Chicago — February 2, 2026 — With the majority of Illinois schools still operating below adequate funding levels, lawmakers in Springfield have introduced legislation aimed at closing long-standing gaps in state support for required education services. The bill seeks to deliver long-promised resources, so schools can meet state mandates and provide students with the education they deserve.

State Representative Will Davis and State Senator Graciela Guzmán announced companion legislation—HB 5409 and SB 3701—that target a critical issue affecting districts statewide: the lack of funding for “mandated categoricals.” These are essential programs and services that the state requires schools to provide but has historically failed to fully fund. They include transportation, school nutrition, social work, counseling, and similar supports that keep students safe, healthy, and ready to learn.

The proposed legislation does two key things:

1. Closes the funding gap for mandated categoricals so districts are no longer left to cover required services without state support.
2. Ensures compliance with the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) law enacted in 2017, which requires all districts to reach adequate funding by 2027.

Local leaders and education professionals joined legislators to highlight the real-world impact of chronic underfunding. Among them was Samuel Thomas, ASL interpreter in Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 and President of the Waukegan Paraprofessional Council.

Thomas described the challenges his district faces:

“In Waukegan, we have had to scale back programs our community depends on. We weren’t even able to renew our subscription for some of our curriculum for benchmark testing. Our students come to our district for free meals. Kids come to school worrying if their family will pay rent this month. They are coming to school with adult issues and underfunding means reduced opportunity for what they need. We are asking Governor Pritzker and lawmakers to fully fund our schools because our students can’t wait.”

The proposed legislation is part of a broader effort to make Illinois the nation’s leader in equitable, high‑quality public education—an effort that cannot be achieved without fully funding the services students rely on every day.

Watch the full press conference here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=2070066400424423