State Awards Nearly $900,000 For School Arts Programs
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- Programs that some would call "extras" could make a difference for Illinois' young people.
As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Dahl reports, the Illinois State Board of Education is announcing almost $900,000 in grants for arts and language programs in schools located both in the suburbs and downstate.
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Board spokeswoman Mary Fergus says the programs that are getting the money help make a child's education more well-rounded.
"These are grants that help support new or special projects that might otherwise not be funded," she said. "So districts have to apply for these grants. We had 39 applicants, and we were able to award 10 projects some funding, and continue funding for seven that are already in the works.
The programs that received funding are:
• Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120, Mundelein: $16,324 for world language curriculum
• Meridian Community Unit School District 223, Meridian: $17,859, for K-12 foreign language curriculum
• Harvard Community Unit School District 50, Harvard: $15,817, for arts program implementation grants
• Ina Community Consolidated School District 8, Ina: $75,000 for Fine Arts expansion
• Lake Forest Elementary School District 67, Lake Forest: $74,787 for Mandarin immersion expansion;
• Cook County School District 130, Blue Island: $68,000 for dramatic and performing arts expansion
• Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District 196, Sesser: $70,605 for high school Spanish
• Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54, Schaumburg: $75,000 for Chinese immersion expansion
• Fremont School District 79, Mundelein: $51,200 for middle school choral
• Community High School 117, Lake Villa: $52,183 for new string program.
In addition, the following school districts are the subjects of continuing implementation projects:
• Bushnell-Prairie City Community Unit School District 170, Bushnell: $29,489, high school Spanish
• Consolidated School District 158, Algonquin: $73,295, K-12 music education
• Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, Elmhurst: $71,834 for world language program
• Meridian Community Unit School District 101, Meridian: $73,295 for visual and performing Arts
• Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, Woodstock: $44,109 for orchestra program
• Anna School District 37, Anna: $14,511, visual and performing arts
• Peoria School District 150, Peoria: $48,590 for world drumming curriculum.
