Teachers Unions Criticize Pritzker's Education Funding as State Falls Short of 2025 Goals

Teachers unions are demanding more education funding from Gov. JB Pritzker after his latest state budget proposal fell short of their expectations, according to union statements released following the governor’s budget address last week.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers issued a sharply critical statement after Pritzker unveiled his spending plan, which limits discretionary spending increases to less than half a percentage point. Last year’s budget had limited such increases to less than 1 percent, according to the governor’s office.

The dispute centers on Illinois’ evidence-based funding law, which was designed to bring all schools up to 90 percent “adequate” funding levels by next year. However, unions say the annual funding increases have fallen behind schedule, and the state won’t reach its target until 2034 instead of the original 2025 deadline.

Teachers unions claim the state now “owes” K-12 schools $5 billion and higher education another $1 billion, according to statements made during an education funding lobby day held in Springfield the day before Pritzker’s budget address.

Pritzker’s budget proposal increases spending on “mandated categoricals” for K-12 schools by $51 million, covering areas like special education, transportation and school lunches. The governor’s office says these increases “benefit all districts.”

However, the evidence-based funding ramp payment will increase by only $5 million to $305 million, according to the budget proposal. Higher education spending will be limited to a 1 percent increase, similar to last year and below current inflation rates.

The budget includes $200 million in projected revenues from a proposed “social media platform fee,” with the money earmarked for education. Rumors had circulated among legislators the day before the budget address that K-12 education would receive an additional $200 million, with some assuming the money would boost evidence-based funding.

When asked during his post-address news conference where the $200 million would go, Pritzker said, “Well, guess what? The Legislature has a lot to say about how the money would be spent, but I think the important thing is that our education system, our K-12 system across the state, needs that kind of support.”

The governor’s office later clarified that the proposal would “deposit it into the Common School Fund — the same place the Lottery is deposited — to support the cost of K-12 education.”

According to the governor’s budget documents, the Common School Fund is expected to grow by $103 million in the coming fiscal year, roughly half of the $200 million it would receive from the social media fee. The Lottery’s contribution to the fund is projected to grow by $17 million to $832 million out of a $6.96 billion fund budget.

Budget analysis suggests that while $200 million is being added to the school fund, approximately $114 million appears to have been shifted out of the fund to other parts of the state budget. This mirrors historical patterns with lottery revenue, where gambling proceeds didn’t add new money to school funding but helped the state shift equal amounts to other budget priorities.

Pritzker held a separate news conference Friday to promote his new proposal to ban cellphones in classrooms, but the education funding controversy continued to draw criticism from teachers unions.

The funding shortfall represents a significant challenge for Illinois schools already struggling with budget constraints, as districts across the state await clarity on whether the social media platform fee will survive potential legal challenges and generate the projected revenue.