Sangamon Sun

“Data and transparency about school spending are essential to increasing equity and improving students’ opportunities and outcomes,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Equity does not mean equality. Different schools within the same district may have different student needs. One school may serve more students with disabilities. One school may serve more English Learners. School size and grade band can also impact students’ needs and district spending. For a long time, people have talked about equitable spending across school districts. We are proud to be leading the nation in fostering dialogue about equitable spending within school districts as well.” 

The Education Trust developed a set of five principles to help guide states to go beyond mere compliance with federal requirements. Only one state — Illinois — developed school spending reports that align closely enough to the five principles to earn a 100% rating under the Education Trust’s system. In addition, Illinois was one of only four states whose reports include visualizations of spending for all schools in the state or district based on student need. 

The Illinois Report Card includes interactive and easy-to-use charts and graphs to serve as a catalyst for local dialogue about how dollars should be spent to best serve all students equitably. Importantly, the displays include additional context to help guide questions about the relationships between school spending, student outcomes, and student characteristics within a district. The displays include how well the district is funded overall; the percentages of low-income students, English Learners, and students with disabilities that each school serves; and each school’s accountability designation.  

ISBE convened a diverse group of superintendents, school business officials, and other stakeholders from across the state to guide the implementation of federally required site-based expenditure reporting, which would add school-level spending to the Illinois Report Card for the first time. The advisory group adopted a value proposition to serve as the foundation for its work that would ensure the end product was meaningful and useful to both district leaders and community members. 

ISBE encourages school districts to continue to use their site-based expenditure data to investigate how their spending aligns to each school's performance goals and students’ needs. 

You call view the Education Trust’s full report at Going Beyond ESSA Compliance: A 50-State Scan of School Spending Reports.