After more than four decades of consistent support, Illinois State University has abruptly withheld $1.5 million in promised funding from its Laboratory Schools—jeopardizing K–12 students, educators, and the university’s core teacher-preparation mission.

For more than forty years, Illinois State University has maintained a clear and well-documented financial commitment to the University Laboratory Schools. That commitment was formally affirmed in October 1995, when ISU petitioned the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to classify Laboratory School funding as “personal services,” recognizing that these funds support faculty salaries in direct service of the University’s mission and would grow annually. Since then, this funding has consistently appeared as a distinct line item in IBHE records and State of Illinois Auditor General audits. This commitment reflects ISU’s historic role as a Normal School and its national leadership in teacher preparation. The Laboratory Schools provide more than 50,000 hours of clinical experience each year, mentoring hundreds of future educators through close partnership with the College of Education. These schools are not peripheral to ISU’s mission—they are central to it. In Fiscal Year 2026, ISU leadership is withholding approximately $1.5 million in expected IBHE funding from the Laboratory Schools. Every other department within the College of Education received full funding, and even during financial challenges in FY25, the Laboratory Schools continued to receive their allocation. This ISU decision represents a sudden and unjustified break from decades of established practice. The funding withdrawal cannot reasonably be explained as a budget necessity. The Board of Trustees approved significant new spending as recently as December 2025. The only notable change preceding this decision was the official recognition of the Laboratory Schools’ bargaining unit. The timing and selectivity raise serious concerns that funding is being used as leverage—at the expense of K–12 students, educators, and ISU’s teacher preparation mission. The consequences are immediate and severe. As of January 2026, the Laboratory Schools face a projected $2 million deficit caused directly by the loss of IBHE funding. University leaders have indicated plans to draw on Laboratory School reserve funds to address wider university budget challenges. These reserves were built largely from Evidence-Based Funding intended for K–12 students—not to solve university financial shortfalls. If this continues, the Laboratory School's reserve could be financially exhausted within three years. Meanwhile, Faculty Associates continue mentoring clinical students without additional funding or compensation, after years of suppressed wages, salary freezes, and ignored salary review processes. This instability harms educators, erodes trust, and affects K–12 learning environments. These actions conflict directly with ISU’s stated values: Excellence is compromised when schools central to teacher preparation are destabilized.
Respect and Integrity are violated when long-standing financial commitments are ignored.
Equity and Belonging are undermined when one unit is uniquely targeted and its funds redirected elsewhere. 
We, the undersigned, call on Illinois State University leadership and governing authorities to act immediately: Restore the full and complete IBHE funding to the University Laboratory Schools at the historically established level—without delay or condition. The future of the Laboratory Schools—and the integrity of Illinois State University’s teacher preparation mission—depends on it. Sign this petition to demand accountability, transparency, and the immediate restoration of Lab School funding. #ProtectISULabSchools

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