McHenry Times

Prairie Grove Consolidated School District 46 received $414.33 per student from the federal government in 2015, or approximately $326,496.76, according to data published by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

The $326,496.76 equals approximately 3.2 percent of Prairie Grove District 46's total budget. The state average for federal funding of public school districts is 8 percent, according to ISBE.

The Obama administration is threatening to pull federal funding of 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; Prairie Grove District 46 taxpayers pay 88.2 percent.

Prairie Grove District 46 spent a total of $12,948 per student in 2015, 24.2 percent more than in 2010, when it spent $10,420 per student.

Among McHenry school districts, Riley School District 18 ($566.46 per pupil) and Cary District 26 ($440.26 per pupil) receive more money from the federal government than Prairie Grove District 46.

Nippersink School District 2 ($377.49 per pupil) and High School District 155 ($409.30 per pupil) received less.

Harvard Community Unified School District 50 spends the most money on public schools in McHenry, at $15,040 per pupil.