SPRINGFIELD — Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White awarded over $1.3 million in FY19 School District Library Grant Program awards to 694 public school districts. More than 1.6 million Illinois students served by school library media programs have benefitted from the grants.
“As a former public school teacher and administrator, I know our school libraries are very important in helping students learn and prepare themselves for the future,” White said. “Illinois was the first state to implement a school district grant program, and I’m pleased that we can continue to provide school libraries with some of the financial resources they need to produce well-educated students.”
Several local schools received funding.

I applied for this grant in October, and the funds will probably arrive before June 30,” Rochelle Township High School librarian Ann Marie Jinkins said. “These funds will supplement my budget from the RTHS Board of Education during the 2019-20 school year to update our nonfiction collection in the areas of career exploration and health care. These are two popular areas for sophomore and junior research papers.”
RTHS was awarded $750. The Rochelle Elementary School District received $1,121.25 — there are five schools in the elementary district.
Other local districts receiving funds include Eswood Community Consolidated School District 269 with $750 and Kings Consolidated School District also received $750.
“This money helps supplement our library budget and will be used to purchase new books. Receiving this grant makes a huge difference and without it we would not be able to participate in the all of the State Reading Programs or buy additional curricular materials,” Kings librarian and resource teacher Janet Butler said. “We truly appreciate these monies to further supporting reading and providing the best educational materials for our students and teachers. Our Kings Library goals and mottos are: “We read for fun, We read to learn, and We read for Information.”  “Color Your World ... Read!”  
Appropriations from FY19 that were approved by the General Assembly and the Governor awarded school library grants based on a formula of 75-cents per student, with a minimum grant award of $750. The School District Library Grant Program is used to acquire fiction and/or non-fiction books, educational CDs and DVDs, library subscriptions to electronic resources, and to improve technology by purchasing new computers or improving Wi-Fi connectivity.
Information concerning the grant program can be found at: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/grants/schoolpercapgrant.html.