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LM September 2019
Enrollment: 992 FY18: $272,189 FY20: $436,229
Type: preK–12
FY19: $376,079
How EBF has made a difference
Increased funding from the state has helped Chester CUSD
Enrollment: 2,394 FY18: $198,807 FY20: $355,204
Type: preK–12
FY19: $169,609
How EBF has made a difference
Additional state funding has helped Mt. Zion CUSD #3
attract and retain teachers in the midst of a statewide
teacher shortage, replace old textbooks and balance the
district’s budget.
Teachers in Mt. Zion CUSD #3 received a 2 percent annual
increase in salary as a result of increased state funding.
“It was hard to keep up with inflation when we were
getting the same amount of state aid as 10 years ago,”
Superintendent Dr. Travis Roundcount said.
Enrollment: 1,754 FY18: $332,853 FY20: $493,115
Type: preK–8
FY19: $334,718
How EBF has made a difference
Before the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding Model,
Big Hollow SD #38 was on ISBE’s Financial Watch list and
had classroom sizes well above recommended levels.
Since the new state funding started flowing, the district
moved to Financial Recognition, reduced classroom sizes
and made significant investments to bolster curriculum and
provide additional social-emotional supports for students.
“There has been a shift and a different mindset, where we
can now focus on how we can best support teachers and
students in the classroom and not what we have to cut,”
Superintendent Robert Gold said.
Big Hollow SD #38 has added 12 new teachers at the
elementary and middle school levels. Kindergarten through
second grade classroom sizes are now at or below 20
students and grades 3–8 classes are below 25 students.
“That was our primary focus,” Gold said. “We had an
environment where our classroom sizes and teacher
workload were overwhelming.”
In addition, Big Hollow SD #38 hired its first Director of
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, as well as increased
social-emotional support for students by hiring one additional
social worker and one behavior interventionist.
“The morale in our district has improved significantly, and we
are now steering more resources toward student supports,”
Gold said.
Continued support of EBF would...
Big Hollow SD#38 intends to provide more supports for
students who are struggling academically. The district
hopes to accomplish that goal by hiring reading and math
interventionists at the middle school.
Chester CUSD #139
Mt. Zion CUSD #3
Big Hollow SD #38
continued...
program. Other possibilities include improved after-school
programming, better support of the performing arts and more
advanced courses.
“Our kids deserve the things that other more affluent areas
can provide,” Bresnahan said. “We want to enrich and provide
them with a more broadened global experience.”
#139 balance its budget, reduce kindergarten and first
grade classroom sizes and provide better support to English
Learners and special education students.
Kindergarten and first grade classroom sizes dropped to
around 15 students this school year because the district hired
an additional elementary teacher, a move that wouldn’t have
been possible under the old general state aid formula.
“Lowering class sizes should have a big effect going forward,”
Superintendent Brian Pasero said. “We want to follow what
the research says about what class sizes are needed to best
educate our students.”
The district also used its new Evidence-Based Funding
dollars to hire an EL teacher full time to support a growing
number of Spanish-speaking students.
“It got to the point where we needed it,” Pasero said. “The
EL teacher will be in the classroom, pull students out for
more focused small groups and provide more individualized
instruction for EL students, as well as help translate for
their families.”
A part-time special education teacher at the high school was
also hired to make classroom sizes more manageable.
“Overall, increased state funding has allowed us to have more
teachers and more staff available to help students, which is
what they really need,” Pasero said. “We’re at a place now
where we don’t feel like the bottom is going to drop out.”
Continued support of EBF would...
Continued support from the state would allow Chester CUSD
#139 to build upon its success. Pasero said the plan moving
forward is to address needs as the district sees fit while
being cautious to not overspend on new staff or programs
due to concerns financial gains under EBF will be offset by
raising the minimum wage and increasing starting salaries for
new teachers.