Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has proposed a $56 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which includes an increase in education funding but falls short of requests from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and teachers unions. The proposal allocates a $305 million increase to the evidence-based funding formula, bringing total investment to $9.2 billion—$45 million less than ISBE’s recent request.
The state’s main K-12 funding formula was designed to be fully funded by 2027, but Pritzker’s plan would not meet that goal. Lawmakers are expected to negotiate and finalize the budget in May.
Teachers unions expressed frustration with the proposal, urging lawmakers to fulfill their commitment by fully funding the formula next year, which would require an additional $3 billion. Meanwhile, Advance Illinois described the governor’s approach as responsible given current economic challenges and potential threats to federal funding.
Pritzker’s plan does not include property tax relief grants for school districts, which have been paused since last year. According to Lindsay Record, an ISBE spokesperson, a state panel is reviewing these grants and will release a report by March 1 that “will inform further conversations on the future of this grant program.”
The proposal also suggests a $51 million increase for special education, transportation, and other expenses—about $100 million less than what ISBE requested. In total, about $10.7 billion is proposed for K-12 education.
To help cover costs, Pritzker introduced a social media fee targeting companies that collect consumer data and sell it to third parties. He estimates this could raise about $200 million next fiscal year for education expenses.
During his State of the State speech Wednesday, Pritzker highlighted educational gains: “We prioritize school funding, putting billions more into public education to improve the student teacher ratio and get better outcomes for our children.” He credited these investments with improved eighth grade reading and math scores compared to national averages; fourth grade scores were similar to national results.
Some progressive lawmakers have introduced new legislation backed by unions calling for full funding of the formula by 2027 along with increased reimbursements for districts—a move estimated by Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA) to cost an additional $3.9 billion annually. A CTBA report found that at current levels schools would not be fully funded until at least 2034.
Since 2017, Illinois has raised its school funding through this formula by about $2.5 billion; currently around one-third of districts are considered at least 90% adequately funded. Chicago Public Schools—the largest district in Illinois—has received nearly $390 million in additional state funds over five years but remains $1.6 billion below what is deemed adequate under state standards.
Pankaj Sharma of the Illinois Federation of Teachers criticized Pritzker’s plan: “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.”
Advance Illinois President Robin Steans responded: “Governor Pritzker has consistently prioritized education, and past investments have served Illinois well,” 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.”
Additionally, Pritzker renewed his call during his address for banning cellphones from classrooms—a measure lawmakers did not pass last year.
