In the News
Advance Illinois serves as a resource for media outlets from across the state and beyond on policy issues in education from birth to career. Here’s our recent coverage.
Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on agencies in his administration to set goals for increasing the number of adults in the state with college degrees or other postsecondary credentials.
Last month, the Trump administration tried to freeze $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois child care. Courts have blocked it so far. The program that would be hit hardest is Illinois' Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
With enrollment plunging at many of Illinois’ regional universities, state leaders are again pressing a sweeping overhaul of higher education funding.
Pritzker’s $56 billion budget proposal, which he released Wednesday, calls for a $305 million increase in the evidence-based funding formula, with a total investment of $9.2 billion.
When Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual budget address on Wednesday, he recommended Illinois lawmakers increase funding for higher education by 1% and hold funding steady for the need-based Monetary Assistance Program (MAP).
A school-based support group is tapping into the warmth and wisdom of grandparents to help provide social and emotional support for girls in middle school. A recent report showed student mental health challenges in Illinois remain unsustainably high.
The Illinois Board of Higher Education is seeking a 4.6% increase in general revenue support for colleges and universities in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Illinois State Board of Education will ask state lawmakers to provide the same funding increase as past years for Illinois’ 800-plus school districts.
The Illinois State Board of Education voted Wednesday to recommend the state increase education funding at about the same amount as previous years, but far less than what would be needed to fully fund education across the state.
The newly launched organization will offer research-backed guidance to Chicago school leaders and board members as they tackle the district’s thorniest issues, from budget deficits to struggling charter operators.
Inside Illinois’ FY 2026 Budget: Little to No New Funding for K-12 schools, Early Childhood Education
Illinois lawmakers passed a $55 billion budget with slim increases to early childhood education programs and K-12 schools. The lack of new dollars for programs comes as schools grapple with smaller budgets since federal COVID-19 relief expired.
A child tax credit, an Early Childhood Department, and more money for K-12 schools: Illinois lawmakers pass 2025 budget
The Illinois House passed a $53.1 billion budget with increases for early childhood education, K-12 public schools, and the state’s literacy plan early Wednesday morning by a vote of 65-45. The bill heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk for final approval.

