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APRIL 8, 2025
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Round Lake High School students taking Doug Barnshaw’s Community Civics Honors course visited the Capitol last week to advocate for housing affordability, criminal justice reform, and changes to ACCESS testing. They met with State Representative Laura Faver Dias (right) and a staff member for State Senator Mary Edly-Allen.
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MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD
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Dear Colleagues:
We are aware of the technical issues that happened today with ACT testing. I have talked with the president of ACT to express our concerns. ACT will provide additional communication about technical issues and specific timing scenarios experienced on April 8 as soon as more information is available. You can find today’s communications from ACT on the ISBE High School Assessment webpage (regarding logging into TCM and what to do if you experienced a test disruption).
More than 6,000 children in Illinois are in families connected to the military. April has been designated Month of the Military Child to help us pause and consider the unique challenges these students face due to frequent relocations across the country and around the world.
Children growing up in military families may move half a dozen times during elementary school. Each move brings the challenge of making new friends, joining new teams, and learning new school rules. To make this transition as smooth as possible, the U.S. Department of Defense helped develop the Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children. This agreement, supported by the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), enables all 50 states and the District of Columbia to provide a consistent set of policies that make it easier for military children to enroll in school, register for the classes they need, join the extracurricular activities they want, and graduate on time. And because Illinois has signed on to the compact, in a commitment to protect our military-connected children, the MIC3 is state law.
What does that mean? Here are a few examples:
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It means that a student who transfers into your district after football tryouts will nevertheless be allowed to try out for the team.
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It means that a child who was in the gifted program in their previous school can be admitted to your gifted program without having to wait for the next round of testing.
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And it means that a 12th grader who moves to Illinois can still graduate with peers even if they missed a required course offered in 11th grade.
These assurances mean a military-connected student doesn’t suffer setbacks every time their military parent(s) have to move.
Recently, the Illinois State MIC3 Council has re-formed. Its members include ISBE Executive Director of Safe and Healthy Climate Dr. Tiffany Burnett; state Representatives Katie Stuart and Brandun Schweizer (a retired U.S. Marine Corps master sergeant); representatives from all three active-duty installations in Illinois – Rock Island Arsenal, Scott Air Force Base, and Naval Station Great Lakes – and administrators from the school districts that serve them. The commission is led by John P. Price, superintendent of North Chicago Community USD 187.
There are many ways you can honor the Month of the Military Child. For example, put up a world map and put pins where students and staff have lived. Classes can adopt a deployed service member or unit, and send notes, cards, or even care packages. If you have a family in school and their service member is deployed, a school group can offer to help with yard work, babysitting, or tutoring. North Chicago has three Navy housing villages, so District 187 pairs each incoming military child with another military student buddy, so they don’t have to walk into the cafeteria alone.
I was not in a military family, but while I was growing up, my father’s profession had us moving a lot, which forced me to have to adjust to new and different schools. Even though the experience was sometimes uncomfortable and a little scary, I can see in retrospect that those moves helped me become outgoing, friendly, and a little bit fearless. I know that with the empathetic leadership our schools can provide we can help our military children have an uplifting experience in Illinois before they transfer to their next adventure.
All my best,
Tony
Dr. Tony Sanders
State Superintendent of Education
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NEW! 2025 ILLINOIS TEACHER OF THE YEAR COHORT
ISBE has announced the members of the 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year Cohort, including the 13 finalists for 2025 Illinois State Teacher of the Year. The annual Teacher of the Year program honors incredible classroom educators who have made lasting impacts on the students, families, and fellow educators in their school communities. ISBE will showcase cohort members in the Weekly Message each week leading up to the announcement of the 2025 Illinois State Teacher of the Year this spring. Read more about each member of the 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year Cohort on the ISBE Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year webpage. Congratulations to all this year’s extraordinary awardees!
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Jena Kleindl
Outstanding Early Career Educator
Freeport High School, Freeport School District 145
Jena Kleindl teaches English and journalism, helps coach the speech team, and advises the National Honor Society chapter at Freeport High School. She is a former TV news producer who has created a media production academy pathway, offering students the opportunity to gain two industry certifications from YouScience and earn two college credits through Highland Community College. Ms. Kleindl contributed to the English Department's curriculum redesign and led efforts to raise graduation rates as a Tier 2 interventionist.
