Illinois School Supt. Calls For $1 Billion In Additional Funds As Lawmakers Consider Cuts

(CBS) -- The Illinois School Superintendent says he needs one billion dollars more and lawmakers are talking about giving him one million less, reports WBBM's John Cody.

Illinois School Superintendent Christopher Koch says he really needs a lot more than a one billion dollar increase to meet state education guidelines for teacher and class size and district funding.

"The General Assembly has an education funding advisory board whose job it is to recommend a foundation level for what is needed to have an adequate education in Illinois. That number would take us over $8,000 per student and would be several billions dollars more on top of what the board requested," said Koch.

Koch says on Friday, he'll go before a legislative appropriations committee that's considering a billion dollar cut, just as he's asking Springfield for a billion dollar increase in Illinois school funding.