Gov. Ryan proposes $45.5 billion budget for FY 2001

In his annual "State of the State Address" on February 2, Illinois Gov. George Ryan said that his FY 2000 budget emphasizes his funding pledge for education and workforce training and establishes a five-year high technology initiative. The Governor said that his budget also contains $481 million in tax relief: the full annualization of the state's individual income tax exemption (the three-year phase-in of the individual exemption increase passed in 1998) plus the first-year implementation of the private school expenses tax credit that became law last year.

Under the Governor's 2001 budget, state support for education would increase by 6.6 percent. The K-12 system would receive a $370 million increase, bringing the budget for the 900+ school districts to over $5.9 billion. Higher education would receive a $155 million increase (6.6 percent), fully funding the Illinois Board of Higher Education's recommendations and raising state support for higher education to about $2.5 billion.

Budget highlights
  • 51% of new money goes to education and workforce training
  • 6.6% increase for education vs. 3% increase for all other areas of state government
  • $155 million increase for higher education and a $370 million increase for K-12
  • $210 increase in the maximum award offered by the Monetary Award Program
  • $172 million for higher ed capital projects
  • $12 million to fund new $1,000 Career Scholarships for high school graduates to learn a marketable skill
  • Transfers adult education from the Illinois State Board of Education to the Illinois Community College Board
  • Increases K-12 foundation funding from $4,325 to $4,425 per student (fully funds General State Aid)
  • Establishes "Illinois Venture Tech," a five-year, $1.9 billion technology enhancement program
  • Deposits the $377 million FY 2000 tobacco settlement payment into a new "Revenue Stabilization Fund" to plan ahead for a downturn in the economy
  • Plans to deposit half of the tobacco settlement funds over the next five years ($823 million) with the State Treasurer to create an endowment. The other half would be spent on health-related programs
  • Better coordination of 18 separate workforce programs now operating in six different agencies
For additional information on state legislative issues, contact ICCTA at 1-800-454-2282.



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Illinois Community College Trustees Association
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Springfield, IL 62701-1711
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