McLean County Times

Sen. Jason Barickman supports legislation on school funding.

In an Aug. 29 article on evidence-based funding in Illinois, Barickman spoke of the necessity of passing legislation on school funding.

“It was a politically practical, pragmatic decision," Barickman said. "I was very focused on getting something done. And it was very apparent to me that we weren't going to get something done without a hold-harmless. So while I think a hold-harmless has policy challenges, we weren't going to let perfection get in the way of getting something done."

The Illinois State Board of Education explains evidence-based funding (EBF) this way: "EBF sends more resources to Illinois’ most under-resourced students. EBF takes the necessary first steps toward ensuring all schools have the resources they need to provide a safe, rigorous, and well-rounded learning environment for all students. EBF demonstrates new mindsets for understanding the relationship between equity, adequacy, and student outcomes."

In October 2021, Illinois Newsroom looked at evidence-based funding and asked how the 2017 bill had affected school districts across the state. They noted: "When the funding model started, Illinois had over 150 school districts below 60% of their adequacy target. Today, there are just 16. Most Illinois students go to a school, like DeKalb, that’s between 60-70%."

For 2021, Advance Illinois mapped out the data of student attendance compared to funding equity and created a dashboard where interested individuals could learn more. Find that here: https://www.advanceillinois.org/evidence-based-funding-formula-equity-dashboard-2021