MAYWOOD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford secured a combined $200,000 for local libraries to enhance services and programming for residents.

"Libraries are the cornerstone of our communities and the gateway to opportunity,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “In our libraries, children discover the joy of reading, adults gain new skills for changing careers, and families find a safe space to come together. When we invest in our libraries, we invest in literacy, we invest in community, and we invest in the future of Illinois."

Through the Illinois Secretary of State’s Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants program, 639 public libraries statewide will receive nearly $18 million in grants. Libraries may use the funds to support resources and services for their communities, including books, e-books, online resources and internet access, personnel, public programming and capital expenditures.

• Bellwood Public Library: $27,713
• Berkeley Public Library: $7,873
• Broadview Public Library District: $11,797
• Forest Park Public Library: $21,150
• Hillside Public Library: $12,272
• La Grange Public Library: $24,073
• La Grange Park Public Library District: $19,924
• Maywood Public Library District: $34,762
• Oak Brook Public Library: $12,040
• Westchester Public Library: $24,915

More information on available library grants can be found here.

SPRINGFIELD – All too often, students of color feel the brunt of being expelled or suspended from school, rather than being provided restorative approaches to help with their emotional and mental health – a phenomenon Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford is fighting to change.

“Our education system has failed many children by simply denying them the opportunity to sit in a classroom,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “We’re continuing to move toward a disciplinary system that prioritizes educating students by keeping them in school.”

Expulsion of students in kindergarten through second grade would not be permitted under Lightford’s measure. Additionally, pre-k through second graders would not be able to be suspended without the principal receiving written or verbal consent from the district superintendent.

Research from the University of Chicago using data from Chicago Public Schools shows that restorative practices are effective in reducing not only suspension and expulsion but also student arrests. As reported by Chalkbeat in 2019, early exclusion from school can trigger “a domino effect of negative interactions between schools and families,” increasing the risk of future exclusions and setting a child on the path of the so-called school-to-prison pipeline.

The measure builds upon Lightford’s previous work – Senate Bill 100 from the 99th General Assembly – which addressed the frequency and racial disparity of suspensions and expulsions by limiting their use, creating policies that re-engage students and avoiding interrupting a student’s learning as much as possible.

“I am tired of seeing our children set up for failure at a young age. Kicking them out of school doesn’t give them what they need to succeed – but our education system can be what changes their course,” Lightford said. “This measure becoming law would be a victory for our entire state and for every child in search of a bright future and an excellent education.”

House Bill 3772 passed the Senate Saturday.

I helped spearhead the effort for Senate Resolution 37 to officially designate February 28 as Black Women's History Month in Illinois. This date intentionally connects the nationally recognized Black History Month in February with Women's History Month in March. This connection emphasizes the unique intersectionality of being both Black and a woman.