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For immediate release
February 18, 2004
Governor recommends more than $400 million for Illinois
schools
General Assembly will decide what programs are
funded
(SPRINGFIELD) – Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
unveiled his Fiscal Year 2005 budget Wednesday which included
a more than $400 million increase in elementary and secondary
education funding. While the recommendation sets out some
of the Governor’s priorities for increased spending,
it stops short of allocating funds to specific programs.
“In light of the tough economic times that Illinois
has faced over the past several years, the Governor’s
recommendation acknowledges the need to keep the lights
and the doors open at our more than 4,000 schools,”
State Superintendent Robert Schiller said.
The Governor’s FY 2005 Budget recommendation for
elementary and secondary includes a $400 million increase
in funding over FY04 for programs, in addition to $65
million for Chicago Public Schools retirement. The recommendation
identifies the following areas as some priorities but
does not specifically allocate the amount of increase:
General State Aid; Mandated Categoricals; Early Childhood;
State of the State Initiatives; ADA Block Grant; and Bilingual
education. Schiller credited the Governor for recognizing
the needs of school districts in his priorities, which
mirror those outlined by the State Board of Education
last month.
Further, initial review of the recommendation includes
transferring the following programs to agencies under
the Governor’s purview: Regular and Special Education
Orphanage programs to the Department of Children and Family
Services; Early Intervention, Truant Alternative and Optional
Education Program, and Regional Safe School programs to
the Department of Human Services; General Equivalency
Diploma to the Illinois Community College Board; and Agricultural
Education to the Department of Agriculture.
Schiller added that it is unclear how the Governor’s
proposed transfer of programs to other agencies affects
the bottom line for ISBE operations and its ability to
support school districts. The Governor’s proposal
maintains the current agency headcount at 495, but includes
plans to restructure the organization.
“I question how placing educational programs into
more state agencies benefits school districts,” Schiller
said.
Schiller said that the State Board will do an analysis
of the budget recommendation and pledged to work with
the General Assembly in the coming months as it identifies
how the $400 million will be allocated.
“We face some tough decisions as we strive to move
education forward in Illinois,” Schiller said. “We
need to keep in mind that the majority of our school districts
are operating in deficits. They need the state’s
financial support so they can avoid cutting programs and
letting go of teachers and instead remain focused on classroom
instruction.”
In January the State Board proposed an increase of $609
million in additional funds over FY04, $576.6 million
alone which would support adequate basic education and
full funding of programs that the state requires districts
provide. The proposal included a $250 per pupil increase
of general state aid, which equals $396.5 million; restores
the School Safety and Educational Improvement (ADA) Block
Grant to its FY03 level of $66.9 million, an increase
of $24 million; an additional $139.1 million to fully
fund the state Mandated Categorical grants including special
education and transportation; a $13.3 million increase
for the Bilingual program to increase the pro-ration from
64% to approximately 75%. The proposal also included restoration
of $19 million for Gifted Education; $30 million for Early
Childhood; $23.7 million for Bridges Extended Learning
Opportunities (formerly known as Summer Bridges); $2.6
million for Reading, $6.2 million for System of Support,
$3 million for Career and Technical Education, and $4.5
million for Truant and Alternative Learning Opportunities.
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