Level Funding Proposed for EBF, Categoricals, Early Childhood
Three-day wild ride officially begins at 1:00pm today
Let me start with a disclaimer: No votes have been taken yet. Having said that, it appears educators across the state can begin to breathe a sigh of relief.
While perusing through the
2,246-page budget bill last night, I found the news that I at the very least hoped for on page 572.
"It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide sufficient appropriations in this section to ensure that only the Base Funding Minimum amount, and no more, is distributed," House Amendment 1 to HB 64 reads.
If this budget bill holds true - and I believe there is a good chance it will - K-12 education will be held harmless and receive flat funding. Wait, there's more. The proposed budget includes flat levels for early childhood funding and mandated categorical payments. It also increases special education reimbursement for this year (FY 20) by $11.2 million.
Any other year, flat funding in EBF, early childhood and categoricals would be disappointing, but the COVID-19 outbreak changed everything. State revenue is hemorrhaging. Budget experts anticipate $2.7 billion less than expected for the budget the state is currently operating under, and $4.6 billion less revenue for the budget plan for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
Heading into this special session, the math wasn't in our favor. Therefore, this proposal is practically a miracle. The budget hole will have to be filled somehow, but it appears it won't be on the backs of educators. The General Assembly prioritized K-12 education and recognized the damage it would cause if it wiped away three years of gains under Evidence-Based Funding. If this outcome holds true, be sure to thank your local legislators.
The House will convene at 1 p.m. and Senate at 2 p.m. today. I expect it be a wild ride, given the General Assembly is packing weeks of work into three days, all the while doing so under unusual circumstances. The 118 representatives and their support staff will meet in the Bank of Springfield Center and Senate at the statehouse.
A couple of other important notes. Speculation there would be a six-month budget and lump sum budget never materialized. The budget proposal is for the entire FY 21 and is not lump sum, although it is very likely the governor will have additional flexibility. Also, bank on the budget getting passed during this special session because waiting until June would require a three-fifths vote in the House and Senate.
In addition, language has surfaced in SB 1863 to make election day a state holiday, but just for the 2020 election in November. The holiday is only for government offices, schools and university civil servants.
Stay tuned. We will be following these three days closely and will update you on the latest developments. Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Diane Hendren Director of Governmental Relations
Illinois Association of School Administrators
Shared with permission from IASA.