May 6th, 2020- U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin announced the availability of up to $569,467,218 in federal funding to support continued education for Illinois K-12 students whose schooling has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This funding allocation, which the Illinois State Board of Education can apply for by July 1, 2020, is part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
Funding can be used by state and local leaders to support a variety of educational services including immediate e-learning needs, safety, and health measures, as well as preparation for the following school year.
“It’s critical that students, teachers, and schools across Illinois have the resources they need to navigate this public health and economic crisis we are currently in,” Duckworth said. “This federal funding will give our schools support and flexibility to help meet the needs of students during this unprecedented crisis,” Durbin said.
This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief Fund (ESSER), which Congress allotted over $13 billion to the CARES Act.
