Fully Funding the Evidence-Based Formula: Four Scenarios
Release: March 27, 2019
On August 31, 2017, Illinois decision makers finally jettisoned one of the least-equitable K-12 public education funding formulas in the country and replaced it with the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act, or EBF. The EBF represents the best practice in school funding because it ties the dollar amount taxpayers invest in schools to those educational practices which research shows actually enhance student achievement over time. David G. Sciarra, Education Law Center, Is School Funding Fair?
ANALYSIS OF SB 1947 (Public Act 100-0465): The Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act
Release: October 10, 2017
On Thursday, August 31, 2017, the people of Illinois woke up in the state that had the worst—as in least equitable—K-12 public education funding formula in the country. That night they went to bed in the state that had the best. This historic transformation happened because that afternoon, Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill (SB) 1947—which became Public Act (P.A.) 100-0465—into law. This breakthrough legislation incorporates the full “evidence-based model” (EBM) of school funding previously contained in SB 1.
Governor Rauner’s Amendatory Veto of SB1 Has a Number of Negative Consequences for Schools Across Illinois
Release: August 14, 2017
While the Illinois Senate voted on Sunday to override the Governor's amendatory veto (AV) of SB1, the Evidence-Based Model for education funding reform, a new CTBA analysis has identified at least six aspects of the AV that would each threaten the ability of Illinois school districts to reach adequate funding to serve their students.
These deficiencies underscore the importance of passing SB1.
CTBA finds that Governor Rauner's AV would frustrate SB1's core purpose of creating an adequate and equitable education funding formula in a number of ways, including by weakening:
Governor Rauner’s Amendatory Veto of SB1 Artificially Inflates the Equalized Assessed Value of Most School Districts—Thus Under- Funding the Classroom
Release: August 7, 2017
CTBA analysis shows that school districts around the state would see their funding threatened by Governor Bruce Rauner's amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1, the Evidence Based Model for School Funding Reform.
Senate Bill 1124—An Inequitable Alternative to SB 1
Release: June 30, 2017
This report analyzes some of the major differences between SB1, the "Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act" that passed both chambers of the General Assembly; and SB1124, an alternative education funding reform bill sponsored by Senator Jason Barickman.
It finds that SB1 does not favor any school district-it does not create any special "bailout" of CPS-and instead creates a proportional, equitable distribution of new state funding for K-12 education.