WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Republican state Rep. Mike Bost and his 115th District Democratic challenger John S. Rendleman discussed their differences on school and tax reforms during a debate Tuesday at Shawnee High School.

For 30 years Shawnee High School has held student political debates during presidential election years. School administrators invite local candidates to open the event by speaking of their stands on the issues to be debated.

Debate organizer Gene Matthews said the event exposes students to real-life issues they will have to deal with after their high school years have ended.

"Uninformed voters are just as negligent as those who don't vote at all," Matthews said. "The students get to learn about education issues, something that affects them now, and tax issues that will affect them greatly as they go out and get their own jobs."

Both Bost and Rendleman expressed similar opinions during their presentations about welfare reform, and even their stances on tax and school reforms mirrored each other. The split came when Rendleman accused Bost of helping to pass a bill last year that took money away from the smaller school districts in Southern Illinois and gave them to the richer districts around Chicago.

"It used to be that all of the state money that went to education programs went through the state aid formula," Rendleman said. "So the poor school districts would get the lion's share of the state education dollar. This past year they passed a flat grant program so now school districts are funded on how many students are there.

"That does nothing to close the funding disparity gap that exists in this state."

Rendleman of Carbondale added the amount of state funds going to Southern Illinois for education has dropped 18 percent, from 56.8 percent, since 1995.

Bost of Murphysboro countered by saying the school district in Union County hasn't lost any money.

"We still receive 56 percent, the same as we did last year," he said. "The average that we receive in this district from state dollars is $2,600 to $2,700 a student. In those (northern) districts they received about $240 a student. The reality of that is they do have a lot more money because they get it through local property taxes."

Bost added the reason the Chicago schools have more money is they have more property to tax.

"Two-thirds of the voters in Illinois can see the Sears Tower on a clear day," he said. "Down here we have the Shawnee Forest, which you basically can't tax, and other government controlled entities that do not contribute to the tax base."

Rendleman said he would like to see a program that would shift school funding away from property tax.

"As long as the state continues to make school districts rely on property taxes to fund them we will still continue to have high property taxes and underfunded schools," he said.

The candidates differed very little on the last issue with both endorsing local control of welfare reform. They both also agreed on why people should vote.

"Mr. Matthews said those of you who have failed to register to vote have abandoned your right to participate," Rendleman said. "Well I agree with that. You have to register to vote and you have to exercise your right to vote or you shouldn't be complaining."

"It is your obligation as an American citizen to vote," Bost said. "Because if you don't vote you can't complain. You can complain but it doesn't do much good."