Press Releases

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) issued the following statements after today’s Senate passage of the Education Funding Reform Plan:

“We have made huge strides over the last year,” said Bush, who is a member of the Education Funding Advisory Committee. “We got the conversation started and have identified undeniable problems with the current funding formula but I don’t yet believe this proposal is ready for passage.”

Senator Bush represents 16 Lake County school districts under the reform plan. However, in the funding reform proposal passed today, some of those districts, such as Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 and Winthrop Harbor School District 1, stand to lose as much as 80% of their state funding.

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SPRINGFIELD - Senator Bush (D-Grayslake) passed a proposal out of the Senate yesterday that seeks to improve the way Illinois school districts’ teach dyslexic students.

“Dyslexic students can quickly fall behind because teachers cannot identify their disability or do not have learning materials adapted to their needs,” Bush said. “It is important that we implement the same level of awareness and services for this group of learning disabled students as we do for all other groups.”

Bush’s proposal would add the international definition of dyslexia to the Illinois school code in an effort to bring an appropriate level of institutional awareness to the disability in all schools throughout Illinois.

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“These families give up so much in order to serve in our military.  The least we can do is ensure that school transfers are as easy on their children as possible.” - Senator Melinda Bush

SPRINGFIELD - The hassles of transferring schools when moving to a different state are hard enough on a traditional family. These hassles are even harder and more frequent for military personnel who have children.

New legislation, passed out of the Illinois Senate by Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) today, would make school transfers easier for children of active duty military personnel.

Bush’s proposal ensures that military children who move to Illinois from other states remain in the same grade. If they were in 2nd grade, Illinois schools must also place them in 2nd grade.

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“These changes are necessary to ensure that children can move to our state with as little disruption to their education as possible.” - Senator Melinda Bush

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) today passed a proposal out of the Senate Education Committee that seeks to make school transfers easier on military students and their families.

The hassles of transferring schools when moving from state-to-state are a primary concern for military personnel with children. Bush’s proposal would ensure that children of active duty military personnel that move to Illinois can stay in the same grade and placement as at their previous school.

“If a military child moves to Illinois from Nebraska, where he or she was in 2nd grade, Illinois schools must also place that child in 2nd grade,” Bush said.

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