The State Funding and Forecasting (SFF) Department is charged with four primary functions. SFF staff performs calculations to determine the primary state contribution to K-12 public education through the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Distribution Calculation as per 105 ILCS 5/8-8.15. SFF seeks to prepare and provide information for school administrators and policy makers to assist in informed decision-making. As part of this, SFF staff perform calculations and build tools to forecast education costs to assist with budget-setting and to inform the State Board, lawmakers, the Governor, and school administrators of predicted costs to consider when drafting annual budget bills or operating budgets. SFF staff also perform the annual Property Tax Relief Grant (PTRG) calculations as part of EBF. Finally, SFF staff is charged with assisting the Professional Review Panel formed under 105 ILCS 5/8-8.15 to determine any further refinements to the distribution system.
