Springfield Education Association

Article on last Monday’s SPS186 school board meeting, the budget deficit, hypothesized causation, our fund balance and potential solutions.

'Everything will be put on the table' as D186 budget deficit nears $11M SPRINGFIELD, IL - With state of Illinois funding for transportation projected to be under "school code," Springfield School District 186 is now looking at a $10.9 million deficit for its tentative FY27 budget, some $3 million more than projected.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DW6aPihNa/

Parent advocates are spreading a research-backed message that movement shouldn't be optional during the school day.

🛝 Read more: https://bit.ly/4xPa9CM

Update from up north..

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Jq27J4NH6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Mahomet-Seymour school board met Monday night for the first time since the union authorized a strike late last week, and the community was riled up.

https://www.sj-r.com/videos/news/education/2026/09/22/district-186-wrangles-with-nearly-11m-budget-deficit-for-fy27/91883939007/?taid=6ab29813b2827000015e6a45&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwZnRzaAUgCDtwZG9mBWZkaWQWUO8wWvRCvQX5eE2Hj0SLZIgMO7Imu2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6gEfkqT0RCr2EryxRggkCVfJCVZyEPWM2zD7xxfEc745qGjvEThS9c_plsCg_aem_LZR7GPDU9Idk8E7bn8kfxQ&utm_source=facebook&link_source=ta_first_comment

District 186 wrangles with nearly $11M budget deficit for FY27 | Video With the state of Illinois short on transportation reimbursements, the budget deficit swells for District 186 in Springfield.

The board Monday unanimously approved a Fiscal Year 2027 budget which now carries a nearly $11 million deficit. Business manager Steve Miller told the board the state is legally obligated to reimburse at a rate of 80 percent but instead reimbursed 68 percent for regular education and 55 percent for special education.

“When we are looking at trying to make up that deficit, the real answer is that we have to reduce jobs,” said board member Debi Iams. “There are some other alternatives, too,” responded superintendent Terrance Jordan, “and we’re looking at every way. We want to stay as far away from the classroom as we possibly can.”

Springfield Education Association president Aaron Graves said everybody knew this day was coming. “I’m honestly a bit embarrassed to sit here in the audience,” Graves told the board, “and pretend as though this were a giant Godzilla emerging from the depths of the ocean and smashing its way through the educational funding landscape into a group of otherwise unsuspecting leaders.”

The district plans to spend almost a quarter of a billion dollars in the fiscal year which began July 1.

State shorts transportation money for District 186, whose deficit grows - Capitol City Now The school board approved an $11M deficit budget.

Earlier retirement can be a win - win.

New pension reform allows eligible NYS teachers to retire five years earlier without cuts SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A major change is now in effect for thousands of teachers across New York State. The legislation, signed into law on May 26, allows eligible Tier 6 teachers to reti…

Average fuel costs in Illinois.

AAA Fuel Prices

Just imagine all of all the good joke books that could become unearthed. ;)

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CX8qieoGh/?mibextid=wwXIfr

"From a security standpoint, this thing is an open book." — Renata K.

TAMBERLY CREEK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT — District officials confirmed Friday that all 3,100 students have been issued a new offline reading device known as a "book" under a pilot program launched September 8. Director of Instructional Technology Ms. Konig said the units power on instantly, require no login, and have generated zero help tickets in nine school days, a figure she called "deeply suspicious."

The rollout hit a complication Wednesday when English teacher Mrs. Brandon informed officials that she has kept 120 of the devices in her classroom closet since 1998, all still fully functional. The district has since flagged them as unapproved technology and ordered them removed pending a compatibility review.

To comply with a district policy requiring all learning devices to be password-protected, students must now connect a Chromebook to school Wi-Fi and enter a six-digit code before they are permitted to lift the cover.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C6vzUjA8B/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Part of the budget is a deficit reduction plan, though particular cuts are still unknown. See link below ⬇️

📸 Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/best-worst-states-teachers-2026?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6aa981cc3baae40001c6fb43&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwZnRzaAUdN7BwZG9mBWZkaWQWUOxYvXag1r7jG51Z1cOVmrbQSTMaFmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR40b3ZHO_ay0tLGCGkTVX90Fng8oNFm_v5pioP8m9t8YcWKVbC64RKQ8N2YSg_aem_cgP6bYZfapyC-cAWMa5qhQ

New ranking shows the best and worst states for teachers A new ranking is revealing where teachers can find the strongest career opportunities.