Loughran Cappel: Local schools to receive over $19 million in evidence-based funding

State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel announced that seven school districts across the area will receive over $19 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“When we invest in our schools, we put our students first, ensuring a successful path toward a bright future,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Students in Will County deserve the best educational opportunities, and I’m glad to see we’re continuing to prioritize funding for our schools.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:

  • Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C: $133,969
  • Richland School District 88A: $16,863
  • Plainfield School District 202: $13,186,759
  • Joliet Public School District 86: $4,337,711
  • Joliet Township High School District 204: $609,869
  • Chaney-Monge School District 88: $368,899
  • Valley View Community Unit School District 365U: $857,329

The Fiscal Year 2024 budget invested $350 million in new funding into students’ success through the evidence-based funding model.