Impact on Central Illinois schools following Gov. Pritzker's State of the State address
While the speech covered many aspects of the governor's wish list for the coming year, it also discussed educational proposals that could affect schools here in Central Illinois
Illinois' budget must reflect reality, Pritzker says in his State of the State address
One item Pritzker mentioned was Evidence Based Funding (EBF) for public schools, which gives money to schools that are under-resourced. He also proposed allowing community colleges in Illinois, traditionally a two-year program, to offer four-year bachelor's degrees.
Keith Cornille, the president of Heartland Community College, explained how this would help colleges like Heartland create more opportunities for their students and for employers looking to find qualified candidates.
'We will continue to be a part of growing the workforce and meeting those workforce needs,' he said. 'When we talk about manufacturing and health care and other industries, there is a deficit or a gap, often times, when trying to find those qualified employees, many of them require a bachelor's degree.'
Another major talking point was Pritzker's proposal to ban phones in classrooms statewide.
Schools in the state have already implemented this before. One of those is Peoria Public Schools, which has required middle and high school students to put their phones in a secure pouch during the school day.
PPS Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat shared the ban's impact on her district.
'I've gotten several emails,' she said. 'It's changed the teaching landscape, and you're able to look kids in their eyes, and they're more attentive. Those are some of the things that we've shared. It's definitely, I would say, very, very positive.'
The district is currently experiencing a spike in kids not following the phone ban, but Desmoulin-Kherat says they are encouraging teachers to keep enforcing the phone ban in classrooms.
Also proposed was the Public University Direct Admission Act, which would allow students to see if they qualify for an in-state university before they pay to apply.
Desmoulin-Kherat said this would benefit students, as she was once a graduating senior looking at colleges.
'It's a benefit for the children, especially children like me, who came from low income families with not a lot of discretionary funds after all the bills were paid,' she said.
Cornille said it's a good idea for students at Heartland, as many use the two-year school to get basic requirements out of the way before they apply to a four-year institution.
'A large number of those individuals that are right here in our local communities, in our community colleges, are in favor of this,' he said. 'About 70% of those individuals, they actually live and they work, and making the challenge of relocating to a university for some would be difficult.'
Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said in a news release of his disappointment with what was presented at the address and says 'we must do more.'
'Even a lower-than-expected deficit doesn't mask the harsh reality: Our schools are starved for funds,' he wrote. 'We appreciate that the Governor is meeting the required $350 million increase for Pre K–12 during challenging times, but it's not enough.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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