Cunningham Secures $93,724 In Evidence-Based Funding For Evergreen Park Schools

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham (18th District) announced that 12 school districts across the southwest suburbs will receive nearly $8 million in evidence-based funding, in addition to the base funding that the state provides.

“Additional funding to our public schools will lead to improved student outcomes,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This evidence-based funding is critical for helping our local school districts provide a high-quality education that students and families deserve.”

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.

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham (18th District) announced that 12 school districts across the southwest suburbs will receive nearly $8 million in evidence-based funding, in addition to the base funding that the state provides.

“Additional funding to our public schools will lead to improved student outcomes,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This evidence-based funding is critical for helping our local school districts provide a high-quality education that students and families deserve.”

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.

Evergreen Park Elementary School Dist. 124 ($69,843) and Evergreen Park Community High School Dist. 231 ($23,881) are set to receive funding under the formula

Other southwest suburban school districts receiving evidence-based funding include:

• Alsip-Hazelgreen-OakLawn School District 126: $32,573
• Atwood Heights District 125: $230,706
• CHSD 218: $1,986,189
• Chicago Ridge School District 127-5: $1,015,711
• Evergreen Park Community High School District 231: $23,881
• Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124: $69,843
• North Palos School District 117: $1,019,269
• Palos Community School Dist.118 ($13,973)
• Palos Heights Community School Dist. 118 ($53,663)
• Worth School District 127: $23,281

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.