New poll shows most Illinois residents want more funding for public schools

A new poll out Wednesday shows that most Illinois residents want more funding for public schools, a finding released just as educators are warning that efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education could reduce school spending and hurt students, particularly the most vulnerable.

The poll from the Illinois Education Association found that 71% of Illinois residents believe funding for public schools should increase and more than 9 in 10 residents believe students have a right to a public education. The IEA is the state’s largest teachers union.

The State of Education report was released just after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Department of Education. Trump has already cut the agency's staff by half and has shifted the management of the entire federal college student loan portfolio to another agency. He also said he was moving the department’s “special needs” programs, an apparent reference to oversight of education for students with disabilities, to another agency, though it’s unclear if transferring either one can be done without a vote of Congress.

“I just don’t understand the thought behind moving the Department of Education to various sites and housing some of those responsibilities with people who have no expertise in the areas that they’re going to be dealing with,” union president Al Llorens said at a news conference announcing the survey results Wednesday. “While they spend time sorting it out, kids are going to be lost in the shuffle.”

Gov. JB Pritzker has said Illinois is in line to get nearly $3.6 billion in federal education dollars starting this summer — which he says are at risk due to the Department of Education layoffs and the efforts to dismantle the agency.

Llorens said federal dollars fund roughly 17,000 staff positions.

“These jobs are critical, especially when you consider we are in the midst of a massive teacher and support staff shortage in this state,” Lllorens said.

The poll found that more than three-quarters of Illinois residents are worried about teacher and support staff shortages, which includes support staff , bus drivers, nurses and librarians.

When asked if they would support a state ban on teaching critical race theory in public schools, 36% of survey respondents said they would, while 52% said they would oppose such a law. Yet more than 80% of respondents said Illinois high school students should be taught about slavery in the U.S. and its impacts.

The poll also found strong opposition to banning books from Illinois school libraries. But 36% of respondents said they support banning teaching about sexuality in high school.

The poll surveyed 1,000 Illinois residents between Jan. 27 and 30 and had a margin of error of 3.1%, according to the IEA. It was conducted by the polling firms, Normington Petts and Next Generation Strategies.

Anna Savchenko is a reporter for WBEZ. You can reach her at asavchenko@wbez.org.