The Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education (ILCAE) was formed in 1984 as a result of a grassroots movement by the Illinois agriculture industry to recognize that agriculture is central to the welfare and economic stability of the state and requires a continued source of trained and qualified individuals for employment in agriculture.
The efforts of ILCAE led to legislation by the Illinois General Assembly in 1986 (Public Act 84-1452) which amended the Illinois School Code to provide greater emphasis on Agricultural Education and resulted in the following:
1. The establishment of the Governor-appointed Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education (ICAE).
2. Implementation of the "Building Illinois Through Quality Agricultural Education” strategic plan.
3. Establishment of the Agricultural Education line item in the ISBE agency budget to allow for the implementation of the strategic plan, establishment of the Incentive Funding Grants for local districts to assist in local program implementation, and the establishment of Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) initiative.
In 1987, the first agricultural education line item within the Illinois State Board of Education budget was approved at $48,500. When the line item was increased to $1,000,000 in 1989, the Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education Project (FCAE) was established to assist in the coordination of improvement and expansion efforts in agricultural education. The current funding level for the agricultural education line item is $5,000,000.