HB4728 Summary

• Establishes Evidence-Based Funding formula for Illinois K-12 public education with goal of full implementation by June 30, 2027, ensuring every student receives adequate resources regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or community-income level.

• Creates Adequacy Target calculation for each school district based on research-backed Essential Elements including teacher staffing ratios, specialist teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians, technology, instructional materials, and support services with regional wage adjustments.

• Implements four-tier funding distribution system allocating New State Funds to districts least well-funded: Tier 1 receives 50% of new funds, Tier 2 receives 49%, Tier 3 receives 0.9%, and Tier 4 receives 0.1%.

• Calculates Local Capacity based on property tax revenue capacity to determine how much state funding each district requires to reach adequacy targets.

• Establishes Base Funding Minimum to protect districts from reductions and creates Professional Review Panel to study and evaluate Evidence-Based Funding implementation with authority to recommend formula adjustments.