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Illinois PreK-12 Education Budget

ISBE has a responsibility to advocate for what all of Illinois’ children deserve. The State Board makes budget recommendations to the General Assembly annually each January. The state constitution mandates that the “primary responsibility for financing the system of public education” belongs solely to the state.

 FY 2026

Public Hearing Date Number of Speakers Speaker Capacity Speaker Capacity Status
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The Illinois State Board of Education invites you to give your input on the state’s budget for public education in fiscal year 2026. Each year, ISBE welcomes educators, parents, students, and community organizations to submit testimony that informs our advocacy for equitable funding for all Illinois students. Please follow the steps below to participate.

  1. Submit your request in writing via the online form. Proceed to Steps 2 and 3 only if you would also like to speak at or attend an in-person or virtual budget hearing. ISBE will consider all written and oral testimony equally. Speakers must submit written testimony. Oral testimony is not required.

  2. If you would like to speak at a hearing after submitting your request in writing, join the in-person hearing at the ISBE Springfield Office or register for the appropriate virtual hearing using the links below. You will need the reference number you receive after submitting your request in writing.

  3. Participate in the budget hearing at your assigned time. After you register for a hearing, ISBE will inform you via email of the 30-minute window when you may speak. Please keep your testimony to less than three minutes. Only one person per organization should provide testimony.

Hearings are open to the public even if you do not plan to submit a funding request or speak. If you wish to listen but not submit testimony or speak, you can either attend the hearing in person in Springfield on Oct. 8 or follow Step 2 to register to listen into a virtual budget hearing.

View a detailed instruction guide.

All of the budget hearings are accessible to persons with disabilities and to persons speaking languages other than English. Persons planning to participate who need real-time captioning, American Sign Language, or spoken language translation services should contact ISBE Language Access Coordinator Carolina Fabian at cfabian@isbe.net or 312-814-8884 at least two weeks prior to the hearing.

 FY 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education recently hosted three public hearings to gather input from across the state on the budget for public education in fiscal year 2025. ISBE heard from educators, parents, students, community organizations, and other leaders via budget request forms that were submitted and in-person and virtual testimony. Several related documents are available below.

 FY 2024

​The Illinois State Board of Education hosted three hearings to gather input on the state budget for public education in fiscal year 2024. Each year, ISBE welcomes educators, parents, students, and community organizations to submit testimony that informs our advocacy for equitable funding for all Illinois students.​

 FY 2022

 FY 2021

ISBE hosted four hearings to gather input in person: 

  • ​Oct. 16, immediately following the board meeting, at approximately noon, in the East St. Louis School District Administration Building​ at 1005 State St., East St. Louis
  • Oct. 23, 3:30-5:3​0 p.m., in the Senior Cafeteria of Bloomington High School at 1202 E. Locust St., Bloomington
  • Nov. 6, 3:30-5:30 p.m., in the CORE Classroom of Dr. Nick Osborne Primary Center at 401 N. 30th St., Mt. Vernon
  • Nov. 21, 1-4 p.m., in Room 16-503 of the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago
View the event flyerPDF Document. ​​​​​​

 FY 2020

Funding a Civil Right: Quality Education for All

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