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When Illinois’ main funding formula for K-12 schools was established a decade ago — meant to send more dollars to districts with higher needs — lawmakers at the time set a goal to fully fund it by 2027.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget proposal for next fiscal year wouldn’t do that.
Pritzker’s $56 billion budget proposal, which he released Wednesday, calls for a $305 million increase in the evidence-based funding formula, with a total investment of $9.2 billion. That’s $45 million less than what the Illinois State Board of Education, or ISBE, requested last month.
The proposal is the opening of budget negotiations. State lawmakers are expected to finalize a budget in May.
The governor’s plan angered the state’s biggest teachers unions, which are pushing lawmakers to fully fund the formula by next year, which would require an additional $3 billion. Another education advocacy organization described the budget proposal as responsible in the face of economic pressures and federal funding threats.
Pritzker’s proposed increase excludes property tax relief grants for school districts, which were paused last year, too. Lindsay Record, a spokesperson for ISBE, said a state panel is reviewing the effectiveness of those grants and is expected to release a report by March 1, which “will inform further conversations on the future of this grant program.”
The proposal also calls for a $51 million increase in funding that helps districts cover costs for special education, transportation, and some other expenses — about $100 million less than what ISBE requested.
In all, the governor is proposing about $10.7 billion for K-12 education. Pritzker proposed a social media fee that he estimates would raise about $200 million next fiscal year for education expenses. The fee would be imposed on companies that “collect consumer data and sell to third-party buyers,” according to the budget proposal.
Pritzker praised the state’s education investments, crediting them for eighth grade reading and math scores that surpassed national averages on the test known as the “nation’s report card.” Fourth grade reading and math scores were on par with the national average.
“We prioritize school funding, putting billions more into public education to improve the student teacher ratio and get better outcomes for our children,” Pritzker said during his State of the State speech Wednesday.
Pritzker’s plan — described as a maintenance budget in the face of federal funding threats — comes as some progressive Chicago-area lawmakers have introduced a new, union-backed bill that calls for the state to fully fund the formula by 2027 with more money for reimbursements to districts. If the bill passed as written, it would cost the state an additional $3.9 billion annually, Ralph Martire, the executive director of the think tank Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, previously told Chalkbeat. A 2024 report from the center found that at the current funding level, schools won’t be fully funded under the formula until at least 2034.
The bill’s backers have called for taxes on Illinois’ wealthiest residents and corporations to help cover the costs.
Since 2017, the state has increased funding through the new formula by about $2.5 billion. Today, roughly one-third of districts are considered at least 90% adequately funded.
Chicago Public Schools, the state’s largest district where about 70% of kids are from low-income families, has seen nearly $390 million in overall funding increases from the state over the past five years. Still, the district is $1.6 billion short of what the state considers adequate funding, an issue that district leaders often highlight as they plan their annual budget.
Pankaj Sharma, secretary and treasurer of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, blasted the governor’s proposal in part because it won’t fully fund the formula by next year as state lawmakers had originally promised.
“Each day that our Governor and members of the General Assembly fail to deliver valuable resources to students, educators, and their families, they are shortchanging our young people according to their own funding formula,” Sharma said in a statement. “It is another day where a student’s zip code — not state policy — determines whether they have what they need to succeed.”
But Advance Illinois, another education advocacy organization, described the proposal as responsible in a tough budget year. The group noted, however, that the state is still roughly $3 billion short of fully funding its formula.
“Governor Pritzker has consistently prioritized education, and past investments have served Illinois well,” Advance Illinois President Robin Steans said in a statement. “We hope the General Assembly can find ways to build on the Governor’s proposal to ensure that Illinois students do not lose ground.”
Separately, for the second year in a row, the governor called for banning cellphones from the classroom during his State of the State address Wednesday. Lawmakers failed to pass such legislation last year.
Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
