FY26 ISBE Budget Hearing Written Statement

Dear Drs. Isoye, Nugent, Sanders and State Board of Education Members:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit this statement regarding the FY26 ISBE Budget. We write on behalf of the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights Illinois (PEER Illinois), a statewide advocacy network working to increase investment in public education. We organize parents, youth, and educators to become leaders in fighting for and achieving equitably and fully-resourced public schools that meet the needs of all children regardless of race, family income, or neighborhood. We urge the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to seek more robust and urgent investments from our state to address the persistent gaps in K-12 education funding, particularly through seeking a new investment of $2.5 billion in Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) in its FY26 budget. While we acknowledge the increased investments that have been made since the passage of EBF, both data and parent and student experience confirm the need for more urgency in EBF investment in order to deliver on the promise of adequately and equitably resourced public schools. 

The Education Law Center, a national non-profit supporting the work of state-based advocates to improve school funding equity, has calculated that the current EBF funding gap stands at over $5B in order to bring all Illinois Districts to 100% adequacy as required by the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act. See 105 ILCS 5/18-8.15.  Accordingly, Illinois must make a new annual investment of $2.5 billion each year to close this funding gap by the 2027 target promised to Illinois students in the law.

The growth in the EBF funding gap from $4.8 billion last year to over $5 billion was unfortunately largely predictable. Despite the minimal increase of $350 million in EBF funding, and an increase in $238 million in expected contribution from local communities through Local Capacity Targets, the significant decline in Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) - which dropped by an estimated $431 million - has pushed us further away from adequate and equitable funding of schools.

These numbers are more than just statistics; they have real consequences.  A recent analysis of the CPPRT and K-12 Education funding, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA) explored the impact of current and expected fluctuations in CPPRT and found the following:  “as CPPRT revenue growth begins to revert back to historical levels, the growth in the Adequacy Gap faced by Black students can be expected to increase at a greater rate than it will for other racial and ethnic groups in the state.” In the face of these foreseeable and inequitable impacts, continued minimum investment in this foundational source of funding for Illinois’ public schools is not acceptable. 

Moreover, in the upcoming fiscal year the impacts of these fluctuations in available funding for local school districts will be compounded by the ESSER fiscal cliff. Research suggests that the end of ESSER funding threatens advances in equity and likely means painful budget cuts for school districts. Budget cuts that will disproportionately impact students in high-needs districts where ESSER funds were used to address operational deficits. Robust and urgent investment in EBF appropriations is necessary to forestall these imminent impacts.

Robust investment towards funding EBF at 100% adequacy both delivers on EBF’s promise of adequate and equitable resourcing for all Illinois Schools and aligns with ISBE’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Moreover, including full funding of EBF in the FY26 ISBE Budget is the kind of bold action required to genuinely advance educational resource equity and for ISBE to live up to its Equity Statement: 

Illinois has an urgent and collective responsibility to achieve education equity by ensuring that all policies, programs and practices affirm the strengths that each and every child brings within their diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and by delivering the comprehensive supports, programs, and educational opportunities they need to succeed.” 

Partners of PEER IL from throughout the state report continuing needs in educator and other school staffing, services for students with special education needs, enrichment - including after school - programming, and investments in infrastructure. All of these expenditures become significantly more difficult with districts struggling to meet general operating expenditure gaps created by the persistent underfunding of EBF. 

At current rates of investment, our state not only fails to deliver on the promise of EBF for all students, but it fails to deliver on the animating commitment of EBF to prioritize funding for under-resourced schools serving historically marginalized communities. The lived experience of school communities confirms what the ELC reported in its most recent Making the Grade analysis, in which, despite increased investments in EBF, Illinois receives an “F” for funding distribution, ranking among the most regressive states on this metric. The time to reverse this trend is now.

ISBE has an opportunity to genuinely lead at this crucial time for public education by advancing an FY26 Budget that includes a bold and courageous ask for EBF. This would demonstrate not only a meaningful commitment to deliver on the promise of this celebrated funding model but also a genuine commitment to the Vision of ensuring that “Each and every child is equipped to make meaningful contributions to society and live life to its fullest potential.” 

Sincerely, 

Coordinating Committee

Partnership for Equity and Education Rights Illinois

Please see below for a transcript of Coalition Coordinator Maddy Wheelock’s oral testimony from the October 28 Virtual Budget Hearing:

Good afternoon staff and members of the board. I appreciate the opportunity to share my testimony with you today.

My name is Madelyn Wheelock, and I am the Coalition Coordinator of the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights (or PEER Illinois) and a former Chicago Public Schools educator. 

PEER IL organizes parents, youth, and educators to become leaders in fighting for and achieving equitably and fully-resourced public schools that meet the needs of all children regardless of race, family income, or neighborhood.

Today, I’d like to advocate for ISBE to include full funding for Evidence Based Funding (EBF) in your Fiscal Year 2026 budget. 

First, I’d like to acknowledge and appreciate you all for advocating to increase funding by $350 million in new EBF dollars for Fiscal Year 2025. 

According to the Education Law Center’s analysis of ISBE data, EBF is underfunded by over $5 billion when calculated at 100% adequacy. This means Illinois must invest $2.5 billion to EBF annually in order for every public school district to reach their adequacy target and meet the promise to fully fund EBF by 2027. Moreover, despite new investments, ELC finds that Illinois merits an F in funding distribution, meaning that our state is not yet succeeding in the goal of effectively directing state funds to the districts that need it most. 

As a high school English teacher, I experienced firsthand the vitality of state funds in my school. I’ve taught in Massachusetts and Illinois, and I have seen what both well-funded schools and underfunded schools look like. Because of state funds in Massachusetts, my students were able to learn in a safe and loving environment. I taught inclusion English and AP Lang, where we learned how to write and analyze speeches like this one. I loved being a teacher on the days where I wasn’t stretched thin from overpacked classrooms and runs to Target to purchase my own supplies. Unfortunately, and especially with the end of ESSER funds, this is not the experience of most teachers across Illinois. 

In Illinois, I and my students, who were primarily BIPOC and therefore historically marginalized by our education system, keenly felt the effects of underfunding in their school. Over half of my students spent a semester without a math teacher. Students on IEPs and 504s were forgotten, at times even using closets as makeshift classrooms. They struggled with the bus system to get to classes on time, because the school within walking distance to their house was closed. They were resilient through these struggles even though they shouldn’t have had to be. They were promised much more than they saw in their school, and they shouldn’t have to wait any longer for fair funding.

Our public schools and our students do not have to struggle this way. PEER Illinois envisions a future where ALL students receive an excellent and fully-funded education. Fully funded schools mean a more educated workforce, stronger communities, and a brighter economic future for our state. 

Again, my request is that you include or advocate for an additional $2.5 Billion for EBF in FY 2026 to reach full funding by 2027; fulfilling the promise of adequate and equitable funding for all Illinois school students. Thank you.