SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner announced five school districts across the 48th District have received nearly $18,000 to provide resources to libraries through books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs.
“Investing in our libraries is essential for students to have the fundamental resources that provide educational value,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “We have to continue prioritizing our students to set them up to be lifelong learners.”
Based on a statutory formula, school districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school with a qualified library. Funding for the School District Library Grant Program originates from the General Reserve Fund and is appropriated for this purpose by the Illinois General Assembly.
The following school districts in the 48th District received a total of $17,917:
- Ball-Chatham CUSD 5 – $3,935
- Decatur Public School District 61 – $6,125
- Edinburg CUSD 4 – $850
- Rochester CUSD 3A – $1,722
- Springfield Public School District 186 – $5,283
The grants, awarded once every fiscal year, will support school library services for over 1 million students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade across the state.
“Illinois has made tremendous strides toward building bright futures for the youth across the state,” Turner said. “This funding exemplifies our commitment to education.”
For a full list of libraries that received funding, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
