Evidence-Based School Funding

In August 2017, the State of Illinois enacted a long-hoped-for change to the way that K-12 education is funded. This change, often referred to as evidence-based funding, or EBF, was intended to address longstanding disparities in funding between school districts throughout the state and to improve academic achievement.

EBF was designed to calculate the level of education each district would provide and also how local property tax revenues were meeting that goal, with the objective of directing more state funding toward districts that couldn't meet the needs of their students with just property tax revenue. The reliance on local revenue had exacerbated disparities throughout the state, and increased state funding over time was promised to help districts catch up to their peers. The League of Women Voters was one of many groups throughout the state that advocated for EBF.

Five years later, that promise of increased state funding over time has been met, if perhaps not at the level that many advocates hoped. The law mandated an increase of $350 million into EBF per year and guaranteed that no school district would see reductions from their prior state support. While Illinois has met the $350 million-increase mandate for four of the past five years, the Illinois State Board of Education estimates it would take an additional $3.6 billion to fund all districts across the state to 90% adequacy.  

For Chicago Public Schools, additional funding through EBF (as well as other revenues) have allowed the district to move from Tier 1, which represents the districts farthest away from a 100% funding adequacy, to Tier 2 in 2023. Overall, CPS has moved from a 68% funding adequacy in 2018 to 75% in 2023. Those interested in the details of the tiers and how they are calculated should check out this detailed account by the Center for Budget and Tax Accountability. While this is an exciting development, it's important to remember that 75% is not 100%, and continuing to fund EBF should be a priority for our elected officials. 

Check out the League’s Education Committees! The Daytime Education Committee next meets on Friday, November 18, at 10 am. The Evening Education Committee next meets on Wednesday, January 4, at 6 pm. See our calendar for details.