The Project for Middle Class Renewal investigated ways to flatten the growth property of taxes in Illinois. The report discusses the present situation in Illinois, the regressive nature of property taxes as a form of public revenue, and the importance of property taxes for k-12 public education. Local schools are responsible for about two-thirds of all property tax assessments, so any effort to reduce property taxes likely relies on increasing the state’s proportion of the revenue spent on public education. Any other approach would have little effect and may produce negative unintended consequences for school quality. By re-balancing the state’s share of the investment in public education, Illinois lawmakers could reduce Illinois’ over reliance on property taxes and promote both taxpayer fairness and funding equity across school districts.