Education

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $832,071,600; Other State Funds $28,530,000; Federal Funds $65,641,100; Total $926,242,700.

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Creates the State-Authorized Charter School Fund. Provides that funds appropriated from the General Revenue Fund, the Education Assistance Fund, or the Common School Fund and all moneys received by the State Board of Education from a private source for the purposes of the State-Authorized Charter School Fund shall be deposited into the State-Authorized Charter School Fund and the moneys in the State-Authorized Charter School Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the State Board for equal distribution among State Board-authorized charter schools for school expenses. Provides that a school district with a State-authorized charter school may not use any funds from its evidence-based funding for that charter school's expenses and a school district with a State Board-authorized charter school must use funds from the State-Authorized Charter School Fund for that charter school's expenses instead. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: Other State Funds $4,465,600.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $5,596,500.

Amends the School Code. Establishes within the State Board of Education the shortage differential salary incentive program to support licensed teachers who provide instruction in special education and hard-to-staff locations. Sets forth the various shortage differential grants under the program based on specified criteria. Provides that teachers who receive an annual shortage differential grant for being assigned to a position in a hard-to-staff location shall be assigned to a position in: (1) a complex area identified as a hard-to-staff location by a school district; (2) a complex area whose rate of teachers who have completed a State-approved educator preparation program has been below this State's average rate of teachers who have completed a State-approved educator preparation program for the last 3 years; (3) a geographically isolated complex area; or (4) a complex area whose combined number of vacant teaching positions and emergency hires was higher than 10% in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

Creates the Servicemember Education Rights Veneration Act. Requires institutions of higher education (institution) to accommodate service member student's academic military leave and grant prompt readmission when the service member student has not exceeded a cumulative academic military leave period beyond 5 years, provides advance notice of academic military leave to the institution, and provides notice of intent to return to the institution. Requires the institution to readmit a service member student on academic military leave into the next class, classes, or academic year division following the receipt of the notice of intent to return in accordance with the terms of the accommodation. Contains provisions on exemptions to readmission and related reporting requirements on service member students; investigations by the Attorney General's appointed ISERRA Advocate on whether a readmission exemption exists; and other matters. Requires service member students to provide advance notice of pending military service and prohibits institutions from imposing conditions for academic military leave not otherwise imposed under the Act. Contains provisions on military accommodation; academic obligations of service member students; reimbursement for school expenses; academic withdrawal due to military service; rejection of accommodation and the institution's burden of proof; a 5-year military service limitation; records documentation; advance notice requirements on service member students; notice of intent to return; anti-discrimination protections; academic leave for the spouses of servicemembers; Attorney General enforcement authority; remedies; rulemaking authority; and other matters.

Appropriates $3,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Secretary of State for a recurring, permanent program for the awarding of grants to Illinois academic libraries for open education resources. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $7,104,357,993.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois State University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $82,997,100; Other State Funds $30,000; Total $83,027,100.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the University of Illinois for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $736,484,400; Other State Funds $10,240,800; Total $746,725,200.