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IFT End-of-Session Legislative Update (Part 1 of 2)

The Illinois General Assembly adopted a $46 billion state budget early Saturday morning before concluding the spring session. The FY 23 budget includes increases in funding for public education at all levels and provides tax relief for Illinois families. Throughout the spring, a variety of measures to support educators (most notably the COVID administrative days and paycheck protection bill) and improve working conditions for IFT members were passed.


Budget Overview


K12 Funding

  • Evidence Based Funding: $350 million increase (includes funding to correct an $87 million calculation error that overpaid a small number of districts and underpaid others)

  • Nation Board Certified Teachers: $1.5 million (same as FY 22)

  • Freedom Schools: $17 million (same as FY 22)

  • Student assessment: $40 million ($1.5 million less than FY 22)

  • Early childhood education grants (ISBE): increase of $50 million


Higher Education

  • Public universities: average funding increase of 5% (increase was applied to FY 22 and then level funded from FY 22 to FY 23)

  • Monetary Award Program (MAP): $122 million increase

  • AIM High: $35 million (same as FY 22)

  • Grow Your Own: $2.5 million (same as FY 22)

  • Community Colleges

  • City Colleges: 5% increase

  • Community college base operating grants: 10% increase

  • Equalization grants: 5% increase

Pensions

  • Full payment to TRS, SUS, and SERS

  • Additional $500 million to pension debt spread across FY 22 and FY 23

New Programs

  • Early childhood education programs at community colleges: $50 million

  • Wellness Checks in Schools Program (Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services): $5 million

  • Educators Rising: $400k

  • STEAM grants: $2.5 million

  • CPS Trauma Response: $1.6 million

  • CPS CTE funding: $5 million

  • Teacher computer science training (ICCB): $1 million

  • Teacher reimbursement grant program: $2 million

  • Pipeline for the Advancement of Healthcare (PATH) Program at community colleges: $25 million

  • Social worker scholarship and loan repayment program (ISAC): $6 million

  • Trade schools: $5 million

  • Labor history and workers’ rights coursework to be included in applied science degree in electric vehicle technology

  • Heartland Community College (Normal): $150,000

  • Southern Illinois Community College (Belleville): $150,000

Tax Relief (SB 157)

  • Property tax relief: doubling the state property tax rebate which could return as much as $300 to a household that pays property taxes.

  • Additional property tax relief measures were contained in SB 1975. A notable and welcomed requirement of the bill is that the Department of Revenue will study the impact of the disabled veteran homestead exemption in St. Clair, Lake, Will, Madison, Rock Island, and DuPage Counties. The study will be completed by June 30, 2023.

  • Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): doubling the EITC to reduce the tax liability for low- and moderate-income families. This will apply to individuals who earn less than $200,000 a year and joint filers with a combined income of less than $400,000.

  • Classroom materials tax credit: doubling of the credit from $250 to $500

  • Back to School tax holiday on school supplies and clothing from Aug. 5 to Aug. 14 of 2022

  • Requirement for districts with cash balances to publicly disclose that information

The Budget Implementation Bill (BIMP) is a bill passed each year that complements the spending plan. Highlights of the BIMP (HB 4700) include:

  • Creation of the Climate Jobs Institute at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at U of I with the task of evaluating initiatives, including the Public Schools Carbon-Free Assessment programs, to retrofit schools for energy efficiencies to create a safe, healthy, cost-effective school environment while contributing to an environmentally sustainable state

  • Establishes a Significant Loss Grant Program for Galatia and Shawnee School Districts, which faced a significant loss in property tax revenue after a large business in the area failed

  • Exempts a school district that was in disrepair from having to garner matching funds for rebuilding a new school building (Venice School District)

  • Establishes the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH) Workforce program and requires ISBE to write administrative rules

  • Allows the award of MAP grants to students seeking certificates or credentials (previously, just degrees)

  • Transfers the Nursing Education Scholarship Law responsibilities from IBHE to ISAC

  • One-time waiver of licensure fees for social workers, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists

  • Allows Decatur SD 161 to utilize federal relief dollars without a referendum to build a new school building




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