Regional Office of Education outlines FY27 allocation increase and warns of service impacts from job losses

A representative of the Regional Office of Education addressed the board about how multi-county allocations are calculated under the Illinois School Code and the possible downstream effects of job losses in the region.

The presenter said the office’s overall budget is between $2 million and $2.5 million, and that Union County’s FY27 allocation will increase by $1,115 to $30,969. He explained allocations are based on each county’s equalized assessed valuation (EAV), corporate personal property replacement tax reimbursements and prior-year tax rates.

The presenter also warned of a potential "trickle down effect" if local employers lose staff, saying that fewer working families could lead to lower school enrollment and additional strains on alternative education and juvenile services across the five-county region (Alexander, Jackson, Perry, Pulaski and Union). He connected those concerns explicitly to the earlier public comment about Shoal Center staffing and said fewer services could increase juvenile justice and supervision burdens in neighboring counties.