Illinois budget proposal lacks increase for transportation and free-reduced lunch program
ILLINOIS(KBSI) – Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered his seventh state fiscal year budget address for 2016 on February 19th 2025. Under the new proposal is a spending total of 55.234 billion.
Some areas of education saw a proposed budget increase while some areas stayed the same. This has some Illinois educators wondering what’s next.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker proposed a budget plan this week and, in that budget, plan was education expenses.
Now some of those areas that did not see an increase were things like free and reduced lunch and transportation.
We talked with Superintendent Josh Stafford about what this could mean for schools moving forward.
“If those things were to be cut or reduced right, its just a domino of the impact right. You’ll see schools that would have to reduce programs and services.”
According to Vienna Superintendent Josh Stafford the education portion of the state budget plan showed increases for several areas like the MAP college program and early childhood education but no increase for the portion of the budget that has things like transportation and the free and reduced lunch program. He says that’s concerning.
“We’re not seeing any increase at least in the governor’s budget proposal he’s keeping that flat for regular vocational and special education transportation and we also didn’t see any proposed increase in terms of Illinois free and reduced lunch program in the governor’s budget proposal that is also remaining flat” says Stafford. It’s not a reduction and it’s not a cut. Which were glad to see it’s not being reduced or cut but at the same time we know transportation costs have gone up so in reality it puts school districts in a situation of well do we come up with funds from another source to cover.”
Stafford says these resources are vital considering the Vienna school district serves an area of 300 square miles for student transportation and at least 50% of their student body is on free and reduced lunch.
“So, when we see those mandated categorical funds for free and reduced breakfast and lunch for students, yeah know being held level but those costs going up its certainty concerns me.”
Stafford says many changes could be made to the proposal as it sits with the general assembly now and as an educator, he has high hopes to see a budget increase for those much-needed areas.
“From here that budget just goes to the general assembly and the general assembly will spend the next several months meeting in Springfield and trying to hash out exactly where those numbers will land and what the state will invest in or divest in if you will to hold those numbers level and exactly what will happen” says Stafford.
It’s important to note that this is just a proposal, and it is not the final budget plan.
For more on the Proposed Illinois Budget Plan 2026
