State spending pressures abound
Thursday, Dec 19, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
Andy Krupin, ISBE’s director of funding and disbursements, explained that the state often does not fully fund MCAT [mandated categorical] expenses and thus “prorates” the amount it reimburses districts for those expenses. The level of proration varies depending on how much the General Assembly appropriates in each category.
Based on the agency’s estimate of next year’s costs, Krupin said, the General Assembly would need to add another $142.2 million to its PreK-12 budget just to maintain the same level of proration as this year.
Combined with the $350 million increase called for under the EBF formula, that would be a total increase in PreK-12 spending of $492.2 million next year [GOMB’s projection of a $3.2 billion deficit assumed a $444 million increase in school spending].
But ISBE has received requests for even more funding increases than that. During a series of public hearings on the budget in October, officials said, the agency heard numerous proposals adding up to about $2.2 billion in funding increase requests. Those included proposals for a $550 million increase in EBF funding and a $10 million increase in career and technical education funding, among other requests.
- Tim - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:26 am:
And we are going to pay for this with what? I will sit down and wait for my answer.
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:35 am:
I am very happy we have Govenor Pritzger as our governor I cannot imagine what it would be like with Rauner. That said someone needs to step up and tell people and organizations to live within their means. How about cutting a budget? Where is this money to come from. Real estate taxes cannot keep rising fees and service charges are piling up. It has to stop
- RNUG - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:49 am:
The General Assembly should make a mandatory rule that every new funds request include a specific new revenue source for said funds … and said funds are only granted if the matching revenue source is enacted.
- Aaron B - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:51 am:
My local K-12 school district increased their tax levy by almost 5% again this year but I guess that isn’t enough? Of course, my assessment equalization went up by 12% so my school district taxes will go up by just under 10%.
- Glengarry - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:53 am:
It’s gonna be a tough budget year. Many are not going to get what they want.
- RNUG - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 10:53 am:
Along that same vein, all natural revenue growth should be pro-rated between the previous years existing GA expenditures.
- Lurker - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 11:10 am:
For Illinois, the State funding was 23.9% of the total school district funds according to illinoisreportcard.com (64% local). Nationwide, States provide 44% of funding according to the article below (and I’d say it is similar to other numbers I’ve seen in the past). We do many things wrong in Illinois, but I’ve always said, the way we fund schools and the amount we spend on them, is #1 of our failures.
https://www.pgpf.org/article/how-is-k-12-education-funded/
- City Zen - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 11:16 am:
==the agency heard numerous proposals adding up to about $2.2 billion in funding increase requests.==
Fantastic. Prioritize those proposals then fund the most important ones that fit within the budget.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 11:19 am:
These public hearings are for people to come submit their wish lists to the ISBE. ISBE should have made it clear that the chances that any of it would get funded were close to zero.
- Lagartha's Shield - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 11:47 am:
I totally get what everyone is saying about the budget, but it really frosts me that the legislature can require districts to provide the services that are supposed to be paid for with MCATS and then not fund them. Those “prorations” are horrible for everyone, but especially the rural districts with hundreds of miles of bus routes to cover who can’t come close to levying enough to pay for them.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 12:26 pm:
“… and said funds are only granted if the matching revenue source is enacted.”
Reagan-esque elimination of “Waste, fraud, and abuse” / Filan-esque raiding of “special funds” should not be allowed as a “revenue source” … . Otherwise it’ll be as effective as the State Mandates Act … .
- walker - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 12:31 pm:
“”all natural revenue growth should be pro-rated between the previous years existing GA expenditures.”"
RNUG Always good to hear from you.
I agree with your intended outcome, but this tactic assumes that the previous year’s expenditures were apportioned correctly. A lot of the impacts from the COVID related burdens and funding carried over into last year, so that’s not the best base to work from.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 12:35 pm:
=The General Assembly should make a mandatory rule that every new funds request include a specific new revenue source for said funds=
Magic Beans does not count.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 12:57 pm:
=That said someone needs to step up and tell people and organizations to live within their means. How about cutting a budget? Where is this money to come from. Real estate taxes cannot keep rising fees and service charges are piling up. It has to stop=
When was the last time you bought a school bus?
MCAT’s have never recovered from the Quinn era proration. Never. During the Rauner years transportation was “prorated” at 25% of your entitlement. The ISBE never suspended the transportation mandate even though they were not paying the statutorily required amount. Special ed has never been reimbursed at 100%. Ever.
