CHICAGO — The state of Illinois will distribute $87.5 million to hundreds of school districts that were underpaid because of a “coding error” — while seeking repayment from Chicago Public Schools, which mistakenly got the funds.
The appropriation is part of the $46.5 billion spending plan lawmakers passed Saturday. The Illinois State Board of Education said a contractor made a “coding error” in the spring of 2018 during the initial implementation of a new state school funding formula.
As a result, 14 school systems are owed between $1 million and $5 million, while 565 are due up to $100,000 according to IBSE. In total, 762 school districts were underpaid over the past four years.
