Democrats in the Illinois state Senate may look to change education funding for Illinois public schools on the heels of last week’s election, which gave them a veto-proof majority.

“I think this is the year that we have real potential to make progress in the way we fund our schools,” said Bob Ray, media relations director for the Illinois Education Association, an organization representing 120,000 classroom teachers, higher education personnel, and retired association members from public schools in Illinois.

The Democrats were able to wrestle away five seats held by Republicans to gain a 37-22 advantage on Nov. 7 and are now in a position to introduce a reform or a complete overhaul of the present system of funding public schools in Illinois. Currently public schools are funded primarily through property taxes. Some Democrats advocate changing that system so schools would receive some or most of their funding from the state income tax.

Ray said that the present reliance on property taxes has seen many school districts with property tax wealth flourish while those lacking property tax wealth have deteriorated.

State Senate-elect Mike Frerichs, D-52, will be one new face in the Senate representing the district that includes the University. According to his Web site, he supports bills like HB750, which favors a system based on state income tax increases to support public education.

Frerichs supports the plans of Illinois senate president, Democrat Emil Jones to reform education funding.

Jones directed thousands of dollars to the Frerichs campaign through the Illinois Senate Democratic Fund.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has said he will not support an increase in income taxes to fund Illinois’ public schools and would likely veto any measure aimed at state income-tax based education funding reform. Democrats in the Senate could now override any such veto. Blagojevich has said in the past that raising state income taxes would hurt the working men and women of Illinois.

Frerichs was not endorsed by the Illinois Education Association, who Ray said has always tried to remain bipartisan in endorsing candidates for office.

“We haven’t taken a position on how to solve the problem,” said Ray. “We favor a host of reforms to get more money to those school districts that need more money. Part of that may be property tax relief.”

Justin Randall, president of the University College Republicans, said that an increase in state income taxes to solve the funding situation will only cause more problems.

“Taxes are getting so high,” said Randall. “All it does is hurt our system and our state economy.”

Randall said there could see a mass exodus of corporations if Illinois continues to raise the state income tax.

“The property taxes are the best thing we can do in a bad situation,” Randall said.

Ray said, however, that the quality of education received in certain districts is subpar and that legislators needs to look for other ways to address the funding situation.

“The disparity that we have in the school system has gone on for a very long time,” Ray said. “We’ve got to step up to the plate and make some changes.”