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
John Cullerton and Jason Barickman: Illinois higher education is poised to win big
Having both served in the state legislature — albeit on opposite sides of the aisle and from different parts of Illinois — we share a belief in the power of education to lift individuals, communities and the state as a whole. We worked together to help pass the evidence-based funding, or EBF, formula that transformed the way in which we fund our school districts, and we have seen how that fundamental reform has reshaped the K-12 landscape. Thanks to additional General Assembly funding, districts have added badly needed positions and programs to support student learning and well-being. Because of EBF, districts have funding predictability, allowing them to plan for the future in ways that are good for students. The new formula and steadfast investment allowed Illinois to withstand the impact of COVID-19 better than the nation as a whole and to rebound with more energy. Today, Illinois is one of the top-performing states in the nation for student academic growth. It is time to bring that same transformational effort to our public universities. Over the past 20 years, the value of a college degree has grown. Yet, during that same period, Illinois has slashed its support for public universities from roughly 15% of its revenue (matching the national average) to a mere 2%. New research from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability finds that inflation-adjusted spending has fallen 42% since fiscal year 2000, while tuition has more than doubled. This has placed a considerable burden on low- and middle-income families, making it increasingly difficult for students to afford a higher education degree, the report says. A recent survey of Illinois residents revealed that more than half of Democrats, independents and Republicans say the state should increase funding to public universities. When state support withers, tuition rises. That is exactly what has happened in Illinois, which now has the unwelcome distinction of being one of the least affordable places in the country to attend college. We are pricing out the next generation and depriving universities of the resources they need to serve their students well. In doing so, we are depriving Illinois of college graduates, future leaders, and the services, programs and goods that Illinois communities rely on across sectors. If we do not address this structural problem today, we will all pay the price tomorrow. The good news is there is legislation on the table that would not only address this issue, but also do so in a way as powerful and transformational as EBF. Two bills — Senate Bill 13 filed by Sen. Kimberly Lightford and House Bill 1581 by Rep. Carol Ammons — take the best of EBF and adjust and apply core principles to the complex world of four-year colleges. Working with experts, stakeholders and university leaders, they have crafted a first-ever formula for Illinois' public universities. Better still, the proposed formula considers the resources institutions need to fulfill their mission, run effective programs, and meet the needs of students from different regions, economic and academic backgrounds, while also taking into account the resources each university can bring to bear. For the first time, the formula allows the state to understand how well funded each university is compared with their unique needs. None of our institutions is fully funded. Some universities have 40% of what research tells us is needed to effectively serve students; others have 88%. Both bills call on the state to invest at least $135 million in new funds each year for the next 10 to 15 years to bring the system as a whole closer to full funding. Like EBF, the legislation ensures that new funding follows need: The adequate and equitable funding formula ensures that institutions furthest from adequacy receive a greater share of new dollars to help catch them up. Transparency and accountability measures will track the connection between new funding, affordability and student outcome. The proposed new university funding formula is based on a simple, powerful principle: Let's understand what each university needs to fulfill its unique mission and serve its unique student population, then let's make sure we have a plan to get resources where they are needed. This has been a winning strategy in K-12, and we hope the General Assembly and governor will embrace this effort with the same bipartisan support and sense of purpose they brought to passing (and then funding) EBF. In an increasingly partisan world, Illinois continues to demonstrate that we can come together to solve problems to build a strong future.
