Students First Foundation

Overview

Children are the future

Make public education the #1 priority in Illinois.

Education is the underpinning of our quality of life, freedom and the future of our state.

Today everyone in Illinois - whether you are retired, have children, run a business or farm - relies on a highly educated and productive citizenry.

Illinois needs to sharpen its competitive edge. Quality education for every child will help enlarge the states' fiscal pie by nurturing more productive citizens and taxpayers.

	Since 1990, Illinois' overall non-farm employment growth rate has trailed the Nation in every job sector. We only beat the Rest of the Midwest in 'other services' and 'leisure & hospitality,' job categories at the lower end of the pay spectrum. 1
	Since 1990, Illinois' manufacturing sector posted a net job loss of -212,300 jobs.1 In 2002, for the first time in history, our government employment surpassed high-paying, productive manufacturing jobs. 1
	Assuming Illinois' economic structure went unchanged, we would have 475,500 more jobs (monthly average) in 2004 if each employment sector had grown at National rates since 1990. 1

Education will provide a brighter, more secure future for everyone.

We pay now - or we pay later.

	Adults involved in the criminal justice system are severely undereducated. Nineteen percent of adult inmates are completely illiterate, and 40% are functionally illiterate, which means, for example, that they would be unable to write a letter explaining a billing error. 2
	Over 70% of all people entering state correctional facilities never even finished high school, while 46% had some high school education, and 16.4% had no high school education at all. 2
	Our failure to produce productive citizens means fewer opportunities for everyone and increasing costs for corrections and social services.

Public education reduces crime and costs to society.

	Just one additional year of school lowers murder and assault rates by 30%, car thefts by 20%, arson by 13%, and burglary and larceny by about 6%. 7
	A 1% increase in high school graduation rates can prevent 100,000 crimes and save $1.4 billion. 7
	A 10% increase in graduation rates lowers murder and assault arrest rates by about 20%, motor vehicle theft by about 13%, and arson by 8%. 7
	Although increasing police forces is a cost-effective policy proposal, increasing high school graduation rates offers far greater benefits when both crime reduction and productivity are increased. 7

SOURCES: 1 Illinois Economic Observatory / Regional Economics Applications Laboratory, University of Illinois; 2 Project READ; 7 Joint Center for Poverty Research