Unit 5 and District 87 school districts are each expected to receive $1.6 million from the coronavirus rescue package signed into law last week.
The CARES Act will provide $13.5 billion for K-12 schools. Illinois is expecting to receive around $569 million, according to the State Board of Education (ISBE).
The money will be funneled to districts proportionally based on the share of Title I funding they currently get from the federal government — in other words, how many low-income families are served. The money can be used for cleaning supplies, long-term meal distribution, technology for online learning, and to protect jobs and pay staff.
Unit 5 and District 87 are each expected to receive around $1.6 million, according to a preliminary estimate released Tuesday by the State Board of Education.
Districts are "strongly encouraged" to explore using the additional funding to strengthen their infrastructure for remote learning, according to the ISBE.
"We are grateful for the additional money and are researching how this can benefit our student population," said Unit 5 business manager Marty Hickman.
Added District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly: "We will soon begin to look at our greatest needs both long and short term as well as consider the state superintendent's recommendation to address any technological shortcomings with our Remote Learning Plan."
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