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
JP McManus can score in Canal End to round out week
The National Hunt season wraps up this afternoon at Fairyhouse and owner JP McManus, who has enjoyed plenty of success this week, can put another on the board for good measure when Canal End contests the Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase. Peter Fahey's horse struck form with a vengeance when asserting late to win a novice handicap chase in mid-March, and while he is 9lbs higher this time, he looks well treated and can prove it by following up. Majestic Force is also unexposed, has good form which ties in with subsequent Grade One winner Spindleberry and, off an appealing mark of just 126, is a genuine danger to the selection. The SBK Irish EBF Mares' Champion Hurdle looks like a match between Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy and while the end-of-season nature of the race could result in a small upset, the former sets the standard on all know form and can use the opportunity to erase the memory of her Champion Hurdle disappointment at Cheltenham. She is not at her best going right-handed but was classy enough to win at this course in November, when getting the better of State Man in the Morgiana, and running close to that level will see her home in front once more. Jade De Grugy made a belated seasonal debut in February at this venue and then finished runner-up to Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, where she tried to make all the running. She was no match whatsoever for the winner but stayed on well enough to hold second place behind her stablemate. She ought to be fresh for this assignment, and while she has 14lbs to find with the favourite on official ratings, expect it to be much closer than that might suggest. On Sunday in Sligo, Eddie & Patrick Harty can take the opener, a six-furlong maiden, with Wait For It. Dropping back from seven furlongs will be a help to the strong-travelling sort, and she can build on the promise of her two runs by making it third time lucky. Tommy Lyons' picks PUNCHESTOWN 2:30 Conflated 3:05 Your Own Story 3:42 Brighterdaysahead 4:15 Canal End (nap) 4:50 Lulamba (nb) 5:25 Kalix Delabarriere 6:00 Panjandrum 6:35 Jungle Cove Next best 2:30 Stealthy Tom 3:05 From The Ashes 3:42 Jade De Grugy 4:15 Majestic Force 4:50 Poniros 5:25 Raglan Road 6:00 It's Only A Game 6:35 Dark Note SLIGO 1:35 Wait For It (nap) 2:10 Ceo Stealth Mode 2:45 Spirit Of Eagles 3:20 Dumb Love 3:55 Carried With Love 4:30 Grizabella (nb) 5:05 Bint Majestic Roi Next best 1:35 Vanderbilt House 2:10 Chester Nimitz 2:45 Dark Enigma 3:20 Makaiah 3:55 Beset 4:30 Kartayaz 5:05 Ribee
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Forbes
Rock The Kasbah: Inside Richard Branson's Moroccan Dream Resort
The courtyard at Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco. (Tamadot means soft breeze in Berber). Something happened in the High Atlas mountains. Something profound. It's a feeling others have expressed about this place before, and reminds me of something travel writer Pico Iyer said on a recent Time Sensitive podcast: 'I want to come back from any trip a different person from the one who left home. I want to be upended. Startled. And confronted with something I don't meet in my day to day life.' That sentiment begins to describe my experience at Kasbah Tamadot, Richard Branson's newly rebuilt resort outside Marrakech, which offers, among many exotic things, hikes into the surrounding mountains and afternoon tea visits with local Berber villagers, who are still recovering from the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco's Al Haouz region in 2023. Though the act of being welcomed into a private dwelling to sip home-brewed mint tea seems simple enough, it was also a window into another reality. Their lives are extremely difficult. Their conditions severe. Their religion strict. Seeing their children, with their big, expectant brown eyes and joyful-despite-all-odds energy is shattering. These little kids, four and five years old, barefoot in soiled clothes, were playing soccer in red dirt without nets and throwing stones to pass time as the sun set, and the fourth call to prayer of the day echoed across the valley. Then the dry desert chill set in. It's hard to imagine how they survive winter. A view of the Atlas mountains from the terrace at Kasbah Tamadot As a child welfare advocate, Richard Branson's late mother Eve Branson had also been moved by the children. In 1998, Branson purchased the property at Eve's urging. By 2005, she had established the Eve Branson Foundation (EBF) to improve local Berber families' lives. Though Eve passed in 2021, her foundation continues, employing Berber women who create textiles for the resort and raising over $1.2 million for earthquake relief. According to Virgin representatives, an EBF-sponsored pre-school across the ravine from the Kasbah is 'in the works.' Still, the question lingered: why spend millions rebuilding a high-end resort in a place so vulnerable to the shaking of the earth's core? Hung high in the lobby of the Kasbah, there is a clue. It is a framed photograph of Richard Branson standing beside Nelson Mandela, dated 1998. Mandela was on a visit to the country during his presidency. That same year, Branson purchased the Kasbah from its former owner, antiques dealer and interior designer Luciano Tempo (whose art and furnishings still fill the hotel). It is neither a fancy frame, nor an especially large photograph, but its significance is immeasurable. In the years following their meeting, Mandela and Branson collaborated on several projects focused on Africa, via Branson's charitable arm, Virgin Unite. The existence of the fully-restored Kasbah feels like a manifestation of a Branson-Mandela ethos: 'If you care passionately enough, I believe you can improve on any facet of the human experience.' ~ Richard Branson A lounge beside the Kasbah's reflecting pool. Branson and his team spent the last year