IFT: Landmark Settlement with Meta Can Fund Statewide Education Gap

Illinois’ $768 million portion of settlement can fill the gap of every school district and higher education institution in the state as new numbers show five out of 6 Illinois students attend an underfunded school.

CHICAGO, IL - In response to the news that attorneys general have settled a landmark lawsuit for social media’s addictive harm to school-age children that will provide $768 million to the state of Illinois, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Stacy Davis Gates called on lawmakers to designate those funds to address the funding crisis for school districts across the state.

“The Governor has said he supports more funding for education but didn’t know where it would come from. The settlement with Meta just made that answer even easier. Schools from Peoria to Belleville to Chicago are counting on the Governor and the General Assembly to prioritize students the way we’ve seen them prioritize big tech and billionaire stadium owners.””

The news of the new influx of revenue comes as the state reaches its compliance deadline for the evidence-based formula for school funding passed in 2017. New numbers show that five out of six children in the state attend an underfunded school with the Governor’s previous budget moving backwards on school adequacy funding.

To address the education crisis, Chicago’s Mayor Johnson has led with last year’s historic TIF funds that dedicated one billion dollars to schools, parks, and libraries, and he says the state must do its part. Speaker Welch has said he is holding summer discussions with lawmakers to follow through on his commitment to pass a veto session funding bill for education. Senate President Harmon has said, “You will find no greater supporter of public education than the Senate Democratic caucus,” and that he “looks forward to working with our allies and partners to identify resources…” for the supplemental bill. And Governor Pritzker has stated, “...We hope that there will be a plan or something that’s put forward. And of course, I’m always looking for an opportunity to increase state funding for education… the question is, where can we find those dollars?”

The Illinois Federation of Teachers has pointed to the four billion dollars of revenue proposals left on the table when Springfield adjourned earlier this year as funding sources for schools statewide and now points to the windfall settlement as finding the revenue for this year even easier.

IFT officers have published recent op-eds in the State Journal Register and Belleville News-Democrat, adding to the growing chorus around the state for the special session for school funding.

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