Valley View Receives $40K Grant For Arts, Foreign Language

ROMEOVILLE, IL — Valley View Community Unit School District 365U received a $40,000 grant to allow it to expand arts or foreign language classes, according to a release from State Senator Rachel Ventura.

“Whether it be for aid in teacher planning or professional development, I am pleased to see efforts in funding local schools districts like Valley View,” said Ventura in a release. “I commend the Illinois Art Council and Illinois State Board of Education for putting a focus on such an important program that will give thousands of students a better school experience and make memories for a lifetime.”

Valley View School District 365U serves students from Bolingbrook, Romeoville and portions of Plainfield, Lockport and Downers Grove, and serves the educational needs of 18,000 students.

The Arts and Foreign Language Education Grant is a joint initiative through the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Illinois State Board of Education, according to a release from Ventura's office.

The one-year planning assistance grant will aid in developing district-based plans for initiating, strengthening or expanding instruction in the arts or foreign language. A total of 15 districts are receiving planning grants totaling $367,480.

“The programs that this grant will help fund are crucial for young people to freely express themselves. Far too often, the arts are underfunded in schools,” said Ventura. “By broadening the array of offerings at local high schools, our students can flourish with new opportunities and programs that don’t receive enough recognition.”