Illinois

NCAI Region: Midwest

Total Population: 12,830,632

Native American Population: 101,451

Percentage of population: 0.8%

State Public Education Department: Illinois State Board of Education

State Average Per Pupil Funding: $13,403

Charter Support Organizations: Illinois Network of Charter Schools

Year Charter Law Enacted: 1996

2020 Model Law Ranking: 37

Estimated Number of Charter Schools: 141

Estimated Number of Charter Students: 64,795

In 2019, Illinois lawmakers appropriated $34 million in capital funding to several charter schools in Chicago as part of the stat’s capital bill.
Illinois law provides that the state board of education shall make grants to charter schools to pay their start-up costs of acquiring educational materials and supplies, textbooks, electronic textbooks and the technological equipment necessary to gain access to and use electronic textbooks, furniture, and other equipment or materials needed during their initial term. The state board shall annually establish the time and manner of application for these grants, which shall not exceed $250 per student enrolled in the charter school. The state is currently not providing funding to this program.
Illinois law provides that conversion charter schools cannot be required to pay rent for a space deemed available in school district facilities at the time its charter contract is established.
The law otherwise provides that a charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public entity, though there is no requirement for public facilities or schools to be made available to charter schools.
Illinois law establishes the Charter Schools Revolving Loan Fund, which is administered by the Accountability Division at the Illinois State Board of Education, to provide interest-free loans to charter schools to be used to pay start-up and replication costs of acquiring educational materials and supplies, textbooks, furniture, and other equipment needed in the initial term of the charter school and for acquiring and remodeling a suitable physical plant within the initial term of the charter school. Loans are limited to one per charter school and may not exceed $250 per student, repaid by the end of the initial term of the charter contract (usually five years). From 2017, 10% of any award to a charter school located in a district facility will be designated to the school district. The state is not currently funding this program.
Illinois law provides that charter schools can access tax-exempt revenue bond and lease financing for capital projects through the Illinois Finance Authority.