ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – State Senator Ann Gillespie announced that school districts across the 27^th District will receive over $49 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“New funding will provide local schools with the resources they need to help students learn and grow,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “This investment will help to build a better learning environment for students across our community.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula – an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate, the number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – With a new $300 million investment in the Help Illinois Families initiative, State Senator Ann Gillespie is encouraging neighbors in need to apply for utility assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

“No one should choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “Working families having trouble making ends meet can apply for tangible relief through LIHEAP, which has helped hundreds of thousands of households throughout Illinois.”

Starting Sept. 1, 2022, families that meet the below income requirements can apply for utility assistance through LIHEAP. LIHEAP provides one-time payments directly to energy service providers on behalf of recipients. Last year alone LIHEAP offered assistance to 302,000 households.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Building on the smart infrastructure investments supported by State Senator Ann Gillespie, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced an investment of more than $140 million in the 27th Senate District.

“Illinoisans spend roughly $1,000 more on vehicle repairs each year due to the poor conditions of our roads,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “These investments will rehabilitate roads, bridges and highways in our community, addressing our aging infrastructure and saving commuters in the long run.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Project under the Rebuild Illinois program, the 27th District will see 21 infrastructure projects totaling $140,146,000 over the next six years.

These projects are part of IDOT’s multi-year plan, a $34.6 billion investment in construction projects for the next six fiscal years.

Forty-eight state leaders were chosen for the annual leadership development program

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — State Senator Ann Gillespie announced today that she has been selected to participate in the 2022 Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship. Bringing together 48 individuals representing 32 states from several sectors of state government, the Henry Toll Fellowship is the nation’s premier leadership development program for state government officials.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to share in this leadership development experience,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “Learning best practices from counterparts in other states will allow all of us to return home with a better understanding of how to govern and advocate for our communities.”