This year, ILMEA established a partnership with Mercury LLC, a bipartisan public strategy and government relations firm. In working with their Springfield office, ILMEA was able to be an active and informed participant in the legislative work of the 104th general assembly. Please read below for a detailed review of the work done over the past year, information about the FY27 State Budget and how it impacts arts education, and plans for next steps over the summer and in the next legislative session.
Legislative Highlights: Graduation Requirements and Curricular Mandates
One of the most significant education issues considered during this session involved the state's foreign language graduation requirement and broader discussions surrounding mandate relief for schools.
Within the last few days of session, lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 3070 and House Bill 4795. Senate Bill 3070 preserved the existing two-year graduation requirement while allowing students to satisfy the requirement through either two-year of foreign language instruction or two-years of approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework. House Bill 4795 reverted the school code to the version that existed prior to the black caucus priority of requiring two years of foreign language.
Along with advocacy within the House and Senate earlier in the legislative session, the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), in coordination with the Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois Art Education Association, and others, mobilized to educate key members of committees, staff, and education-policy experts on the merits of passing HB4795 over SB 3070. In doing so, we were able to keep arts education issues top of mind and secure a seat at the table for upcoming discussions that will explore further mandate relief.
The debate surrounding SB 3070 and HB 4795 reflected a broader conversation occurring in Springfield regarding the impact of state mandates on local schools. Despite strenuous objections and the objections expressed by fellow members of the black caucus and majority party, Senate Bill 3070 passed both chambers during the final days of session and now awaits action by Governor Pritzker. The sponsor of the bill, along with the other invested parties, have committed to working through the broader mandate issue moving forward, focusing on the 2027 legislative session.
ILMEA was continually engaged in discussions and work surrounding mandates during this legislative session. The unified goal of all involved was to ensure policymakers understand how graduation requirements and scheduling can adversely affect student access to music education and the arts as part of a well-rounded education.
Over the summer and into the fall, we will continue to work with members of the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, chaired by Sen. Edly Allen and Rep. Mussman, and policy experts within the legislature like Rep. Amy Elik, Leader Katie Stuart and Sen. Cappel, who are reviewing existing mandates and evaluating opportunities to provide districts with additional flexibility.
For the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), the 2026 session presented both opportunities and challenges. The association remained actively engaged on issues affecting access to music education, including graduation requirements, curricular mandates, educator workforce shortages, and state support for arts education. Throughout the session, ILMEA worked to educate policymakers on the proven relationship between music education and student achievement, as well as the importance of preserving student access to comprehensive educational opportunities.
Looking Ahead
There is a concerted effort being made by a cross section of education stakeholders in Springfield to understand the impact of this mandate on schools, administrations and most importantly students; these efforts were not in place prior to the advocacy of ILMEA and other partners during this past legislative session. The summer break between sessions will be an important time to continue building policy positions and coalitions around this very issue. To do so, we must remain engaged with elected and appointed officials as well as with coalition members while the Mandate Reduction Council discusses these requirements during the summer. ILMEA will continue to advocate for policies that protect and expand access to music education, support the educator workforce, and ensure that students have opportunities to participate in comprehensive, high-quality arts programs.
Budget Breakdown
Illinois lawmakers approved a $55.9 billion FY27 state budget in the early morning hours of June 1, representing a modest increase from last year's $55.2 billion budget and largely maintaining current spending levels amid concerns about federal funding cuts and economic uncertainty. More than $4.3 million in direct state support for arts education and school-based arts programming was included in the FY27 budget, alongside continued investments in cultural organizations, educator workforce initiatives, and student enrichment opportunities.
The budget fully funds the state's pension obligations and K-12 Evidence-Based Funding formula, provides a 60-cent wage increase for direct service providers, and includes a 1% increase for higher education institutions. Republicans criticized the budget's reliance on new taxes and last-minute negotiations, while some progressive Democrats argued it did not go far enough to fund education, healthcare, and public services. The package also included approval of a statewide cellphone ban in schools, one of Gov. JB Pritzker's key legislative priorities.
The FY 27 spending plan includes the full statutory $350 million increase for Illinois' Evidence-Based Funding formula, bringing total state support for K-12 education to more than $9.3 billion. Lawmakers also restored funding for the state's property tax relief grant program, maintained investments in educator recruitment initiatives, and continued support for after-school programming, mental health services, and other student support programs.
Key Budget Provisions
The following budget provisions were among the most relevant outcomes for music educators and arts education advocates during the 2026 legislative session.
Arts, Music & Cultural Education
$17.2 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Arts Council for grants and administrative expenses to enhance Illinois' cultural environment, including:
$7.57 million for grants supporting arts organizations and individual artists
$3.31 million for underserved constituencies
$3.43 million for Arts Education grants
$2.9 million for programs supporting visual arts, performing arts, languages and related activities (Sec. 5, p. 569).
$907,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Arts Council for grants supporting arts programming in schools (Sec. 30, p. 570). (You'll want to verify the exact page number in the final PDF, but it follows immediately after the federal grant sections in Article 66.)
$2.9 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Arts Council for operational expenses (Sec. 1, p. 569).
$1.25 million from the Illinois Arts Council Federal Grant Fund to the Illinois Arts Council for grants and programs to enhance the cultural environment (Sec. 10, p. 570).
$75,000 from the Illinois Arts Council Federal Grant Fund to the Illinois Arts Council for grants, programs, and associated administrative costs to enhance the cultural environment (Sec. 20, p. 570).
Music therapy reimbursement implementation continues under state law. Subject to federal approval, Medicaid will reimburse music therapy services provided by licensed professional music therapists beginning July 1, 2027 (Sec. 5-55, Medicaid omnibus implementation language).
Educator Workforce and School Supports
$15 million from the General Revenue Fund to ISBE for grants, contracts, and administrative expenses associated with the Teacher Vacancy Pilot Program (Sec. 55, p. 642).
$7.5 million from the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund to ISBE for costs authorized under the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code (Article 94, Sec. 5, p. 649).
$4.5 million from the General Revenue Fund to ISBE for implementation of a Mental Health Screening Tool, Social-Emotional Learning Hubs, and Resilience-Supportive Schools initiatives (Sec. 70, p. 643).
Student Enrichment and After-School Opportunities
$30 million from the General Revenue Fund to ISBE for After-School Programming (Sec. 200, p. 649).
$35 million from the General Revenue Fund to ISBE for After-School Programming for school districts and non-local education agencies (Sec. 40, p. 641).
$24.3 million from the Fund for Illinois' Future to ISBE reappropriated for After-School Programming (Sec. 1460, p. 876).
School Infrastructure and Learning Environments
$3.42 million from the Capital Development Fund to the Capital Development Board for ISBE grants to school districts for energy efficiency projects and other capital improvements (Sec. 325, p. 1362).
$50 million from the School Infrastructure Fund to ISBE for grants to school districts for school maintenance projects (Article 560, Sec. 5, p. 1462).
$72.1 million from the School Infrastructure Fund to ISBE reappropriated for school maintenance projects (Article 561, Sec. 10, p. 1463).
$4.9 million from the School Infrastructure Fund to ISBE for school district broadband expansion (Article 561, Sec. 5, p. 1463).
$25 million from the Capital Development Fund to ISBE for school construction grants pursuant to the School Code (Article 562, Sec. 5, p. 1464).
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