“A lot of funding gets diverted or allocated to other things before students immediate needs are considered. Students need to be well in order to excel at life. Students need access to supportive environments, quality connections and college and career opportunities.”
S&P Global Ratings said Illinois’ public pension systems are in trouble, and will get worse thanks to the Illinois Exodus and because state leaders refuse to fix the problems.
The Chicago Board of Education approved a $9.3 billion budget that hires 2,000 new, permanent staff using temporary COVID-19 federal aid. There are also concerns about whether 100,000 students will return.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his reelection campaign will focus on his record of protecting people and their jobs. A close look at that record shows Illinois with worse employment prospects and greater racial disparities than the rest of the U.S.
Fiscal watchdog Truth in Accounting’s July 2021 report showed the Windy City’s pension-fueled debt rose by $2.3 billion from 2019 to 2020 despite receiving substantial federal aid during the pandemic.
2021’s Illinois State Fair will require all visitors to wear masks indoors and prove vaccination or a negative test to enter certain venues.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised to respect local school boards and private school autonomy, until too few were doing what he wanted. So he reversed himself, mandating masks for both private and public Illinois schools.
Unemployment benefits are being stolen by thieves who redirect the funds. Repeat victims say the problem is within Illinois Department of Employment Security computers, but the state won’t release data to pinpoint the problem.
Rod Blagojevich is out of federal prison, and now wants to be back on the ballot. Illinois’ former governor sued Aug. 2 for the right to run for public office again despite his conviction for public corruption.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a statewide mask mandate for Illinois schools, overriding local school boards.
"The need for social-emotional learning has gone through the roof, and that’s what makes what out superintendent did so extraordinary."
Illinois drivers now pay the second-highest taxes on their gasoline in the nation, a new survey found. Before the state doubled the gas tax, Illinois ranked much lower.
Illinois public health administrators joined the CDC’s calls for masks in all elementary and high schools, although school districts have the final say. They recommend most Illinoisans, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, should be masking in indoor public spaces.