One of the few areas that's been exempt from the state's budget impasse -- now in its ninth month -- is public schools, the institutions that prepare children for college.
Of course, to get into college, you need to take an entrance exam, like the ACT or the SAT, and that's traditionally funded by the Illinois State Board of Education.
But not this year.
Tony Smith, superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education, told lawmakers last week that the fee for these college entrance tests are a line item in ISBE's operation budget. Like most state agencies, ISBE has received no state funding for its own operations since July.
"So currently there's no funding for the college admissions test for our students in Illinois," Smith said.
Districts that have their own resources are paying for the tests. But districts that rely on state aid can't afford to pay the fees. And Smith says those districts are the ones where families can't afford to pay for the tests themselves.
"The students who most need it would most likely not have that opportunity," Smith said.
Rauner appointed Smith superintendent less than a year ago.
