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Larkin gets grant to help students cope with schoolmate's slaying

John W. Keyes III's tragic death last November sent shock waves through Elgin, even reaching the offices of local legislators.

Congressman Bill Foster announced Monday that Larkin High School will receive a $47,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which will provide academic tutoring and anger management counseling for students affected by the tragedy. The award will also allow the school to hire another social worker to assist with the increased need for grief and trauma counseling.

"This is immediate," District Safety Coordinator John Heiderscheidt said about grant, which will help students through the remainder of the school year. "We're going to get services running as quickly as we can."

The money comes at a time when every penny counts for the Elgin school and the 41,000-student district. Nearly $5 million has already been cut from this year's budget. In order to reduce a $48.6 million deficit, the school board is set to approve hundreds of budget cuts and staff layoffs later this month.

Keyes, 17, a former Larkin High School student, died Nov. 8 after he was crushed by a car against an Elgin apartment building on the 200 block of Center Street. Timera D. Branch, 33, of Streamwood, faces first-degree murder charges. The killing happened, according to Keyes' relatives, a day after Keyes punched Branch's 16-year-old son in a feud over a girl.

After the death, Larkin High School has reported that grieving students are having trouble focusing on school work, and school counselors have reported an increase in the number of referrals.

Heiderscheidt first learned about the grant while attending a school safety conference earlier this fall.

Along with Larkin, Chicago Public Schools, which has seen numerous violent incidents involving students this year, received $500,000.

"We recognize that what students experience in the community impacts their ability to learn at school," Heiderscheidt said. "With these funds, we have the opportunity ... to get those students back on track toward graduation."