Homewood-Flossmoor School Districts Get COVID-19 Relief Funding

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR, IL — The Illinois State Board of Education announced that public schools in the state have been awarded over $2.2 billion in coronavirus relief funds. This is more than four times the amount the state received in Spring 2020, the board shared.

The U.S. Department of Education shared the second round preliminary allocations of COVID-19 relief funding for elementary and secondary school districts, including schools here in Homewood and Flossmoor. Both town school districts that received funding can be seen below, with their estimated amount of funding, according to the ISBE.

• Homewood SD 153 — $778,690
• Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 — $744,710
• Flossmoor SD 161 — $1,265,682

Other school districts can be found online as well. Not all Illinois school districts received the funding. The allocation for districts that did not receive funding will eventually get it from a "set-aside," at approximately $63 per student, according to a letter from the ISBE.

The department said the funds will be distributed as "urgent needs." These needs include "mitigating learning loss through supplemental learning opportunities, closing the digital divide and addressing the mental health needs of our students," the department said in the letter.

ISBE is also encouraging districts to consider extending the school year to mitigate learning loss, by adding before and after-school programs, and summer learning opportunities. "Begin planning now to reimagine the school calendar and expand the school day to ensure students receive every opportunity to grow," said Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala.

For more information, visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.