As the legislative session has come to a close, we want to provide you with an important update on our priorities this session and to thank you for your continued dedication and advocacy.

The FY 2026 Budget:

The General Assembly passed a $55.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026. While the budget includes over $1 billion in new revenues to close this year’s shortfall, our structural deficit was exacerbated by federal instability, and funding for some of our key priorities is affected. Highlights include:

• Evidence Based Funding (EBF) will receive $307 million this year - $43 million less than

last year, though this reduction comes from property tax relief and does not impact student services.

• Funding will remain the same for early childhood education, as well as the National

Board-Certified Teacher program, the Minority Teachers in Illinois program, and Grow Your Own Teachers. After school programming will receive $50 million - a $16 million increase from FY25.

• Higher education funding will see a modest increase, with 3% more going to public

higher education and an additional $9 million for community colleges. MAP grant funding increased by $10 million.

• CTE funding will see an increase of $1.3million.

• Pensions are fully funded, as are CIP and TRIP.

• No funding was allotted to Freedom Schools nor the Virtual Instructional Coach

program.

The fight to fix Tier 2 continues.

Despite tireless advocacy and more than year of engagement with lawmakers, our coalition’s proposal to fix the broken Tier 2 pension system—SB 1937—was not called for a vote this session. This inaction is inexcusable, and the recruitment and retention crisis continues, but we will not give up. Together with our allies, union members across Illinois sent more than 100,000 emails, made tens of thousands of phone calls, and submitted thousands of witness slips to make our voice heard. This fight is far from over.

Thank you!

We know this session brought both progress and setbacks. We want to thank you for the actions you took to raise the issue of unfair Tier 2 pensions, and to everyone who made the trip to Springfield to lobby on behalf of our students and professions. With your continued engagement, we will continue our fight for retirement security, public education and services, fair workplaces, and the strong communities we all deserve.

In solidarity,

Bryen Johnson

IFT Director of Political Activities