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JUNE 3, 2025
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Crete Elementary School students ended the year with a fun foam party hosted by the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) team.
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Dear Colleagues:
As another legislative session and school year have come to a close, the recent passage of the fiscal year 2026 state budget reaffirms Illinois’ strong commitment to the future of public education. I want to thank Governor JB Pritzker and members of the General Assembly for their steadfast leadership and for prioritizing public education funding amidst an incredibly uncertain and challenging fiscal environment.
While this year’s $15.85 billion education budget reflects an overall reduction from FY 2025 due to the planned phase-out of federal pandemic relief funds, the state has made strategic decisions to increase General Funds support for education by nearly $279 million. This critical investment underscores the state’s dedication to student success and educational equity.
I am especially thankful for the General Assembly’s continued support for Evidence-Based Funding (EBF), which will see an increase of $307 million this year. This $307 million increase fully continues the state’s commitment to Tier Funding, while pausing the Property Tax Relief Grant that is typically allocated $50 million. EBF has been a game-changer for Illinois, helping to close funding gaps for the least-resourced districts, raise opportunity and achievement, and build equity into the foundation of our education system.
I want to highlight several key FY 2026 investments:
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A $1.3 million increase for Career and Technical Education (CTE) supports the continued rollout of Illinois’ equity-based funding formula, expanding access to real-world, high-skill pathways and strengthening the state’s workforce and economy.
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The Teacher Vacancy Grant program, now in its final pilot year, will receive $30 million to continue addressing staffing shortages in the districts with the greatest unfilled positions. The program has already supported 5,400 new hires, helped retain 11,000 educators, and helped 1,500 staff begin the licensure process.
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A $5 million investment in teacher mentoring will continue a program proven to improve retention for new educators — an urgent need as we work to stabilize and strengthen our educator workforce.
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Illinois’ Comprehensive Literacy and Numeracy Plans will benefit from $1.5 million in combined funding, supporting foundational learning and long-term academic success — especially vital as we continue to address the disruptions of the pandemic.
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The REACH program and Social-Emotional Learning Hubs will receive a combined $3.5 million to continue building educators’ capacity to enact shifts toward restorative and trauma-responsive practices and to meet students’ mental health needs.
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The budget increases funding for mandated categoricals by $19.8 million, including maintaining 100% reimbursement for the Orphanage line, ensuring that vulnerable students receive the services they need.
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Level funding for early childhood will keep us on track to reach universal preschool access by FY 2027.
Despite fiscal constraints, the choices reflected in the FY 2026 state budget reaffirm our commitment to equity, opportunity, and innovation. This thoughtful balance between fiscal responsibility and the urgency of closing opportunity gaps is a testament to our shared priorities. I want to also thank and acknowledge educators across Illinois for your continued advocacy and partnership in this work. Together, we are investing not only in programs and policies — but in the future of every child in Illinois.
All my best,
Tony
Dr. Tony Sanders
State Superintendent of Education
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NEW! SAFE & HEALTHY CLIMATE
Don’t Miss the Deadline: FitnessGram Reporting Due June 30
FitnessGram reporting for the 2024-25 school year is due June 30. Schools must submit results electronically for Grades 5, 7, and 10 using the ISBE IWAS system.
All Illinois public schools serving Grades 3-12 are expected to participate in FitnessGram, the statewide annual fitness assessment that supports student wellness, tracks physical development, and informs programming. If your district has been unable to collect or submit data this year, now is the time to ensure you have FitnessGram reporters in place and prepared for next year. Early planning helps schools stay compliant and improves wellness efforts statewide.
Need support? The Student Health Data: Physical Fitness User Guide provides step-by-step instructions specifically for IWAS sign-up and FitnessGram reporting. For more information, visit the ISBE Enhanced Physical Education webpage.
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Annual Sexual Health Education Survey
Public Act 102-0522 requires ISBE to survey all public school districts on comprehensive personal health and safety and comprehensive sexual health instruction annually for five years. The “Comprehensive Personal Health and Safety and Sexual Health Education Survey SY25” can be found in IWAS under “System Listing” in the “Surveys” category. The deadline to complete the survey is July 16. All districts must complete this short survey, even if they are opting not to provide sexual health instruction. Please ensure the survey is completed by the person in your district who oversees sexual health education instruction.
