As Gwen Polk prepares the budget she will present to the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education in September, she has learned that she has approximately $6.2 million in additional revenue courtesy of the State of Illinois’ evidence-based funding program.

Though every school district receives some of the $9.25 billion appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly, Tier 1 districts like Waukegan and North Chicago School District 187 face a harder time adequately funding education, including a smaller property tax base, and receive the most.

When the Illinois General Assembly approved the final $350 million in May — $43 million was held for distribution at a later time — Lake County’s 13 Tier 1 districts and the Regional Office of Education were awarded 87.5% of the c

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