Dear Colleagues:
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education sent states a brief communication titled “Update on ED Fiscal Year 2025 Grant Programs" that stated: "Given the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding for the [Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, IV-B] grant program(s), and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year. Accordingly, the Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review. The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”
The delay by the Trump administration in issuing federal education funding allocations – for funding that Congress already appropriated – is deeply disruptive, irresponsible, and damaging to Illinois’ 1.9 million public school students. This uncertainty and delay jeopardizes schools’ ability to administer critical services – from afterschool programs, to teacher development, to supplemental services for English learners. Our schools rely on timely and predictable funding information to plan effectively for the upcoming school year, so they can make decisions about staffing, programs, and supports that directly impact student learning. This inaction forces local districts to deal with unnecessary uncertainty and places an undue burden on teachers, administrators, and families alike at the exact moment when they should be focused on preparing for the next school year.
We will continue to keep you updated.
Last week, I discussed ISBE’s legislative initiatives that successfully passed through the Illinois General Assembly. This week, I’m highlighting a few other education measures approved by Illinois lawmakers. As I previously mentioned (but I’m so proud, it bears repeating), our staff worked hard to advocate and collaborate with lawmakers to limit the number of new educational mandates on schools, especially in the current tight and uncertain fiscal environment. All in all, out of the more than 220 education-related bills that were introduced, 55 passed, including only 23 new educational mandates. For the first time since I’ve been superintendent, no new instructional requirements moved forward. The various education-related bills that did pass serve to streamline the School Code, protect vulnerable students, and respond to emerging technology.
SB 1740 reorganizes, modifies, and reduces specific curriculum mandates in the School Code. It represents agreed guidance from multiple statewide education organizations that we need to begin the process of reducing curriculum mandates. Mandates that stakeholders agree are duplicative, outdated, or unnecessary will be removed.
HB 3247 secures the right of every child to have equal access to a free public education and a school that is safe from intimidation and fear. This right means that schools must take steps to protect the integrity of the learning environment – for all students – by developing procedures for reviewing and authorizing requests from law enforcement agents by July 1, 2026.
SB 1920 requires ISBE to develop guidance for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools. The guidance will address a range of issues, including the specific ways AI can be used, the impact of AI on student data privacy, and best practices for developing student literacy in AI. Of course, we will convene a statewide council of human stakeholders to help us create this AI guidance by July 1, 2026.
Also touching on AI, HB 3851, which takes effect beginning with the 2026-27 school year, updates the definition of cyberbullying to include posting or distributing unauthorized digital replicas of an individual without the consent of the depicted person.
SB 1672 requires that districts report to the State Board of Education information on early literacy screening conducted locally with students in grades K-3 or before the 30th day of the 2026-27 school year. SB 1672 stems from the efforts of advocates to ensure that all students in grades K-3 are screened for dyslexia. Many districts are already utilizing early literacy screeners that have components that are germane to identifying dyslexia in early childhood. This landscape scan of early literacy screener utilization will help the General Assembly better understand what is currently being done and what could be done in the future.
On Friday, we collectively celebrate the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, now a global symbol of self-determination, equal rights, and resistance to oppression. Our own state lawmaking embodies these ideals. Happy Independence Day to everyone!
All my best,
Tony
Dr. Tony Sanders
State Superintendent of Education
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