News Brief: 

The status of education in the state of Illinois is seemingly becoming more hostile to parents who decide to homeschool their children. A bill is being considered in the state legislature that would require that parents register with the state government if they do decide to homeschool their children instead of sending them to public schools or other academic options. School choice advocates argue that this bill would be governmental overreach and undermine academic freedom. If the bill does pass, parents would have to send in their approval to the state government or be considered harboring truant children. This news comes in concert with the Trump Administration weighing the freezing of funds to Illinois because the state is deciding to maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. $3 billion in federal funds could be in jeopardy due to this stalemate and lawmakers are playing political games with the education of students.The federal funding itself represents 10% of the Illinois state budget and it is very clear that the fight is long from over so long as Illinois politicians decide to wage war with the Trump Administration over these divisive social policies.

Facts and Data:

• 1.9 million students in 3,977 schools across 853 different districts. 
• The student to teacher ratio is 15 students for every one teacher, the national average is 16 students for every one teacher in the classroom. 
• 130,467 teachers total in public schools.
• $17,293 spent per student since 2020.
• 25.3% of the population has a high school diploma as their highest education attained. 
• 22.8% of the population over age 25 has at least a bachelor’s degree. 
• 35% of students are proficient in reading by 8th grade and 27% proficient in math, these numbers slightly increased from 2022 to 2023.
• 10.6% of education funding comes from the federal government, totaling $4.6 billion.
• The Illinois State Board of Education oversees and administers public education in the state, preschool through grade 12. 
• Illinois was ranked 12th overall in terms of education quality (U.S. News and World Report). 

News:

• The homeschool bill would require parents to register with the state if they choose to homeschool their children. School choice advocates argue that this is an attack on parents who are seeking to pull their children out of public schools, i.e. school choice and is a push toward governmental control/overreach. If the bill does pass, parents who do not submit the form would be considered having truant children and could face legal action. Proponents of the bill argue that the bill is designed to protect against child abuse and ensure that children are receiving a proper education. Illinois homeschool bill would require parents to register with the state – Axios Chicago
• Illinois education funds could be in question due to the DEI policies of the liberal state. The Trump Administration is arguing that Illinois is illegally discriminating against students due to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and programs that have been practiced. President Trump’s focus is on empowering parents and allowing for school choice opportunities that give children the best chance to succeed academically. Democrats, however, in the state are arguing that the policies are not pushing gender ideology but instead allowing students to express themselves freely and attend public schools with proper funding. Up to $3 billion in federal tax funding could be in jeopardy due to the freezing of these funds or around 10% of the state budget in terms of financial disclosures. WATCH: Illinois’ $3B federal education funds could be jeopardized by state’s DEI policies
• The Illinois Board of Education and schools in Chicago are being investigated for potentially having engaged in Title IX violations. The investigation is being led by the U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Office, arguing that transgender students are being allowed to use women’s locker rooms at school. The Trump Administration is alleging that these violations fall under Title IX because biological women and biological men should be in separate locker rooms. The school in question is Shepherd Middle School and administrators have maintained that the student is identifying as a female despite being a biological male. The investigation could take a full 12 months before official hearings begin. Illinois Education Board, Chicago schools under investigations for alleged Title IX violations