State education leaders and elected officials in Illinois are heading into a budget cycle they say will be marked by constrained resources, renewed debate over revenue sources and sharpened scrutiny of whether recent spending increases have translated into better outcomes for students.
Budget limits and political choices
Illinois’ State Superintendent of Education, Tony Sanders, has urged the public to weigh in on how limited state dollars should be allocated for schools in the coming fiscal year. With warning that resources are likely to be tight for fiscal 2028, Sanders framed public feedback as essential to align any proposed education budget with the priorities of educators, families and students.
“When state resources are limited, as we know they will be for fiscal year 2028, the public’s input is a necessity to help ensure our proposed budget for public education reflects the values and priorities of Illinois educators, families and students,”
That appeal comes amid partisan and public arguments over how to raise revenue for schools. Chicago’s mayor has again endorsed a so-called "millionaire’s tax" as a means to increase education funding while reducing property taxes for families in the city. Supporters argue the surtax would redistribute revenue to public schools and ease local tax burdens; opponents say the state must examine spending patterns and outcomes before committing to new revenue measures.
More dollars, mixed signals on results
Under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration, state appropriations for K-12 education have risen substantially. State budgets increased from about $9 billion in fiscal 2020 to roughly $11 billion in the budget enacted this spring. At the same time, public school enrollment has declined, and student achievement metrics show troubling trends.
State data show public school enrollment fell by 6.9% between 2019 and 2025. Meanwhile, national testing tracked by The Nation’s Report Card indicates Illinois’ average fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math results in 2024 remained below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Those divergent trends — rising state spending alongside declining enrollment and stagnating test scores — are central to the fiscal debate. Advocates for more funding contend that additional resources are necessary to address learning loss and inequities. Critics say increasing appropriations without demonstrable gains in outcomes raises questions about efficiency and the return on investment.
- State K-12 funding: From about $9 billion (FY2020) to roughly $11 billion (FY2026 budget)
- Enrollment change: Down 6.9% from 2019 to 2025
- Academic performance: 2024 reading and math averages below 2019 levels, per The Nation’s Report Card
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| State K-12 appropriations (FY2020) | $9 billion (approx.) |
| State K-12 appropriations (recent budget) | $11 billion (approx.) |
| Public school enrollment change (2019–2025) | -6.9% |
What’s at stake
The stakes include not only classroom resources but broader tax and budget choices at the state level. Education advocates, teacher unions and some city leaders are pushing for added revenue streams to bolster staffing, services and programs targeted at post-pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, other elected officials and fiscal watchdogs are asking for tighter alignment between spending and measurable student improvement before endorsing new taxes or increased commitments.
For parents and educators the tension is palpable: many report continued needs for intervention and support in classrooms, even as policymakers point to the growth in state funding over recent years. The policy conversation poised to unfold in Springfield will test whether Illinois can reconcile those competing realities — limited near-term state resources, pressure to enhance student outcomes and persistent political differences over how to pay for both.
Public hearings and budget deliberations planned ahead of the fiscal 2028 cycle will be the forum where those trade-offs are debated, and where the state will be asked to show how future dollars will be used to improve learning for Illinois students.
