West Cook News

Berkeley School District 87 received $693.50 per student from the federal government in 2015, or approximately $1,949,439.74, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) said.

The $1,949,439.74 equals approximately 7.2 percent of District 87's total budget. The state average for federal funding of public school districts is 8 percent, the ISBE said.

The Obama administration is threatening to pull federal funding from local schools that refuse to follow Washington directives. Most recently, it ordered all public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.

Chicago Public Schools gets 16 percent of its funding from the federal government, or twice the state average. Chicago property taxpayers pay for only 49 percent of their school bill; District 87 pays for 61.5 percent.

District 87 spent a total of $9,632 per student in 2015, 5.7 percent more than in 2010, when it spent $9,113 per student.

Among other West Cook school districts, Forest Park SD 91 ($722.68 per pupil) and Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview 89 ($1,197.86 per pupil) receive more money from the federal government than District 87. Westchester SD 92-5 ($274.58 per pupil) and River Forest SD 90 ($442.68 per pupil) receive less.

Oak Park-River Forest School District 200 spends the most money on public schools in West Cook, at $20,838 per pupil.