I recently received the breakdowns of where tax dollars for the State of Illinois and DuPage County went in 2024:

In both cases, education leads the way. For state expenditures, education accounts for 24.8% of spending. At the local level, education accounts for 69.4% of the total rate.

The large portions going to education are supported by multiple interests of residents:

1. Education is often pitched as for children, the next generation, and the future. If we do not spend on education today, how will the children succeed and/or do better than the previous generation?
2. The quality of local schools is often tied to housing prices and the status of communities. To not spend locally on schools might provide short-term savings but reduce the desirability of properties and communities in the long-term.
3. The bulk of education costs is in salaries for teachers and staff. Without quality educators, how can schools be successful?

Some might complain about the tax burden – and Illinois does have high property taxes – but it is hard to argue against spending on education. It could be more effective to reign in spending by targeting other areas where there is duplication of local services (such as townships).