ROCKFORD – Fulfilling the evidence-based funding commitment for Illinois schools, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced that school districts in the 34th District will receive over $13 million additional dollars to help address the financial challenges schools have faced.
“Our students deserve the best educational opportunities, and by offering evidence-based funding, we are ensuring our schools have the funding they need,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “I am glad that Illinois is investing in the future and providing every child the opportunity to succeed.”
The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.
Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:
- Belvidere Community Unit School District 100: $2,841,080
- Rockford Public Schools: $10,214,014
- Alternative and Safe Schools (Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education): $36,504
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget invested $350 million in new funding into students’ success through the evidence-based funding model.
For more information on the FY 25 evidence-based funding distribution, visit the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.
