IASB official warns of tight state budget, outlines school funding, curriculum and health priorities

Mike Stevens, director of government relations at the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), told the legislative committee that state budget projections make the coming fiscal year tight and said IASB and the State Board of Education have submitted a roughly $10.9 billion request for K–12 education funding.

Stevens said the governor’s Office of Management and Budget was projecting about a $2.2 billion deficit, a figure that had recently been revised and was likely to fall between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion. "So coming up with money this year is going to be a struggle," he said, adding, "I think everyone is aware that this is gonna be a tight budget year." He said ISBE/IASB requested a $350 million increase for Evidence‑Based Funding (EBF) and an additional $151 million for MCAT lines (special education transportation and related costs) to hold proration steady.

Why it matters: districts across Illinois have seen proration cut funding below prior levels; IASB’s requests aim to prevent deeper cuts to transportation and special‑education services while seeking incremental steps toward fuller EBF funding.

Stevens reviewed several legislative themes IASB is tracking. He described the recently created Mandate Reduction Council (referenced in the meeting as "Public Act 104 3 91") and said the council will review more than 1,000 instructional mandates to determine whether to remove, reclassify or rewrite them. He listed curricular proposals introduced this legislative session including bills on required computer‑science instruction, renewed attention to cursive instruction, and new units in ethnic histories (Italian and Latin American history).

On special education, Stevens noted the 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and said IASB is urging Illinois’ federal delegation to cosponsor fuller IDEA funding; IASB’s goal reflects a 40% federal funding target compared with approximately an 11% federal share currently. Stevens said IASB’s Washington staff, led by Kristen Fitzgerald, is coordinating that federal advocacy work.

Stevens also flagged policy items still under discussion: a carryover of last year’s cell‑phone‑instruction policy work; proposed adjustments to tier‑2 pension rules (such as lowering retirement age and changing interest calculations rather than restoring full tier‑1 benefits); a K–2 discipline proposal to limit expulsions except where federal law requires (for example, firearm incidents); teacher reciprocity measures for educators trained abroad; and timing issues in district audits.

On student health, Stevens said bills would allow schools to keep on‑site asthma medication with trained staff to administer it (including at off‑campus events) and would update Illinois law to permit FDA‑approved epinephrine nasal delivery devices as an alternative to injections.

Committee members asked clarifying questions. A board member identified as Kate asked whether cursive instruction was already required; Stevens and another participant replied there is a required unit of study but no mandate that students practice cursive handwriting, and the proposed bill would set particular grade levels. Another member asked for more detail on IASB’s federal assessment and accountability advocacy; Stevens said he would follow up and refer technical questions to Kristen Fitzgerald.

There were no public comments. The committee thanked the presenter, requested follow‑up information by email, and adjourned.