BURBANK – To enhance much-needed transportation improvements across the state, State Senator Mike Porfirio joined the Illinois Department of Transportation in announcing nearly $9.5 million for 20 organizations to support their planning and developing efforts, including $225,000 for the Village of La Grange Park. 

“Investing in our transportation infrastructure is not just a commitment to better roads and bridges, but also a pledge to the safety and betterment of our communities,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “This funding ensures critical projects, like the planning study for the 31^st Street Corridor, can move forward – creating jobs and improving our community.”

Administered by IDOT using $7.5 million in federal funds, with matching funds of $1.25 million from the state and $741,000 from local governments, the grants are designed to advance the objectives of the agency’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. Among the criteria considered were projects that implement asset-management strategies and performance-based planning and programming, as well as activities that grow and support economically distressed areas.

BURBANK — State Senator Mike Porfirio announced that 13 school districts across the area will receive over $7 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“This funding directly supports our schools, providing the necessary resources to enhance the educational experience for our students,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Investing in the education of our children is an investment in our community. I’m proud to continue supporting this initiative, ensuring every students has the chance to succeed.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the National Guard and Reserve who are college or university students will soon be able to make up coursework they missed due to military obligations, thanks to a new law State Senator Mike Porfirio spearheaded through the General Assembly.

“This new law ensures our National Guard and Reserve members can fulfill their military duties without jeopardizing their academic progress,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “This is a vital step in supporting their dual commitment to both education and service.”

According to Student Veterans of America, around 16% of military students are members of the Reserve or National Guard. The new law ensures fair treatment for these students by requiring public colleges and universities in Illinois to enact policies allowing students to complete missed classwork and assignments if the reason for the student’s absence was to fulfill military obligations. 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Porfirio championed a new law requiring public colleges and universities to waive transcript evaluation fees for refugees of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This is a small but significant way to honor the sacrifices made by our Iraqi and Afghan allies,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township), who served alongside Iraqi and Afghan translators during Operation Iraqi Freedom and as a police advisor during the war in Afghanistan. “We have a moral obligation to support those who have served shoulder to shoulder with us, and by waiving foreign transcript evaluation fees, we are removing barriers to their education and professional opportunities, helping them rebuild their lives and continue contributing to our communities.” 

Transcript evaluations assess foreign transcripts as part of the admissions process for higher education institutions. These evaluations are used to establish a U.S.-equivalent GPA, verify the accreditation of the foreign school, and benchmark completed coursework to determine if the applicant has met the prerequisite coursework requirements for their intended program.