The Illinois State Board of Education has set forth a budget request totaling $10.9 billion for the forthcoming fiscal year, a figure that represents a modest uptick in funding for K-12 education. Despite fiscal pressures that beset the state, the budget, slightly lower than the current fiscal year's $11 billion, includes a strategic shift of nearly $750 million for early childhood education to the newly established Department of Early Childhood, as initially reported by CBS News Chicago.
This adjustment aside, the proposed budget requests a $350 million raise in the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. According to 25 News Now, "That’s the minimum amount called for under the 2017 law that aims eventually to bring all districts’ funding up to at least 90% of their adequacy target." The increment would be allocated to direct educational expenses and property tax relief grants, with an intention to ameliorate funding disparities across various school districts.
Journeying into its tenth year, the EBF program aims to equalize the education playing field. When it kicked off in fiscal 2018, a staggering 168 districts were funded below 60% of their adequacy target. Fast forward to today, with none below that threshold, yet still, a cause for concern remains, as 48 districts linger below 70% and 532 below 90%. To uplift all districts to the 90% adequacy target, the state would require an additional $3 billion, far beyond current proposals.
Moreover, the budget request seeks a $151 million, or 13%, increase in mandated categorical, referred to as MCAT, reimbursements. These reimbursements extend to essential yet non-classroom expenses like special education and student transportation, which have only been partially funded in recent years due to budget constraints. For instance, state funding for special education transport plummeted from 71% in FY 2024 to a scant 60% in the current fiscal year. The request would stabilize proration percentages going into FY 2027, keeping schools on an even keel amidst fluctuating financial support.
In the lead-up to presenting this budget request, public hearings were held to gather insights from school officials and other stakeholders, ensuring diverse voices were considered in the calculus of educational expenditure. The fiscal staff at the state board also regarded economic analyses and revenue projections from the governor's office and the General Assembly. With state revenues expected to dip in the coming months, a report by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget anticipates deficits unless countermeasures through increased revenue or expense cuts are enacted, as revealed by CBS News Chicago. Meanwhile, the General Assembly's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability expressed confidence in meeting revenue targets, despite cautioning about potential uncertainties ahead, reported by 25 News Now.
