Kankakee Times

State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) wants a specific breakdown on how additional funding for early childhood education as proposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) would be spent. 

Bennett asked for the details during a Feb. 8 House Appropriations hearing for the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

"I appreciate the conversations and I agree that if we don't get our kids off on the right step, they have trouble and are behind pretty much through high school," Bennett said during the hearing. "What I've heard from our conversation today, it sounds like it's two things: this $50-some million used to expand programs, perhaps more houses, more kids. And then, also, increase in salaries. Can someone talk to me in more specifics about how the money breaks down?"

Sean Noble, the director for Illinois Council for a Strong America, said the additional money should be focused on providing better salaries and benefits for those educators plus creating more slots for more children to start their learning early on.

"We really need to ensure that we are thinking more about the salary compensation, benefits side of the equation because that would help to shore up quality and it would also be a big investment in access because of the turnover turnstile that spins when folks are not making a livable wage and they wind up leaving the field and it's not good for quality and it also undermines access as well as equity," Noble said. 

Jonathan Doster, the legislative affairs director for Start Early, agreed that better salaries for early childhood educators are needed.

"We do have a goal in mind for what salary should look like, particularly for those who are working in childcare centers where their salaries may be behind some of their peers who work in school-based programs," Doster said.

Pritzker had introduced expanded spending for education as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, where $54 million would be specifically set aside to increase early childhood education and another $300 million to put toward strengthening and growing child care grants, according to a release from the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM).

According to IECAM, the budget would also include additional funding for scholarships for minority teachers. 

The release also noted $230 million would go toward paying off unfunded liability for College Illinois.