Sheila Simon asks Congress to back school funding bill

Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon is asking members of the state’s congressional delegation to back a bill the boost funding of school districts near Naval Station Great Lakes.

Simon sent a letter to the congressional delegation on Friday, which was Veterans Day.

The legislation would allow the five elementary and high school districts near the naval station to continue pooling their student cohorts to qualify for a higher rate of federal education funding.

The funding, called “impact aid,” helps to cover educational costs for students whose families live or work on federally owned, tax-exempt land, such as military bases.

Simon says that without the legislation, schools near the North Chicago station could lose millions of dollars.

About 2,000 children of Great Lakes personnel go to public schools in the area.