Those gathered also said, if that doesn't happen, education will be severely impacted.
"I'm disappointed the legislature doesn't think our children are important," said Sandy Saucedo, both a parent and a teacher.
"I'm upset because several of my favorite teachers will be fired if this happens," student Erin Clair said.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says he wants the state to modify the way it pays for education. He unveiled legislation that he says will both keep property taxes down and not hurt education funding.
"Reforming the property tax is something we have to do for the benefit of education. We should not use a decrepit, antiquated, 19th-century property tax system to fund the most important part of the 21st century: education," the governor said.
Quinn also favors a 1-percent income tax surcharge to help pay for education.
