SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Smart Start Illinois program is gaining more attention since lawmakers passed the Fiscal Year 2024 budget last weekend. School administrators across the state say they’re excited for the initial $250 million included in this budget to create 5,000 new preschool spots for low-income students and address the teacher shortage.

Many parents and teachers know that Pre-K helps bridge the gap for young students to be prepared for learning in Kindergarten and beyond. The Champaign Unit 4 school district qualifies as a “preschool desert” as the area does not have enough publicly-funded preschool slots to serve 80% of the low-income families with three and four-year-olds.

“Currently, our district serves approximately 340 early childhood students,” said Unit 4 Superintendent Dr. Sheila Boozer. “We also have an extensive waitlist, so we know it will not be a difficult task to fill those seats.”

Boozer said she is excited to see that the Pritzker administration is dedicated to helping school districts break down systemic barriers to quality educational programs for young children. The Fiscal Year 2024 budget also includes funding to address the critical shortage of early childhood teachers.

State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tony Sanders said the teacher pipeline grant is the biggest targeted investment Illinois has ever made in educator recruitment and retention.

“Champaign County schools alone will be eligible for $2.1 million to address chronic shortages and implement best practices that will bolster our teacher pipeline for years to come,” Sanders said.

The $50.6 billion spending plan features $130 million to begin funding Smart Start childcare contracts as well. Leaders from the Illinois Department of Human Services said Thursday that this will bring stability to the industry by raising wages for childcare workers and enhancing the quality of programs.

“By supporting childcare operations, providers will be able to hire and retain more teachers, allowing them to provide childcare for more families at a rate parents can afford,” said DHS Chief of Staff Amanda Elliott. “Over the next four years, with an investment climbing to a proposed $290 million by Fiscal Year 2027, we’ll see an estimated 110% increase in children served by Smart Start childcare.”

Kathy Hutchcraft will be one of the educators that could benefit from the historic investment. Hutchcraft started as a part-time worker at Fairfield’s Kiddie Kollege in 1999. Hutchcraft has been a lead toddler teacher and staff mentor for over 24 years.

“Currently, I am working towards my bachelor’s degree in early childhood thanks to additional funding from the state,” Hutchcraft said. “Once I have that degree, the new Smart Start program will allow Kiddie Kollege to pay me an even higher wage. I can stay at a job I love, a job that I was meant to do, and a job that I can keep doing because of this program.”

Pritzker plans to sign the budget within the next few weeks. The new fiscal year starts July 1.

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