Cahokia among Illinois school districts awarded federal grants to ensure school safety
Cahokia Unit School District #187 will receive $268,575 from the U.S. Department of Justice to help address violence issues, according to a press release from the offices of Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
The senators announced grants for 10 Illinois school districts, totaling roughly $3 million, Tuesday afternoon.
“Every student, teacher, and staff member should be safe in their schools,” Durbin said in the release. “This federal funding will give communities around Illinois additional resources to not only respond to school violence, but help prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place. Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to secure federal resources that will help create a safer and more effective learning environment for Illinois students.”
Cahokia Unit School District #187 was the lone St. Clair County recipient. Other grant awardees in the state included:
- Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C (Will County): $500,000
River Trails School District #26 (Cook County): $478,553
Anna Community Consolidated School District No. 37 (Union County): $401,588
Mundelein Elementary School District 75 (Lake County): $398,394
Worth School District (Cook County): $397,120
Zion Elementary School District 6 (Lake County): $354,375
City of Moline (Rock Island County): $111,744
Washington Community High School District #308 (Tazewell County): $95,425
SPEED S.E.J.A. 802 School District (Cook County): $43,208
The recent funding in a part of the nearly $126 million awarded nationally through the U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP (Students, Teachers and Officers Preventing) School Violence Act. The legislation, which was enacted in 2018, aims to help school districts enhance security and provide them with the necessary tools to reduce violence, which includes measures like improving technology to notify local law enforcement during a school emergency.
“No student, teacher or staff member should feel unsafe in school—that’s why I’m joining Senator Durbin in announcing this program that will help ensure that our state’s schools can minimize and prevent violence and focus on educating our youth,” Duckworth said.
