Lake County Gazette

Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) is responding to the impact of the ongoing federal government shutdown and the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which begins November 1. The district is offering a list of resources for families affected by these changes.

In a statement, CUSD 200 said, "Many parents and community members have asked how they can help. One impactful way to help is to donate to the CUSD 200 Student Excellence Foundation’s Essentials Needs Fund, which provides critical support to families in need. Donations are being sought specifically to make up for the loss of SNAP benefits and can be made by ." The district also noted that it works with the Student Excellence Foundation (SEF) to host mobile food pantries for families.

The next Mobile Pantry event will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 20 at Johnson School in Warrenville. No registration is required for families who wish to attend.

The district encourages those interested in volunteering at Mobile Food Pantries to contact Alyssa Barry, Director of Community Engagement and Communications.

CUSD 200 highlighted that "As you may know, 28% of CUSD 200 students live in a low-income household, and more than 3,200 students receive a free or reduced breakfast or lunch every school day. Your generosity, whether through donations, volunteer time, or by sharing this information, can make a big difference."

Community Unit School District 200 serves DuPage County and includes schools such as Bower Elementary School, Clifford Johnson School where the pantry will be held, Wheaton North High School, and several others listed on its Illinois Report Card. According to state data available at Illinois Report Card, there are over 850 teachers employed in the district earning an average salary of $77,797 before pension contributions; women make up about three-quarters of staff. The student population is majority White at just over sixty-three percent; Hispanic students represent over seventeen percent; Asian students account for about eight percent; Black students make up six-and-a-half percent (Illinois Report Card). In terms of finances, CUSD 200 spent $23,295 per student in 2020 with total expenditures reaching $286 million (Illinois Report Card).