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NEW! DATA STRATEGIES & ANALYTICS
Entity Profile System 2026 Webinar
Join us for an Entity Profile System (EPS) webinar at 10 a.m. on May 1. The webinar will cover:
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How to update and verify your organization’s information in EPS.
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Changes in EPS for the upcoming school year.
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Overview of RCDTS codes.
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What constitutes grades served in a school.
There will be a Q&A session at the end of the webinar. Please send your questions, comments, and feedback to webinar@isbe.net. A video recording and PDF version of this presentation subsequently will be posted on the ISBE Entity Profile System webpage.
If you need assistance or have questions about EPS, please call 312-814-9192 or email epschange@isbe.net with a detailed description of your issue, preferably with your organization’s name in the subject line and with screenshots.
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NEW! FINANCE
FY 2025 Site-Based Financial Reporting: Updates to Required Exclusions
Beginning with the fiscal year 2025 reporting period, ISBE’s Site-Based Financial Reporting guidance will require that all Object 500 expenditures be captured in the total exclusions reported by each district in the Site-Based Expenditure Report (SBER). Previously, ISBE’s guidance required that Object 500 expenditures within Fund 10 be included in the per-pupil calculations. Object 500 expenditures in all other funds will continue to be excluded. This change should also be reflected in any School-Level Financial Survey (SLFS) data submitted to ISBE.
Expenditure accounts included in SBER per-pupil calculations and SLFS figures are meant to capture ongoing, normal-course expenditures for instruction and operation. Costs for capital projects, debt, adult education, and community services are therefore reported within total exclusions. ISBE has made minimal changes to its exclusion guidance since the initial 2019 reporting year. The update to guidance for Object 500 expenditures will bring ISBE’s collection process into greater alignment with the U.S. Department of Education’s reporting guidelines and ensure consistency between SBER, SLFS, and other federally required school finance reports. Based on an analysis of available financial data for fiscal year 2024, the impact on district per-pupil expenditures would be minimal (e.g., less than 1% on average).
The FY 2025 Site-Based Financial Reporting period will open on July 1. Site-based expenditures are collected through Aug. 15; edits to submissions may be made through Aug. 29. Consistent with FY 2024, SLFS data may be submitted through Nov. 3.
Additional resources, including an updated guidance document, webinar, and tutorial videos, will be available later this spring. Questions may be directed to site-based@isbe.net.
FY 2025 Project End Date Extension Requests and Final Budget Amendments
Many state and federal grant projects are approaching a June 30 end date for obligating FY 2025 grant funds. All state and federal project end date extension requests and final budget amendments must be received by ISBE no later than 30 calendar days prior to the end date of the project.
As a reminder:
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An end date extension past June 30 is not needed for regular term staff salaries paid on a 12-month salary schedule.
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An end date extension past June 30 is not needed to pay obligations (e.g., purchase order for supplies) incurred June 30 or prior.
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An end date extension past June 30 is needed for new activities and obligations incurred July 1 or later (e.g., summer school, professional development).
Final amendments for state and federal grants with a project end date of June 30, 2025, must be received by ISBE no later than May 31. Amendments for grants with a project end date of Aug. 31, 2025, must be submitted by Aug. 1. However, budget increases for FY 2025 state-funded grant projects must be received by June 30, even if the project end date has been extended. The deadline for grant applications in eGMS also is referenced on the “Program Overview” page under “Amendment Due Date.” Please share this important information with any staff responsible for grant management at your district/entity.
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School Maintenance Project Grants Quarterly Expenditure Reports Due
All recipients approved for FY 2025 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grants are required to submit a Quarterly Expenditure Report for the periods that ended Dec. 31, 2024, and March 31, 2025. These reports are available in IWAS under School Maintenance Project Grants. Note: If your district has not yet started the approved school maintenance project(s) and/or has not expended any funds, please report accordingly by entering $0.00 in the appropriate blank.
Similarly, recipients of the FY 2024 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grant are required to report quarterly expenditures and obligations from project beginning date through March 31, June 30, Sept. 30, and Dec. 31 of each fiscal year until the Final Expenditure Report has been submitted. The FY 2024 SMPG Final Expenditure Reports should be submitted by Dec. 31, 2025.
Quarterly Expenditure Reports are required by the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act and are due 20 calendar days after the expenditure through date.
