As Gwen Polk prepares the budget she will present to the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education in September, she has learned that she has approximately $6.2 million in additional revenue courtesy of the State of Illinois’ evidence-based funding program.
Though every school district receives some of the $9.25 billion appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly, Tier 1 districts like Waukegan and North Chicago School District 187 face a harder time adequately funding education, including a smaller property tax base, and receive the most.
When the Illinois General Assembly approved the final $350 million in May — $43 million was held for distribution at a later time — Lake County’s 13 Tier 1 districts and the Regional Office of Education were awarded 87.5% of the county’s total, with District 60 getting 38% — $6.2 million.
Polk, District 60’s associate superintendent for business and financial services, said the proposed budget currently sits at slightly less than $327 million. With COVID-19 federal relief funds no longer available, the additional money from the state is a big help.
“We’re all affected by the fiscal cliff,” Polk said, referring to the federal money schools received nationwide. “The increase (from the state) is going to help.”
Lake County’s 47 school districts and the Regional Office of Education collectively received just under $16.3 million in additional evidence-based funding earlier this month from the state, bringing its total to more than $562 million to augment their budgets.
For the Waukegan public schools, Polk said evidence-based funding provides for more than half of its total revenue, which also includes property tax income. The approximate district-wide enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is 14,000.
By contrast, Barrington Community Unit School District 220, a Tier 4 district — they receive the smallest amount of evidence-based funding — with approximately 8,100 students, received just over $6.5 million.
State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, said evidence-based funding became law in Illinois in 2017 to help all schools get to a level of funding to adequately educate youngsters.
“Education is the great equalizer,” Johnson said, “If students’ schools are adequately funded they they get the support and resources they need. This helps students in low-income areas get those resources.”
Originally proposing $550 million for the final round of evidence-based funding, Johnson said that with a tight state budget, $350 million was the most she and her colleagues could get passed.
In Waukegan, like most school districts, the bulk of the budget goes toward salaries and benefits for teachers, staff, and administrators. The current evidence-based funding is 4.1% more than a year ago, but not close to full adequacy.
With the largest share of evidence-based funding in Lake County, District 60’s adequacy level is 72%, well below the ideal amount. Barrington’s adequacy level is 119%. Some of the highest adequacy levels are found where the property values are also high.
Leading Lake County in adequacy is Rondout School District 72 at 255% which includes parts of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Green Oaks, and Mettawa. Bannockburn School District 106 is at 202% while Lake Forest High School District 115 is at 193% and Township High School District 113 serving Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools is at 190%.
District 187 Principal John Price said the adequacy level in North Chicago dropped from 78% to 71%. A year ago, there was a large influx of migrant children that is not the case this year. The district is receiving $1.67 million, the second-highest amount in Lake County.
Price said District 187’s budget is approximately $80 million, and its evidence-based funding totals just under $40.1 million.
