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.
Although evidence-based funding is working as intended, state is about $4 billion away from fully funding schools.
The Illinois State Board of Education released details of how it will distribute $9.3 billion in Evidence-Based Funding to public schools for the upcoming academic year.
K-12 schools are in line for $9.2 billion through the evidence-based funding formula, which is a $350 million increase over last year.
Today, the buying power of what Illinois invests in higher education is dramatically lower than it was in the year 2000 and beyond that, there’s also a move in the General Assembly to change how that smaller pie is apportioned.
The state Board of Education says it needs a more accurate count of low-income students as participation in federal assistance programs declines.
The Illinois State Board of Education unanimously approved an overhaul to its system for deciding how well schools across the state are performing.
Legislation currently in the Illinois House seeks to make funding public universities more equitable.
Proposed changes to Illinois’ school accountability system are drawing some scrutiny from education groups, who warn the revisions will leave out key measures that paint a full picture of school performance.
Illinois House Bill 1581 advanced out of committee in late March. If passed, it would change how the state funds higher education.
A bill that would change the way public universities are funded in Illinois is making its way through Springfield. HB1581 and SB13 represent what supporters are calling the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act.
State Colleges are Cutting Back as Funding Falls and Costs Rise
For over two decades, state funding of Illinois’ public universities has failed to keep up with rising costs, forcing administrators to raise tuition, which, in turn, has squeezed family finances and even discouraged students from pursuing a degree.

