The Illinois Community College Board announced that that area community college districts will receive emergency funding, including Kaskaskia College, John A. Logan College, Rend Lake College, Shawnee Community College, and Southeastern Community College. A total of $3 million will be distributed equally among the districts, with each district set to receive $428,571.42 in financial support for essential operations. The districts were selected based on criteria established by the board during a special meeting on December 7, 2016. The criteria was formulated on the assumption that districts with the least amount of local property tax funding will have the hardest time operating without State funding. Colleges meeting this criterion were also required to demonstrate evidence of measures taken to reduce expenditures that required a reduction in staff and programs. The emergency funds ensure those community colleges with the fewest financial resources can continue to operate while waiting for the General Assembly to pass a full, comprehensive balanced budget, according to the ICCB. The Illinois Community College Board is the state coordinating board for community colleges. Illinois is home to 48 community colleges in 39 districts and has the third largest community college system in the nation serving nearly 850,000 residents each year in credit and non-credit courses.