restoring Kasbah Tamadot's damaged main building. During construction, they also increased the size of the property from 28 to 42 rooms, including six new riads and a second restaurant called Asayss. The new three-bedroom riads (a traditional Moroccan house) are the big draw, sumptuously outfitted in decor that blends exoticism with luxuries like private pools and terraces. In your antique armoire, you'll find your very own burnous (heavy Arabian hooded cloaks) paired with babouches (leather loafers). Even the more modest rooftop-tented suites (for couples) bring decadence to tradition, with rooftop lounges and hot tubs perfect for nighttime stargazing with unspoilt views of the mountains. The restoration is a success because it doesn't resemble Branson's party persona. There are no tricked-out DJ booths, no vinyl records, no neon signs, no overt cheek — just good food, a beautiful luncheon terrace overlooking a swimming pool, a private library, extensive gardens, an outdoor gym, mountain bikes on hand, and a real Moroccan hammam and spa (which cannot be faked). Inside the Moroccan Hammam at Kasbah Tamadot Everything about it incorporates the local context, and feels of the place. Firstly, the entire staff, including the General Manager, is Moroccan. New furnishings were commissioned by the Eve Branson Foundation from local blacksmiths in Asni, and from artisans in Marrakech. Even in the dining room of Assays, which is fit for a Sultan, the wooden beams that uphold the massive safari tented-roof were built by a local Moroccan artisan called Hamid Agouim. Luckily, much of the original hotel was not lost. The Berber tents, designed when the hotel was first opened, were unharmed by the earthquake. And many of the decorative items in those tents, and throughout the hotel, are from Luciano Tempo's collection, which Branson inherited with the purchase of the property. Inside a Berber tent at Kasbah Tamadot This is all 'of a piece' of Branson's experiential resorts brand, Virgin Limited Edition (VLE), a group of nine retreats in the British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Spain, Kenya, and Switzerland — each with a strong intent to connect visitors to both the local community and the land. As VLE celebrates its 25th anniversary, it continues expanding with recent additions like Kenya's legendary Finchhattons safari camp, while maintaining its focus on quality over quantity. James Bermingham, the CEO of Virgin Hotels Collection, notes that unlike Virgin Hotels, which are based in gateway cities and focused on creating social vibe with entertainment and food and beverage programming, VLE properties are "smaller in size, and very much activity based," and are intentionally located in "extraordinary destinations" that affluent travelers will find "super enriching and different." How many more of these can Virgin pull off? 'It's hard to put a number on it; but I would say if we add one or two extraordinary new destinations every two to three years, we'd be thrilled with that. As long as the quality measures up to the Kasbah level; it's a quality game,' he says. When asked how they will fund future growth, Bermingham reveals the news: Both Virgin Hotels and VLE are entering the branded residences business, which is the prevailing model used across the luxury hotel industry. 'It's not easy to develop new luxury hotels without a residential component these days. Because the cost of construction is such that it requires an economic engine, and that is branded residences.' The reflecting pool by night at Kasbah Tamadot Kasbah Tamadot first opened as a Virgin Limited Edition property in 2005, and was one of the original resorts opened by the company. Its personal importance to Richard Branson became very clear when he responded to the 2023 earthquake. David Redouane Assabbab, general manager of Kasbah Tamadot, sitting in a soft sunbeam in the library of the Kasbah, spent a few hours regaling the tale of what happened that fateful night, and in the days following. He was there, and it was a full house. 'We had 28 bedrooms full, with 56 guests. That night was the most complicated night in my life,' he recalls. Miraculously no one was injured at the hotel, and to ensure that fact, guests slept in sleeping bags on the open tennis court, before being evacuated to Marrakech as soon as the roads were cleared, by 4am the next day. The earthquake claimed more than 2,900 lives, and the epicenter was located within the High Atlas Mountains. It was the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960. 'We were frantically distributing food and tents. I think we got something like 3,000 tents from the US and Canada,' said Assabbab. 'That was down to Richard. He and the other donors he found paid for it. The very next day, he was on his private jet loaded with tents, clothes and sleeping bags. He came here himself, and distributed them in the villages the second night, because at that time, Morocco didn't allow foreign aid from many European countries for political reasons. So he had to smuggle tents in on his jet.' He shows me photo after photo of Branson in a dusty t-shirt and cargo pants carrying huge sacks off his plane, talking to locals and assessing the damage. You can almost see his mind working through every possible solution. During the year-long closure of the Kasbah, all 160 employees remained employed. 'See what I mean? You can't not love Branson.' Richard Branson, Nelson Mandela and friends at the Kasbah, circa 1998.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ennis: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas (AP) — MIDLOTHIAN, Texas (AP) — Ennis Inc. (EBF) on Monday reported earnings of $9 million in its fiscal fourth quarter. The Midlothian, Texas-based company said it had profit of 35 cents per share. The clothing and label maker posted revenue of $92.7 million in the period. For the year, the company reported profit of $40.2 million, or $1.54 per share. Revenue was reported as $394.6 million. _____
