By Illinois News Network
SPRINGFIELD – A measure that would allow parents to opt their children out of taking standardized tests in public schools would risk Illinois losing over $1 billion in federal funds for education. That’s according to a memo from Beth Purvis, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Secretary of Education.
The memo, provided to Illinois News Network by the governor’s office, says that a recent waiver to No Child Left Behind requires the state to assess at least 95 percent of students from third to eighth grade and a subset of high school students.
If the state doesn’t meet that threshold, Purvis says the state is at risk of not only losing over a billion dollars in title funds and significantly disrupting the education system, the memo also says local school boards and districts would lose control over how the federal funds are used in their district. House Bill 306 remains in the House.
