Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill sponsored by State Senator Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) that redesigns the Illinois State Board of Education’s textbook funding program.

House Bill 3115 turns the Textbook Loan Program into a Textbook Block Grant Program for schools to purchase approved secular textbooks. It meets the needs of public and private schools. Funding for the loan program was eliminated two years ago; the Illinois Senate appropriated funding for the block grant program for Fiscal 2012, but the House did not.

“This was an initiative of the ISBE, and it seeks to change the funding approach to reduce or prevent interest payments schools have accrued to put these funds solely into textbooks,” Maloney said. “I appreciate Governor Quinn signing this bill because it helps public schools and parochial schools, and I hope he will work with me to fully fund this. Our schools need more options to provide students with textbooks supporting their studies.”

The Textbook Block Grant Program is the only state program dedicated solely to the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials.

“We appreciate Senator Maloney’s leadership in reforming the textbook loan program,” said Zach Wichmann, Director of Government Relations for the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “This could serve both public and nonpublic schools in buying accurate and up-to-date textbooks, and we will keep pursuing full funding for these grants.”

Senator Maloney said he would continue to work with ISBE officials to pursue the necessary funds for school textbooks for K through 12 students. Maloney chairs the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, and is a former school administrator and teacher. He has been engaged in a number of education legislation efforts regarding access, completion, performance-based funding, tuition, and scholarship programs in Illinois since he joined the Illinois Senate in 2003.