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West Chicago ESD 33 halts FSCS programs after U.S. Education Department discontinues $1M annual grant
Summary
At its Jan. 8 meeting the West Chicago ESD 33 Board heard that the district's five‑year Full Service Community Schools grant — roughly $1 million per year — was discontinued effective Jan. 1, 2026, forcing an immediate halt to grant‑funded programs while the district pursues alternative funding options pending litigation.
At the Jan. 8, 2026 regular meeting at Turner Elementary, Sarah Norton, director of community partnerships for West Chicago ESD 33, told the Board of Education that the district was notified on Dec. 16, 2025 that its five‑year Full Service Community Schools (FSCS) award — approximately $1 million per year — had been discontinued effective Jan. 1, 2026. Norton said the funding supported programming at Wegener Elementary and Leman Middle School and that the district has halted all grant‑funded activities tied to the award.
Norton said the disruption occurred midway through the grant's second year. She reported that the state‑scaling recipient, ACT Now, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education after a denied appeal of the funding decision. Norton told the board district leaders are evaluating which initiatives might be sustained through alternate funding and which programs will need to be permanently eliminated depending on the outcome of the pending litigation.
The loss of the FSCS grant represents an immediate operational gap for programs that had been designed from community feedback to support students and families at Wegener and Leman. District staff did not present alternative funding sources at the Jan. 8 meeting; Norton said evaluations of options are under way.
Board members did not take a formal vote on the grant at the meeting and did not announce specific replacement funding. The district will report further details as staff complete their review and bring recommendations to the board.
