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CHICAGO (CBS) ― Community leaders are protesting their schools' lack of funds. Another reverend is now calling on parents to pull their kids out of school. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports.

Reverend Ira Acree is the second Chicago preacher to call for the first-day-of-school boycott. And other activists tell CBS 2 that's only one tactic they are planning to make educational funding more fair.

State Senator and Rev. James Meeks led the charge on Monday.

Acree says the more participants, the more attention the school funding issue will get, which could only benefit Chicago's cash-strapped schools in the long run.

"The current funding gap produces an achievement gap -- this education system in Illinois is everybody's benefit, but the children," Acree said.

West Side minister Ira Acree is obviously passionate about changing Chicago's schools for the better. He urged his congregation Sunday to keep kids out of school on the first day and bring them to church, instead, for a trip to north suburban Winnetka.

"It is a must that we carry this protest out," Acree said. 

The plan is to take busloads of CPS students to Winnetka on September 2, so they can see firsthand what a wealthy school looks like. 

Acree and Rev. Meeks want to draw attention to the disparity in school funding, in hopes of creating change in Springfield.

But the plan doesn't start and end there. This week, Meeks says a major organization will file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the State of Illinois regarding the funding issue. And this week, members of the Illinois Black Caucus will introduce legislation stating Illinois students should be able to attend the schools of their choice.

Mayor Daley and School Board President Rufus Williams don't support the boycott plan, but acknowledge the funding situation needs to be fixed.

Acree pointed out that Winnetka's New Trier High School gets $17,000 a student, Deerfield students get $18,000 – and that's compared to Chicago's $10,000 a pupil.

It's a subject close to Mayor Daley's heart too, who's long supported a shift from property taxes to income taxes as a way to fund state schools.

But Acree says this could be the start of a real fight for change.

"It's a broken system and as people of God, we must insist that they level the playing field," Acree said.

Erica Pennington has three children in Chicago Public Schools. But will she get on board? She says no.

"I do believe they need to do more," Pennington said. "But I don't think that's the way to go to keep them out of school and mess up the school year budget for this school year, I don't think they should do that."

But other parents say they fully support the protest.

"I do believe we have nothing to lose at all if we keep our children away from the Chicago Public School system," said CPS parent Maurice Gater.

"There's a lot of bright students that need to excel that aren't getting it like that," said CPS parent Diane Rollins.

Acree says he is trying to get 25 additional city pastors to get on board with this protest. So far, another seven have agreed.

Acree added there will be a protest on Thursday at noon in downtown Chicago about the funding issue. And after the first day boycott, ministers say they plan to hold classes in the lobbies of downtown buildings to get the business community to pay attention.

Do they have permission for that? Sen. Meeks says no, but he added, 'they'll just have to get arrested.'

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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