A budget request from the Illinois State Board of Education would increase state funding to most school districts. Only the wealthiest districts would see a decrease, and it would be less than 1%.
As the board unanimously voted to send the request to lawmakers, one member fretted that legislators would try to take credit for the redistribution of funds. Chairman James Meeks said that would be okay.
“I think at this point, we’ve played games with our kids long enough, and that at the end of the day, it makes no difference who takes the credit for it. We just want to make sure that the money is there for the kids, at the end of the day.”
If the proposal is approved, the state board would shift $300 million designated for special education into general school aid, a move that board members said would not impact the level of services provided to special education students.
But with the legislature grid locked and the state in deficit spending, all budget decisions are still up in the air.