Please follow the instructions to complete the Quarterly Expenditure Report. Note the following:
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Quarterly reports must be done even if you have not started any of the work items on the grant. Please enter “0” for any work item that has not been started.
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Quarterly Expenditure Reports must be submitted until the Final Expenditure Report has been submitted in IWAS to close out the grant.
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All work items must be updated every quarter until the work item is 100 percent completed.
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A Final Expenditure Report must be submitted within 20 days after the project is 100 percent completed. Please follow the instructions to submit a Final Expenditure Report.
Please contact 217-785-8779 or SMPG@isbe.net if you need assistance.
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NEW! NUTRITION
Apply for the FY 2026 School Breakfast Program Expansion Grant
ISBE is seeking applications for the FY 2026 School Breakfast Expansion Grant. The key objectives of the School Breakfast Program Expansion Grant are:
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Improve quality and nutritional standards of breakfast food served using less sodium and sugar and serving a variety of protein sources, whole grains, milk, fruits, and vegetables.
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Establish, maintain, or expand a School Breakfast Program within qualifying schools.
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Increase School Breakfast Program participation in qualifying schools.
Eligible applicants of this funding opportunity are Local Education Agencies in Illinois that are also an approved School Food Authority with a qualifying school or group of qualifying schools. A list of schools that qualify is available to download on ISBE’s School Breakfast Program webpage, where you can also find links to the Notice of Funding Opportunity/Request for Proposals and the grant application. The application deadline is 4 p.m. May 8.
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CEP Application Period Open
The school year 2025-26 Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) application is open until June 30. CEP is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting Household Eligibility Applications. The federal reimbursement for CEP approved sites meals are calculated by student level data for a school or group of schools.
The recording and PDF slides of the “Community Eligibility Provision for Illinois Schools – Overview and Application Process” webinar are available on the CEP webpage, under the “Application Process” dropdown. The webinar provides an overview of the CEP requirements as well as the online CEP Evaluation and Application Module.
The minimum identified student eligibility percentage is currently 25 percent. This means schools may qualify to operate CEP, but districts will still need to carefully consider the economic feasibility of the program since reimbursements for a district operating CEP vary based on the identified student percentage.
The Quick Reference Guide: CEP Evaluation & Application Module is available to assist with the application process. Visit the CEP webpage for more information, including evaluation worksheets, outreach data, and more.
Please be sure to review the “CEP for Illinois Schools – Overview and Application Process” webinar before directing questions to cnp@isbe.net.
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NEW! STANDARDS & INSTRUCTION
AP Coordinator Digital Exam Implementation Webinar
Illinois coordinators are invited to join the College Board and ISBE for a session on organizing and implementing spring digital Advanced Placement (AP) exams. This session will cover preparing test sites, training proctors, preparing students, and understanding the digital platforms used for administration.
Register for the AP Coordinators – Digital Exam Implementation Webinar, which will be held 10-11 a.m. April 9.
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MULTILINGUAL/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
2025 Summit for Bilingual Parents
We cordially invite you to register Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee leaders and parents in your district to attend the 2025 Statewide Summit for Bilingual Parents on Saturday, May 3, in Oak Brook. Registration costs $30 per person and includes breakfast and lunch. The deadline to register is April 18.
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IN BRIEF
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Student Opportunities
Illinois School for the Deaf Camp 1839 Registration Open
The Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) invites deaf or hard of hearing students entering Grades 4-9 in the 2025-26 school year to register for Camp 1839, scheduled for June 25-29. Campers will stay in the dorms and experience life as a student at ISD. Camp 1839 will provide a wide range of opportunities for campers to make new friends, develop lifelong connections, and experience:
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Learning through play and STEAM activities.
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Exploring American Sign Language and deaf culture.
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Making a splash at the water park.
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Playing sports.
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Putting gaming skills to the test in friendly competition with their peers and more!
See the Camp 1839 flyer for more details. The deadline to register is May 15.
