State Sen. Napoleon Harris III is excited to announce $7.6 million in additional funding will be awarded to local schools to help move toward fair and equitable school systems in Illinois.
“As a father, I want to ensure all our children have the opportunity to receive an excellent education,” said Harris. “The state’s budget serves as an opportunity to outline our priorities as a state, and I am proud to say we continue to fund our schools properly to help support students and educators throughout our communities.”
In 2017, Harris joined the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus in implementing an 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.
“Our schools place our children on a pathway to accomplish their goals,” said Harris. “This funding is a step in the right direction. It is important we continue to look for ways to ensure our families have the resources and support to be successful regardless of their financial status or ZIP code.”
Nineteen schools in the 15th Senate District will receive funding support, including: Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144 – $1,534,161; Bremen High School District 228 – $1,531,016; Homewood School District 153 – $ 922,409; Dolton School District 149 – $719,985; and Beecher School District 200-U – $530,241.
For a complete list of schools in the 15th District, visit www.SenatorNapoleonHarris.com. For more information on the Fiscal Year 2024 evidence-based funding distribution, visit the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.