Additional information about sexual health education is available on ISBE’s Sexual Health webpage. Please contact sexualhealtheducation@isbe.net with any questions.
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Spring 2025 5Essentials Survey Updates
Principals and superintendents received invitations to view their 2025 5Essentials Survey reports on May 30. These reports will be released publicly on June 30. For more information, including answers to all your Frequently Asked Questions and what’s new this year, please see 5Essentials Survey: Spring 2025 Report Details.
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NEW! DATA STRATEGIES & ANALYTICS
Kicking Off Report Card 2025: Process and Timeline Overview
Please join us for a webinar from 10-11:30 a.m. July 2 for a broad overview of the Report Card data collection, review, and finalization processes. It will cover key dates and deadlines as well as tools provided by ISBE to help districts to submit their data in a timely and accurate fashion. Register for “Kicking Off Report Card 2025: Process and Timeline Overview.”
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
New Date Added for our IWAS to MyISBE Listening Tour
Register now for a new stop on the IWAS to MyISBE Listening Tour! Join us 1-3 p.m. June 9 at South Cook ISC 4 (253 W. Joe Orr Road, Chicago Heights, IL 60411) to give your feedback on the ISBE Web Application Security (IWAS) system, as the agency plans a refresh of the portal to enhance its features and make it easier to navigate and more user-friendly. IWAS is the primary security portal for administrators to apply for and manage grants from ISBE and to access ISBE’s data and reporting systems.
We want to hear from school and district administrators, regional superintendents, and other users of IWAS about your pain points, concerns, and ideas.
We’re also giving IWAS a new name: MyISBE! The introduction of MyISBE means the days of multiple accounts, static data, and unverified account information are over. MyISBE will provide real-time data and dashboards multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on.
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NUTRITION
School Year 2025-26 SNP Application Deadline is June 30
The School Nutrition Programs (SNP) application for school year 2025-26 is available in the Web-Based Illinois Nutrition System (WINS). All sponsors should complete the application by June 30.
The application is an annual requirement for all sponsors to participate in such programs as the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, After School Snack Program, Special Milk Program, and Illinois Free Lunch and Illinois Breakfast.
Instructions and other resources for the annual application are posted on the ISBE Instructions for Online Applications and Reports webpage.
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Get Ready for SY 2025-26 with ISBE School Nutrition Training
ISBE’s Nutrition Department staff will present a free training opportunity at the Embassy Suites by Hilton East Peoria Riverfront Hotel & Conference Center June 16-17. This in-person training opportunity in East Peoria is intended for all school personnel working with the federal School Nutrition Programs, from those working in an administrative capacity to school business officials to those working primarily in the lunchroom.
Registration is under way on the SNP Training and Professional Standards webpage; see the “Our In-Person Trainings” section for registration links, hotel and parking information, and session descriptions.
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SPECIAL EDUCATION
Updated Dyslexia Handbook Now Available
The newest edition of the ISBE Dyslexia Handbook is here. This go-to guide is packed with the latest research and practical strategies for supporting students with dyslexia. You can download your copy.
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Qualified IEP Interpreters
Course registration for the fall 2025 cohort of the Training for Qualified IEP Interpreters (TQII) program will open on July 9, with the first day of the course set to start on Aug. 25. Registration for the second fall 2025 course will open on Sept. 9, with the first day of the course set to start on Oct. 13. Seat capacity is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. It is important that attendees attend and participate in each scheduled session. Not completing a session will impact the ability for a participant to earn the QI Designation.
All participants should take notice that the TQII program consists of two sections, with a final examination that will determine if participants receive the designation of Qualified Interpreter. The Special Education module is six hours of asynchronous training that must be completed in the allotted time specified for your session. The Interpreting course is at least nine hours of synchronous training that begins once the Special Education module is completed. Participants will meet over Zoom for two hours each week for five weeks.
All information about this program can be found on the TQII website.
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TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE
New External Support Portal
We’re excited to announce that a new External Support Portal will go live on June 20! This portal will provide a streamlined way for users to get help, submit service requests, and access support resources more efficiently than ever before. You will be able to use our “Contact Us” link, located on our main page, to access a list of all department contact numbers and a “Get Help” button. Stay tuned for more updates and training resources as we approach the launch date.
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IN BRIEF
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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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