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ISAC's First Generation Scholars
Please encourage your high school seniors who aspire to be the first person in their family to finish college to join the Illinois Student Assistant Commission’s First Generation Scholars Network (FGSN). The goal of FGSN is to connect first generation college students with one another so they can support each other through this network, and for FGSN students to receive additional support year-round from our ISACorps of near-peer mentors. Students can join by completing the online form on the FGSN webpage. Contact ISAC.FirstGen@illinois.gov for questions.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) would also like to remind students about the “First Up Podcast.” Each episode offers informative conversation, advice, and stories about the challenges — and triumphs — that many first-generation college students and their families experience. Let your college-bound students know that season one and two episodes can be found on the “First Up Podcast” webpage.
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Educator Opportunities
Asian American Community History & Instructional Strategies Webinar
Did you know that Illinois became the first state in the nation to mandate the teaching of Asian American histories in K-12 classrooms and libraries? The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will host a webinar from 5-6 p.m. April 15 to cover the basics of Asian American community history and instructional strategies. Register for the TEAACH Spring 2025 Webinar. Illinois educators can earn one professional development hour for this event.
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Ed Leaders Network
The Teacher Team Leader: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration
3-4 p.m. April 22
Uncover the role, responsibilities, assumptions, and mindsets of effective teacher team leaders, plus explore a handful of simple, go-to moves, techniques, and strategies that will transform team collaboration. As a result of this experience, participants will:
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Understand the three key responsibilities of the team leader in a Professional Learning Community.
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Uncover assumptions and mindsets for successful team collaboration.
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Explore a handful of simple actions that transform team functioning.
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The Impact of Authentic Leadership – Unlocking the True Human Potential
3-4 p.m. April 15
Authentic leadership isn’t about titles — it’s about influence, integrity, and self-awareness. This session explores how leading with authenticity unlocks potential in both leaders and those they serve, fostering deeper connections and sustainable impact.
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Define and cultivate authentic leadership practices that align with personal values and organizational mission.
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Empower others to reach their full potential by fostering a culture of trust, psychological safety, and accountability.
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Apply reflective leadership techniques to continuously grow, adapt, and make purpose-driven decisions.
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Educator Wellness Lunch ’n Learn
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois and ParenTeach Institute have partnered to present a free virtual Lunch ’n Learn on from noon-1 p.m. April 29. Educators will receive one professional development hour for attending this wellness webinar focused on classroom resiliency practices, brain research, and burnout mitigation. Educators will also learn about ParentABLE, an evidence-based, trauma-informed SEL curriculum that empowers educators with the tools to deliver essential parenting and caregiving education. Register for the Educator Wellness Lunch ’n Learn.
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Information For Families
Important Income Tax Information
IBSE, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), is working to make educators aware of a simple, free way for qualified taxpayers to file both federal and state individual income taxes. In addition, we want to share information regarding the availability of important, money-saving tax credits.
New This Year: IRS Direct File
Illinois is participating in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Direct File program this year. Eligible taxpayers can use this program to electronically complete their 2024 federal tax returns for free. Help spread the news by sharing the IRS Direct File flyer, available in English and Spanish.
After filing a federal return using Direct File, the program will automatically connect taxpayers to Illinois’ free state income tax filing system, MyTax Illinois, allowing Illinois state returns to be filed.
IDOR encourages taxpayers to file electronically and choose direct deposit in order to ensure the fastest processing and issuance of any refunds. If a taxpayer electronically files an error-free Illinois return, they should receive a direct deposit refund in approximately four weeks. Note: Taxpayers also may choose to file using tax-prep software, a tax professional, or the paper Form IL-1040.
Tax Credits
Illinois offers several tax credits that may help reduce the amount of taxes owed or increase the amount of refunds due, including:
We encourage you to share this information and check out the IDOR Taxpayer Assistance webpage or call 800-732-8866 or 217-782-3336 if further assistance is needed. For the most up-to-date information, forms, schedules, and instructions for the 2025 tax season, please visit IDOR's website.
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Educator Recognition
Nominate a School Social Worker and Citizen of the Year Today
The Illinois Association of School Social Workers honors an exceptional School Social Worker and Citizen of the Year at its annual conference in October. Take a moment to recognize someone deserving by submitting a nomination today! Nominations are due June 15.
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Featured ISBE Career Opportunities
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The Illinois State Board of Education is the State Education Agency for Illinois. Our mission is to provide each and every child with safe and healthy learning conditions, great educators, and equitable opportunities by practicing data-informed stewardship of resources and policy development, all done in partnership with educators, families, and stakeholders.
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