IASB is committed to continuous advocacy on a number of issues of importance to Illinois school districts, school governance, and public education.
The Association and IASB member districts serve as a collective voice for excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education. Board members themselves act as an essential local resource on educational issues for state and federal lawmakers.
With the help of board members from across the state advocating for priorities that will benefit all public school districts, we can collectively work towards education policy that will best serve our students, school staff, and local communities.2026 IASB Legislative Priorities
Fulfillment of State and Federal Funding Commitments
At the state level, the Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF), enacted in 2017, transformed state funding by ensuring that new money is prioritized for districts most in need. However, critical special education and transportation services known as Mandated Categoricals (MCATs) are not part of EBF and have not received the same level of support.
At the federal level, much-needed education funding has been delayed, reduced, and eliminated. In addition, Congress has yet to meet the commitment it made upon passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to cover 40% of the cost to educate students with disabilities. These services support some of our most vulnerable students, and districts are mandated through state and federal laws to provide them.
State and federal legislators must provide stable and adequate funding that keeps these funding commitments to ensure that local schools can support all students.
IASB Position Statements that support this priority
- 2.01 Priority and Support
- 2.04 Funding Special Education Programs
- 2.33 Evidence-Based Funding Model
- Predictable Funding
Curricular Mandate Reform
Curricular mandate reform remains a central priority as school districts continue to navigate an increasing number of prescriptive statutory requirements. Specifically, Illinois must review its high school graduation requirements and ensure that they reflect current student needs, allow students sufficient time to explore areas of interest and career pathways, and reflect local district capacity. A robust and transparent process is needed to evaluate newly proposed curricular mandates prior to enactment to ensure they align with current student learning priorities, allow for local flexibility, and evaluate the impact of implementation on local districts.
The newly established School Code Mandate Reduction Council will further support this work by assessing the cumulative impact of existing mandates and identifying opportunities for meaningful mandate relief. Through engagement in this Council, IASB aims to ensure that statewide policy decisions support high-quality instruction while preserving the local flexibility necessary for districts to meet the needs of their communities.
IASB Position Statements that support this priority
- 1.02 Curricular Material Determination
- 2.03 Funding Mandated Programs
- 6.02 Periodic Review of State and Federal Mandates
- 6.18 Mandate Cost and Periodic Review
- Future-Focused Learning
Support for Student Achievement Tools: Assessment, Accountability, and Evidence-Based Research
In the Foundational Principles of Effective Governance, IASB teaches that a primary task for board members is to use assessment data to evaluate progress for students. The federal government supports this essential responsibility by providing longitudinal national and state data through NAEP and statewide district-to-district comparability data through fair and balanced state assessment and accountability systems. The federal government also supports local school boards by engaging in federally funded research to improve student achievement. This research helps to ensure that districts’ limited funds are allocated toward efforts that will generate the greatest impact for students. At the federal level, we must ensure that federal funding and administrative actions continue to provide these critical tools for school board members in their efforts to drive student achievement.At the state level, ISBE is engaging in a redesign of the State’s Accountability System to use clearer criteria to identify designations for schools. Through this process, IASB is committed to advocating for a model that produces information for school board members that clearly delineates the need for school improvement and provides meaningful support for school improvement efforts to increase student achievement.
IASB Position Statements that support this priority
- 1.09 Student Assessment
- Shared Accountability
