$7 billion is heading towards Illinois schools and classrooms. Governor JB Pritzker announced that those dollars from the federal government will help bridge a possible learning gap after a year of remote school or no school at all. State Superintendent Carmen Ayala says the dollars don’t have to be spent the same from district to district.

Data supplied by the state shows Illinois saw a drop of more than 35,000 students year over year and the biggest declines were in early elementary grades.