State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel announced that seven school districts across the area will receive over $5.6 million in evidence-based funding, in addition to the base funding that the state provides.
“The EBF model is essential for our public schools because it provides all children the opportunity to succeed,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “In Illinois, education is a top priority and we will continue our efforts to fully fund our schools so every child has access to a fair, quality education.”
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 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.
School districts in the 49th Senate District set to receive funding through the formula include:
- Richland School District 88A - $15,608
- Troy Community Consolidated School District 30C - $73,605
- Chaney-Monge School District 88 - $178,418
- Valley View School District 365U - $831,231
- Joliet Public School District 86 - $1,120,372
- Joliet Township High School District 204 - $1,539,243
- Plainfield School District 202 - $1,843,726
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget invested $300 million in new funding into students’ success through the evidence-based funding model.
For more information on the FY 26 evidence-based funding distribution, visit the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.
