April 14, 2024
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Will County school districts receive millions in federal pandemic relief

Money coming via $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan

By Alex Ortiz
plainfield schools

A child sits at his desk behind a protective screen as his sits in a classroom in Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202. The district was one of several in Will County to receive millions of dollars in pandemic relief aid from the American Rescue Plan. (Provided)

Public school districts in Will County are set to benefit from millions of dollars included in the American Rescue Plan.

School districts are given significant flexibility on how to they choose to use the money over the next three-and-a-half years, according to a news release.

At least 20% of the money must be used to address learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but districts can use funds for other issues and expenses like preventing layoffs, funding summer programs or ensuring all students have adequate Internet connection.

“Over the course of the last year, teachers, students, and parents have gracefully made the best of an impossible situation,” said state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Joliet, a former teacher, in a news release announcing funds coming to her district. “Every single one of them deserves a tremendous amount of credit for their perseverance. This funding will allow us to address difficulties that plagued our school districts last year and effectively plan for the future.”

Local districts received the following approximate amounts:

• Joliet Public School District 86: $42.5 million

• Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202: $21.4 million

• Joliet Township High School District 204: $14.7 million

• Troy Community Consolidated School District 30C: $4.3 million

• Channahon School District 17: $2.1 million

• Richland School District 88A: $1.7 million

• Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C: $1.7 million

• Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210: $1.6 million

• New Lenox School District 122: $1.4 million

• Chaney-Monge School District 88: $1.4 million

• Mokena School District 159: $974,000

• Rockdale School District 84: $837,000

• Elwood Community Consolidated School District 203: $691,000

• Union School District 81: $351,000

The State Board of Education helped produce a guide for local school districts on how to best use their resources, according to the news release.

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion in support for local school districts.