One of Illinois’ largest and most influential public-sector unions wants lawmakers to use the state’s recent $768 million Meta settlement to help fill statewide education gaps.
The majority of public school students across the state attend class in an underfunded district, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Kurt Hilgendorf, chief of staff for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said some schools are operating with just 75 cents for every dollar needed.
"If we're in a situation where students aren't getting their needs met, and we've got a windfall from a company that's made billions of dollars to help make sure that a student can go to the chess club, then that seems like a pretty easy answer for us," Hilgendorf explained.
Illinois is set to receive funds from a multistate settlement with Meta over a 10-year period. The money is supposed to go toward youth mental health and online safety programs. The federation is calling on state lawmakers to consider using the money toward filling the K-12 education budget deficit even if it will not solve the entire problem.
Hilgendorf stressed that shortages from underfunding are hitting communities from Rockford to Belleville, with larger classes and gaps in special education services, leaving students with fewer opportunities. He pointed to state data showing Illinois’ education funding gap is now nearly $7 billion. The deficit grew by more than $1 billion in just the last year.
"The reality around Illinois is that there is a lot of pain in schools right now," Hilgendorf emphasized. "More than a million students aren't getting the experience that they need, and we think that this should be the highest priority for the state government and state legislature and the governor to address, starting as soon as the veto session."
The state recently reached the compliance deadline for its evidence-based funding model for public schools, which was passed in 2017.
Hilgendorf argued the standard $350 million annual increase to the funding formula is too slow. At such a pace, he added, children entering kindergarten today will graduate from high schools that remain underfunded. Proponents of the model said it has been a lifeline for schools and has made strides in helping to address the state’s chronically underfunded public education system.
Illinois News Connection originally published this story.
