The Illinois Senate approved legislation Wednesday aimed at eliminating the disparity in spending between affluent school districts and those serving poorer communities. Senate Bill 1 is sponsored by Democratic State Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, who has tried several times to get education funding reform through the legislature.

A group of lawmakers has agreed on a framework for making the way Illinois funds its schools more equitable. But whether it will lead to a long-elusive legislative fix remains to be seen. That bipartisan commission produced a “framework” Wednesday, but no actual legislation. It would create funding targets for each district based on student population needs. It's estimated to cost an additional $3.5 billion to $6 billion.