EBF

Volume XI of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy. The update for the FY 2026 Enacted budget uses the shortfall from the ISBE EBF calculations for FY 2026 (released in August of 2025). The Report looks at four different funding scenarios and explains fluctuations in local revenue for districts in the past few years. The analysis includes the full funding model based on the current minimum increase of $300 million annually both with and without considering inflation, if the state were to up the funding to $500 million annually, as well as the annual amount to fund the EBF by FY 2027 as the statute requires.

Volume X of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy. This continuation uses the shortfall from the ISBE EBF calculations for FY 2025 (released in August of 2024). The new release maintains the four scenarios, including the full funding model based on the current minimum increase of $300 million annually both with and without considering inflation, if the state were to up the funding to $500 million annually, as well as the annual amount to fund the EBF by FY 2027 as the statute requires.

Volume IX of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy. Volume IX uses the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 General Fund Budget appropriations for the Evidence-Based Funding formula, but uses a projected shortfall based on the ISBE EBF calculated shortfall for FY 2024 (released in August of 2023). The new release maintains the four scenarios, including the full funding model based on an increase of $500 million annually using Scenario 2: Funding the EBF on a Fully Inflation-Adjusted Basis, By Making a Nominal Minimum Target Level Increase Annually.

Volume VIII of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy, which aligns with the Illinois State Board of Education’s methodology. Volume VIII uses the new tier funding and the calculated shortfall based on the ISBE EBF calculated shortfall for FY 2024 (released in August 2023) as well as references Illinois Department of Revenue Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax from FY 2019-FY2023.

Volume VII of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy, which aligns more closely with the Illinois State Board of Education’s methodology. Volume VII uses the propsed Fiscal Year 2024 General Fund Budget appropriations for the Evidence-Based Funding formula, but uses a projected shortfall (similar to that of Volume V), based on the ISBE EBF calculated shortfall for FY 2023 (released in August 2022). The new release maintains the four scenarios but adds the full funding model based on an increase of $500 million annually using Scenario 2: Funding the EBF on a Fully Inflation-Adjusted Basis, By Making a Nominal Minimum Target Level Increase Annually

Volume VI of the Fully Funding the EBF series continues CTBA’s modeling of fully funding the EBF to 90% of Adequacy, which aligns more closely with the Illinois State Board of Education’s methodology. Volume VI uses the Enacted Fiscal Year 2023 General Fund Budget appropriations for the Evidence-Based Funding formula found in Volume V, but applies the ISBE EBF calculated shortfall for FY 2023 (released in August 2022), rather than a projected shortfall as provided in Volume V. The new release maintains the four scenarios found in the Fully Funding the EBF series Volume V.

Volume V of the Fully Funding the EBF series keeps adjustments to CTBA’s model to align more closely with the Illinois State Board of Education’s methodology and reporting but based on the Enacted Fiscal Year 2023 General Fund Budget appropriations for the Evidence-Based Funding formula. This change is made to the overall Adequacy Gap funding level (changes from 100% to 90% to accommodate for Federal funding). This change in methodology is applied in the same manner as it was for the four scenarios found in the Fully Funding the EBF series Volume V.

Contrary to what the governor proposed in the FY 2022 General Fund budget proposal, K-12 funding under the Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF) resumed funding of the $300 million Minimum Funding Level in the FY 2022 Enacted General Fund Budget, as it had in FYs 2018,2019, and 2020. This is certainly better than being held level with the prior fiscal year, as was done in FY 2021.

Volume IV of the Fully Funding the EBF series makes some minor adjustments to CTBA’s model to align more closely with the Illinois State Board of Education’s methodology and reporting. This change is made to the overall Adequacy Gap funding level (changes from 100% to 90% to accommodate for Federal funding). This change in methodology is applied to the four scenarios found in the Fully Funding the EBF series Volume Three.

In the FY 2022 General Fund budget proposal the Governor announced in February, K-12 funding under the Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF) is once again held level with FY 2020, in nominal, non-inflation adjusted dollars. While that is certainly better than being cut from FY 2020 levels in nominal dollars, it represents a step backward. That is because, after accounting for inflation, K-12 funding under the FY 2022 proposed General Fund budget is $434 million, or 4.9 percent less in real terms than it was in FY 2020.  

By not providing additional new funding for the EBF, the state is extending the time it would take to fully fund the EBF by two years – if the state continues to put in a minimum of $300 million yearly beginning in FY 2023. That two year extension would mean extending the timeline to more than four times longer than what is required by statute. 

This update is the third installment in the Fully Funding the EBF Series.

Fully Funding the Evidence-Based Formula: 2020 Update” is an update to the “Fully Funding the Evidence-Based Formula: Four Scenarios” report from 2019. The updated 2020 report highlights three different funding scenarios, identifying for each scenario how long, and how much money would be required to fund an adequate and equitable education as identified by the Evidence-Based Funding Formula.