Last years transportation proration was 85% iirc.
Since we use fund accounting in education most districts have thin reserves (if any) in that fund and many have to transfer money to Fund 40 to prop it up. Bus costs have nearly doubled in the last 5 years. Fuel goes up and down. Insurance costs are up 30-40%. We have increased pay for drivers by almost 30% and we still cannot get drivers here in rural Illinois. Two years ago a neighboring district raised the starting rate tp $25 and did not get. a single applicant. Rural transportation is much more expensive per cap due to the density and size of districts.
We have to run buses. It is required.Equity apparently isn’t for everyone.
While some here say raise your pay if you cannot find people others say live within your means.
Pick a lane folks.
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 1:20 pm:
@JS Mill. Over the years I have probably bought one or two school buses. Sorry for the rant and you have expertise and I would like to know your solution for education and paying for education in a his state. Why are our taxes so high how do other states fund schools. I consider myself lucky to live here and my education in public schools was outstanding but I still think things could be cut. Heck my wife taught 25 years my son and daughter in law are teachers they are tier 1 and good schools make great towns. But don’t you think funding has to be addressed.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 1:30 pm:
JS Mill for the informative win.
Some people just don’t get the price of things go up.
It’s a law.
- Silent Budgeteer - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 2:25 pm:
Some of the mandated categorical grants include the reimbursements to school districts for students placed in special education private facilities (e.g., Hope School in Springfield). One of the issues that has exacerbated the proration issue was the inclusion of “non-approved” facilities by ISBE a few years ago in an attempt to place students with extremely difficult needs in facilities where they could receive an education and the multiple therapies needed. The onus was supposed to be on the school districts for using these facilities (the district had to verify the curriculum, staffing, etc.), but ISBE would still have to sign off on the placement in the non-approved site (by non-approved, I mean the facility did not go through the ISBE Special Education Facility approval process, which is required for districts to receive reimbursement). Now, with the non-approved facilities, the districts can be reimbursed a portion of their costs; however, the (much) higher costs of these facilities has impacted the proration rates across the board. One facility in New York (and it can’t even get approved by the State of New York) charges probably close to $700,000 per year per child for tuition and room and board costs. The last time I heard, there were about 14 students placed there. And don’t get started on how they managed to get so many kiddos, even trying to poach students from approved in-state facilities.
- BobIsMyUncle - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 2:40 pm:
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 1:20 pm:
“but I still think things could be cut.”
Like commas and question marks? Also, how do you “probably” buy a bus, let alone two?
//lighten up, Francis
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 4:19 pm:
“… how do other states fund schools.”
Many don’t - at least not to Illinois’ level.
During the 2018 Oklahoma teachers’ strike, a first grader in Ada, OK was happy to use a text book used by Blake Shelton … in 1982 (link below). Public schools are so bad in Alabama the Air Force finds officers changing career fields / leaving the service to avoid being stationed at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery AL.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/06/us/student-gets-book-used-by-blake-shelton-trnd/index.html
- JS Mill - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 4:20 pm:
=I still think things could be cut.=
Like? Not trying to be oppositional, it is a serious question. You have as much right to suggest cuts as anyone, but understand that there is a lot you may not know.
Some people want sports and activities cut. They are 1%-3% ( I have never heard of them being anything near 5% but I am sure someone spends that) of a school budget. They are important to some kids and part of a well rounded experience. And too important to may adults.
Consolidation? Makes sense some places and not in others.
Fewer admin? Ok, then the burden for many of those activities falls to teachers who should be focused on teaching and learning.
Cut the arts? These are also very valuable.
Salaries? The state now has a mandated minimum.
There is no silver bullet.
Our district is a decided not wealthy rural district of 150 square miles. We are now 83% locally funded. The state constantly talks about “equity” but for whom? We have a roughly 50% poverty rate now yet we receive the very minimum from the state. Equity is certainly not for poor rural kids, no matter what their ethnicity might be.
Basically we get the EBF base funding minimum and parts of 3 mcats. So the rest is made up of property taxes. I pay property taxes as do most of our staff. We all get it.
The only way to change that is for the state to pick up a larger share and they have to raise revenue to do that. Honestly, I don’t trust the state to always send us funding even if they raise revenue and we drop our tax levy.
- RNUG - Thursday, Dec 19, 24 @ 5:30 pm:
- Walker -
Good point. The last few years have been far from normal.