Governor Pritkzer outlined his FY 24 spending priorities in his combined State of the State and Budget Address Wednesday, February 15, 2023. This is the starting point of the state budget process. There will now be five weeks of legislative appropriations hearings prior to passage of a final budget by the end of the Spring Session, scheduled for May 19th.
>> IFT lauds Gov. Pritzker’s budget priorities
Proposed FY24 Budget - $49.991 billion
Revenue
Over $1.15 billion in additional revenue from new and expanded sources
Online sales tax = $900 million
Closed corporate tax loopholes = $655 million
Cannabis revenue = $116 million
Gaming revenue = $175 million
PreK-12 education funding
$350 million increase to the Evidence Based Model (EBM)
$3 million to expand access to computer science coursework
$10 million for a Clean Energy Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pilot Program
$70 million per year for 3 years for a teacher pipeline pilot program
Directed to 170 districts that have 80% of the unfilled teaching positions.
Flat funding ($1.5 million) for the National Board Certified Teacher program
The proposed budget includes authority to spend the remaining federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocation, of which 90 percent flows directly to school districts based on the number and percentage of low-income students they serve.
Higher education funding
$100 million increase; this is a 7% increase and largest proposed increase since 2002
$80.5 million increase for public universities
$19.4 million increase for community colleges
$100 million increase to the Monetary Award Program (MAP); highest funding level in state history
Level ($35 million) funding for the AIM High Grant Program at public universities to support recruitment and retention of Illinois students.
$2.3 million to Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act Administrative Costs and Grants
3.4% increase ($5 million) for Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI)
Flat funding ($4.6 million) for Grow Your Own Teachers (GYO)
$2.8 million increase for the Minority Teachers Scholarship program; will triple the number of applicants who can receive funding
Early childhood
$250 million in funding for Smart Start Illinois
$75 million increase for Early Childhood Black Grant; will create 5,000 Pre-K slots in the first year
$130 million to stabilize the workforce and increase pay for childcare workers
$40 million increase for Early Intervention
$5 million to expand the Home Visiting Program (Dept. of Human Services)
$100 million in construction funding to expand and build facilities
$70 million for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
$12 million for scholarships and apprenticeships to expand the workforce
$1.6 million to launch the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Illinois
Pensions
Funding of the payment certified by each system
Additional $200 million in funding to pay down the unfunded liability
State Employee Staffing
In FY24, authorized headcount is recommended to increase by 783 positions, a 1.4 percent increase. As of December 31, 2021, nearly 8,000 positions were vacant.