The Illinois State Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve a budget request for the upcoming fiscal year of nearly $11.4 billion, a 4.6% increase over this year’s budget, despite projections that the state will face a substantial revenue shortfall next year.

The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging local school districts to adopt clear policies spelling out how and when their staff should cooperate with federal immigration officials carrying out enforcement actions or seeking information from school officials.

The Illinois State Board of Education approved a nearly $11.4 billion budget request this week for the upcoming fiscal year, amounting to a 4.6% increase from this year, as the state prepares to face a substantial budget deficit.

Some Illinois school boards allow all resident children – including private and homeschooled kids – to participate in district activities. That should be the case for all taxpaying families in all districts.

The block grant allocated $32.2 million for the 2025 fiscal year to 91 grantees. That funding is serving 4,008 children in half-day preschool and 1,142 in full-day preschool, as well as providing support services for 512 children under the age of 3.

"Guidance reinforces students’ right to education, regardless of immigration status, and advises school districts to develop local policies," ISBE said.

Illinois’ students in fourth grade scored lower in reading and math on a test known as the ‘nation’s report card’ when compared to their peers in 2022 and 2019. However, eighth graders remained steady or outperformed their peers in 2022,

The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging local school districts to adopt clear policies spelling out how and when their staff should cooperate with federal immigration officials ...

The budget recommends an overall 4% increase, which represents an increase of $108.8 million, in higher education funding, excluding the State University Retirement System (SURS).

NAEP results show stagnant math and reading scores for Illinois’ fourth graders. However, eighth graders posted higher math scores in 2024 than previous cohorts in 2022 and 2019.

The nation’s report card showed that the nation’s schools have failed to recover from learning losses during the pandemic. But Illinois and Iowa showed mostly steady results.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars. The move came as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker held