ISBE Updates for October 

School Budget Requests and Deadlines 
The Illinois State Board of Education is seeking budget requests from districts for fiscal year 2026. Budget requests and input on state funding investments for local public schools can be submitted online. ISBE will host a budget hearing on October 28 to take public testimony. Individuals wanting to testify at the hearing must submit a budget request form prior to the meeting. Registration for the virtual hearing is available on ISBE’s website and due by October 23. The deadline to submit budget requests is October 31. 

FY 2025 school district budgets are due to ISBE by October 31. A detailed list of budget form instructions and the FY 2025 Budget Form have been provided by the State Board of Education. 

2024 Illinois Report Card Resources 
ISBE will publish the 2024 Illinois Report Card on October 30. A number of resources are available to assist districts with interpreting the data and communicating the results to local communities. Among the resources are a Report Card Timeline, information on Annual Summative Designations, Indicators of Student Success, a letter template for parents and families, and much more.  

Burroughs Award Deadline 
The deadline to submit nominations for ISBE’s Thomas Lay Burroughs Award, presented annually to an outstanding member of an Illinois school board, is October 18. The award recognizes extraordinary leadership on behalf of education at the local level. The nominating criteria can be found on the State Board of Education’s website. Anyone who served as a school board member in 2024 is eligible for consideration. The award will be presented on November 24 during the Third General Session at the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago.