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Illinois School Board Journal
January-February 2001

Fun facts

• Illinois has 4,251 buildings that are used to educate children.
• Nearly 2,000,000 children attend public school in Illinois.
• There are 177,000 more children in the public education system now than in 1990.
• The State Board of Education predicts enrollments will increase through 2005-2006.
• The state funds 36.3 percent of the cost of educating a child in Illinois.
• Illinois ranks 49th in the nation for state share of spending on education.
• The state's share of funding has declined 3.1 percent since 1990.
• Illinois ranks third in the nation as having the most reliance on local revenues to fund education.
• The federal government contributes 9.2 percent of the cost of Illinois' education.
• Local funds support 54.5 percent of education costs per child in Illinois
• Estimates put the total spent on public education in Illinois at $15.6 billion.
• The average cost of educating a child in Illinois is $5,843.
• The state says $4,425 is the amount at which a child will receive an "adequate" education.
• Illinois ranks 29th in the nation for per-pupil spending
• Illinois ranks 30th in the nation for allocations to education spending from the state budget.
• Gambling and lottery sources of revenue to fund education have declined by 3 percent since 1990 to 20.1 percent.

Sources on Education Funding:

Fiscal Focus, Illinois State Comptroller's Office, 217/782-6000, www.ioc.state.il.us

The Funding of Elementary & Secondary Education in Illinois, Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission, 217/782-5320

Winning the Referendum Battle in Education, 217/528-9688, www.glen-ellyn.com/winning

The Chicago League of Women Voters, 312/939-5935

State Local & Federal Financing for Illinois Public School, Illinois State Board of Education, 217/785-0583