Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 1996

Number of charter schools: 137

Number of charter students: 60,900

Cap on the number of schools allowed: Yes, 120 statewide; 70 in Chicago.

Virtual charters allowed: Yes

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Local districts or the state board of education can authorize. There was a semi-independent State Charter School Commission which was added when districts demonstrated they were unwilling to charter many years ago. However, that has long since been abolished and all responsibilities were transferred to the state board of education.

GROWTH: Only 120 charters (contracts, not schools) are permitted statewide, with a maximum of 70 in Chicago and in the rest of the state, no more than 45 charters can operate in the remainder of the state and 5 must be devoted exclusively to students from low-performing or overcrowded schools. Considering that 96% of charter students in Illinois are students of color, 14% are special education students, and 85% qualify for free or reduced lunch, hampered growth will undoubtedly have a negative impact on students in the state. In 2024, over 60,000 students attend a charter school in the state.

OPERATIONS: All charters are their own LEAs giving them freedom over operations and finances, however, the state has permitted a highly regulatory environment to exist in districts While charters receive blanket waivers from most state regs affecting districts, the law allows districts to impose their own regulations on the charters they authorize. Chicago Public Schools in particular heavily regulates the schools it authorizes and approved a union contract with a provision for a moratorium on new charter schools.

EQUITY: Funding for charter schools is set between a minimum of 97% and no more than 103% of the funding that districts receive (the previous minimum was 75%). Charters must apply for state grants distributed to school districts. Additionally, the state board can charge up to 3 percent of a school's revenue for administrative fees. Charter schools in Illinois do not receive per-pupil facilities funding.

Fast Facts:

Number of programs: 2

Types of programs: Tax-credit scholarship (terminated)

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Tax-Credit Scholarship
Invest in Kids Program
In the first week of November, 2023 the legislature with the full support of Governor Pritzker omitted the Invest in Kids Program in the budget, resulting in the program being terminated and the denial to students of scholarships who were relying on the Invest in Kids program for the future.

Education expenses (not a choice program)
Tax Credits for Educational Expenses
Illinois' individual tax-credit/ deduction program began in 2000 to help families pay for education expenses. The maximum benefit is $750.

USE OF STUDENT DATA IN EVALUATING TEACHER PREP

"Illinois does not currently use student achievement or growth data to hold teacher preparation programs accountable."

This is just one indicator from The National Council on Teacher Quality, which collects and analyzes states on how well their policies and practices lead to well-prepared teachers. They collect data on state laws and regulations concerning the preparation of teachers, the policies that govern their oversight and the contracts that guide their employment. Learn more about your state here.