In 2018, our legislators came up with a plan to fund the poorest school districts, which are called Tier 1. The wealthiest are Tier 4.

When the new plan, called evidence-based funding, started in 2018, there were 313 Tier 1 school districts. After eight years of evidence-based funding, there are 286 districts.

Who is responsible in the State Board of Education for monitoring this plan? The 2018 plan was to get ALL of our school districts fully funded by 2027.

Our Tier 1 and Tier 2 schools need about $5.6 billion of additional funding to be considered fully funded. The state tries to give $350 million of additional funding, called new money, to districts each year. Tier 1 and Tier 2 districts get 99% of the new money.

Fiscal 2026, our McHenry County Tier 1 and Tier 2 school districts needed about $118 million from the state, in new money, to be considered fully funded.

We are set to receive about $3.1 million this year. Chicago Public Schools is getting about $76 million or about 25% of all the new money.

Woodstock District 200 is the biggest looser. In fiscal 2025, Woodstock received $2.5 million in new money. Fiscal 2026, Woodstock is to get about $500,000 because it dropped from Tier 1 to Tier 2.

Every year the state falls further behind mainly because the $350 million is not indexed for inflation.

Our kids need adults to plan better. Evidence-based funding gets a D.

Jim Yaworski

Crystal Lake