And that usually happens in areas where median income is also high. Over the last decade, rural Lake Forest, where Rondout District 72 is located, has seen property values zoom as large regional and national corporations have moved in. But I think everyone agrees that family background is the most important factor. Field Park Elementary School in Western Springs is a case in point. But it ranks 10th in the state, according to a Sun-Times analysis.
Parents here tend to be educated people.
They grew up here, went off to college, lived somewhere else and came back here to raise their families. Their children come to school very well-prepared. But while spending inequities don't seem to affect schools such as Field Park, some education reformers argue that more money needs to come from the state to even out the playing field. Illinois now funds about 30 percent of school costs, with local property taxes picking up most of the remainder. I just don't think there is a state consensus in Illinois.