Twenty-four school districts throughout Illinois will share $400 million in state funds for construction of new buildings or upgrades to outdated energy systems. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn indicated funds will derive from the state's Illinois Jobs Now capital construction program, a $31-million initiative to create construction jobs via infrastructure improvements.
The program will allocate $307 million for school construction, $50 million for maintenance and $20 million for energy efficiency. An additional $25 million will target overcrowding in select districts, including Chicago Public School District No. 299 (CPS).