PEER Illinois Responds to Governor Pritzker’s FY26 Budget Address
At a time when public education is facing significant challenges at the federal level, Illinois students deserve more than the minimum $350M increase for EBF outlined in Governor J.B. Pritzker’s FY2026 budget. EBF is the primary tool for delivering funding to Illinois’ 852 school districts. While any increase in education funding is beneficial for our students, other current challenges in public education funding will dilute the impact of this increase on our schools. The current EBF funding gap stands at over $5 billion. Investing in EBF at the minimum for another year fails to meet the critical moment that Illinois students and school communities find themselves in and fails to deliver on the promise made by EBF to all Illinois students.
Since Illinois enacted EBF in 2017 with the stated goal of combatting inequitable school funding, it has never been funded adequately enough to prove whether it works. The state has failed to make increased investments beyond the annual $350M minimum named in the law. The Education Law Center’s annual Making the Grade report gives an overview of school funding level, distribution, and efforts across all 50 states. In 2024 Illinois received an “F” for funding distribution – meaning that Illinois is failing to distribute funds to school districts that need it most. Our “F” in funding distribution proves that investment at the current rate is not enough. Persistent under-funding of the EBF formula means persistent inequity in the distribution of state education funds.
School funding in Illinois remains excessively driven by local property taxes, meaning adequately resourced districts are concentrated in higher-income communities while the highest poverty districts operate with less. This has a disproportionate impact on students of color, who make up 54.7% of the population across public schools in Illinois and are too frequently served by inadequately funded school districts. Because of low rates of new investment in EBF, sufficient money is not getting to communities that need it most.
In addition to persistent state-level underfunding, public education now faces growing threats at the federal level. New Executive Orders seeking to expand school privatization efforts and voucher programs and censoring curricula are putting our public education system at great risk. State funding for public schools is more critical than ever as the primary safeguard against potential federal funding cuts. Now is the time for our state to demonstrate a meaningful commitment to protect public education in Illinois by moving with more urgency towards fully funding EBF. In order to close the funding gap by the 2027 target outlined in the legislation, Illinois must invest an additional $2.5 billion in EBF annually.
Significant additional investment for our schools and communities may feel improbable when Illinois faces a budget deficit. But it is also vital. Illinois families rely on many public programs to thrive, and communities should not have to compete with one another for resources to operate these programs. That’s why PEER Illinois partners with the Illinois Revenue Alliance, a coalition fighting to generate more state revenue from the wealthy to improve Illinois for everyone. Adopting these solutions would result in $6 billion in new revenue annually, mitigating future shortfalls and funding programs critically in need of additional investments such as public education.
Governor Pritzker and the state of Illinois have an opportunity to stand up in the face of these incoming federal policies and make a tangible statement by fully investing in the future of public education. We urge state leaders to seize this moment and prioritize funding for all Illinois students.
The Partnership for Equity and Education Rights (PEER Illinois) is a statewide advocacy network of students, parents, community members, organizers, and advocates fighting for reinvestment in public schools so that every child receives an excellent education. Every parent and student has a stake in education, but it is our legislators’ duty to make sure that Illinois public education is fully funded. Your voice is critical in holding our leaders accountable. Add your voice to the movement, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on social media to join us in this fight towards fully resourced public schools.