This week I am going to do a three-part series of posts on what the new Evidence Based Funding (EBF) model means for the Geneseo School District, and what it does not mean for the Geneseo School District. Part #1 will deal with what the model is and what it is supposed to do for K-12 education in Illinois. Part #2 will show how it is meant to benefit the Geneseo School District. Part #3 will show how it will never get Geneseo to long-term financial stability and what the District will have to do with that knowledge.
Part #1: What the Evidence Based Funding Model means for the Geneseo School District
This video will give you a brief history and tutorial of the Evidence Based Funding model.
The EBF is a dramatic change from the previous funding model that had been unchanged since 2010. Finally acknowledging that the old formula was inadequate and inequitable, the state of Illinois agreed to pay an additional $350 million to schools across the state in 2017-18, with most of the funding going to the neediest (poorest) schools. This year, Illinois is paying an additional $350 million on top of the 2017-2018 level. However, to reach their ultimate goal of making sure every school is adequately funded, they would need an additional $7 billion dollars annually! The Illinois Comptroller website shows that the state currently owes vendors $7.3 billion dollars. Where will this new EBF money come from?!