Evergreen Park Schools Get Coronavirus Relief Funding

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Evergreen Park public schools are in line to receive a cut of $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds that the U.S. Department of Education has allocated to the state's public elementary and high school districts.

The second round of COVID-19 relief funding for schools through the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund — $2,250,804,891 — is four times more than the amount the state received last year under the first round of ESSER. The funds are being distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Funds will be distributed as "urgent needs" for "mitigating learning loss through supplemental learning opportunities, closing the digital divide and addressing the mental health needs of our students," ISBE Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala said in a letter to district superintendents.

The state board of education is also encouraging districts to consider extending the school year to make up for months of remote learning, by adding before and after-school programs, and summer learning opportunities. Evergreen Park school districts receiving funding, including estimated amounts:

Evergreen Park ESD 124 - $933,600
Evergreen Community High School Dist. 231 - $479,900

A variety of options are on the table in EPCHS Dist. 231, Supt. Tom O’Malley said.

“We are reviewing ways in which we can address the learning gaps that have resulted from the pandemic,” O’Malley said. “We are looking to expand our reading program as an option to assist with some of those learning gaps. We are in the process of determining other ways we assist our students with the additional funding.”