Title i part a basic grants to leas

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the Illinois State Board of Education $308,387,114 on July 1, 2026, under the Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies program (CFDA 84.010), a formula grant that funds teaching and learning improvements in high-poverty schools, particularly for children failing or at risk of failing to meet challenging state academic standards.

ISBE, the state education agency with jurisdiction over Illinois's public schools, administers this award as a pass-through grant to local educational agencies and Indian tribal schools throughout the state. The award period runs through September 30, 2027, with administrative oversight based in Springfield, Illinois.

Title I funds flow to LEAs using four statutory formulas based primarily on Census Bureau estimates of children from low-income families in each LEA and state per-pupil expenditures. The program supports both targeted assistance and schoolwide program models. SEAs and LEAs must maintain program records for three years, and non-federal entities expending $750,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year are subject to single or program-specific audit requirements under 2 CFR 200, Subpart F.