Governor Pritzker Rules Out a Supplemental School Budget as Chicago Public Schools Faces a $150 Million Deficit
Gov. JB Pritzker has confirmed his administration will not pursue a supplemental education budget in the fall veto session, leaving Chicago Public Schools and other districts to manage their budget gaps without mid-year state help.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has confirmed that his administration will not pursue a supplemental education budget during the upcoming legislative veto session, according to reporting by WAND-TV summarized in a WiseVoter report published Oct. 31. Pritzker addressed education funding at a briefing on Oct. 29, as several major school districts across Illinois face budget deficits.
Chicago Public Schools faces a $150 million deficit, according to the report, while districts in Champaign and Decatur report gaps of $10 million and $6 million. The administration's position, as reported, is that the state should prioritize funding debates for the upcoming fiscal year rather than making mid-year adjustments to current spending.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers has advocated for using a $768 million settlement from Meta to bolster school funding, according to the report, but Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul have already designated those funds for youth mental health services.
The General Assembly's veto session is scheduled in two parts, Nov. 17-19 and Dec. 1-3. Without a supplemental budget, families in districts like Chicago, Champaign and Decatur face uncertainty about school programs and resources as their local boards manage the gaps, according to the report.
