Illinois Seeks $10.9B to Fund Public Schools

State education officials say Evidence-Based Funding formula is paying dividends, but challenges remain.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 8:54pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating grid of a single iconic school supply item such as a pencil or notebook, rendered in a bold, neon color palette with heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the push for more equitable public school funding in Illinois.Vibrant school supplies reimagined as modern pop art symbolize the ongoing efforts to equitably fund Illinois' public education system.Springfield Today

Illinois state education officials have presented a $10.9 billion budget request to fund preK-12 public schools for the next fiscal year. The request includes full funding for the Evidence-Based Funding formula, which aims to shift more of the cost burden away from local property taxes. While graduation rates are up and achievement gaps are narrowing, some Republican lawmakers question why property taxes haven't come down more despite the increased state funding.

Why it matters

The funding of public education is a major priority for the state, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all state general revenue spending. The Evidence-Based Funding formula, implemented in 2017, was designed to provide more equitable funding and reduce reliance on local property taxes, but its impact on property tax relief has been debated.

The details

The $10.9 billion budget request represents a $469.7 million increase over the current year's funding, after accounting for the transfer of early childhood block grants to a new state department. The request includes full funding for the Evidence-Based Funding formula and additional money for transportation and other mandated spending categories. While the number of districts funded at 90% or more of their adequacy target has grown from 194 to 313 since the formula was enacted, some Republican lawmakers questioned why property taxes haven't come down more significantly.

  • The upcoming fiscal year begins on July 1, 2026.
  • The Evidence-Based Funding formula was approved by lawmakers in 2017.

The players

Steven Isoye

Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Tony Sanders

State Superintendent of Education.

JB Pritzker

Governor of Illinois.

Blaine Wilhour

Republican state representative from Beecher City.

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What they’re saying

“Graduation rates are at a 15-year high. Achievement gaps are narrowing. Student growth exceeds pre-pandemic levels and Illinois eighth graders now outperform national averages in reading and math.”

— Steven Isoye, Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education

“We are very conscious of the state's tight fiscal environment, and so we prioritized the most crucial funding streams and those investments that will have the most direct impact on student success.”

— Tony Sanders, State Superintendent of Education

“We've got to figure out, how do we do that better, and I don't think we have the answer quite yet. But it didn't seem appropriate for us to just throw the money into the program without having a better potential outcome.”

— JB Pritzker

“I'm just wondering, if they're 90% adequate, and we've got probably 25% of the schools in the state of Illinois that are at full financial adequacy, why aren't we seeing property taxes come down?”

— Blaine Wilhour, Republican state representative

What’s next

The Illinois House budget committee will include its recommendation for preK-12 school funding in the final state budget bill, which is scheduled to be voted on by the end of the legislative session on May 31, 2026.

The takeaway

While the Evidence-Based Funding formula has led to improvements in student outcomes and more equitable funding, the impact on reducing local property taxes remains a point of debate. Lawmakers will need to continue working to address the complex challenges of public school financing in Illinois.