JB knows how important it is to provide a good education for our children — that’s why he has made improving Illinois’ underfunded education system one of his top priorities. From expanded access to early childhood education to raising teacher salaries to making college more affordable, JB is working to correct the failures of previous administrations.

Early Childhood Education

• Expanded child care assistance eligibility to 20,000 more children
• Strengthened early childhood education and child care with the biggest investment ever in Illinois into early childhood programs and facilities, setting a goal to make Illinois the best state in the nation for raising young families
• Created an early childhood workforce consortium among higher education institutions that will expand both the size and skill level of educators and caregivers
• Launched a pilot program to support quality improvements for child care providers in rural Illinois communities
• Increased reimbursement rates for early childhood educators to provide better early learning for very young children

K-12 Education

• Provided historic funding levels for K-12 students across the state, increasing overall education funding by more than $1 billion
• Raised the minimum salary for teachers
• Expanded skills development with new investments in vocational training and career and technical training in high school

College Affordability

• Awarded more than 21,000 additional need-based grants for students and increased the maximum size of each scholarship to a record amount
• Increased merit scholarships for high achieving college-bound students by 40%
• Expanded the number of Illinois students eligible for federal tuition aid, giving a record number of students the opportunity to fund their college education
• Restored and stabilized higher education funding after years of neglect, increasing aid for public universities and community colleges
• Extending financial aid to eligible students who are undocumented
• Dedicated $2.9 billion to build state-of-the-art classrooms and rebuild deteriorated school buildings throughout the state