ELGIN – To help Illinois diversify its workforce, the Illinois State Board of Education has awarded multiple Career and Technical Education (CTE) Education Career Pathways Grants to schools in the district State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) represents.

“These grants will help schools recruit and support future educators in the Career and Technical Education field by providing them with hands-on learning experiences, mentorships and more,” Castro said. “I am excited to see three schools in the district I represent receive these grants so that they can prioritize funding for CTE development.”

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) issued the following statement regarding the violence perpetrated against the Asian-Americans and women at multiple massage parlors in Georgia last night:

“The attacks we saw last night in Georgia are abhorrent. The rise in violence against the Asian community is unacceptable, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families, as well as all Asian-Americans who are affected by these attacks.

“These shootings were also undeniably an attack on women. Gender-based violence has a ripple effect on every community and unfortunately, is most often targeted against women. We must work to end bigotry against minority groups and women to prevent future tragedies.”

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) announced many communities in the district she represents are set to receive funding for transportation projects under the Rebuild Illinois capital program, including a grant for $1.2 million to the city of Elgin. 

“It’s great to see such a strong investment in infrastructure from these grants,” Castro said. “The fact that these grants are going to local governments means these communities can redirect money that would otherwise be going toward things like fixing up roads and bridges to other parts of their budget.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) released the following statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address:

“This year has been unimaginably difficult for families in Illinois and across the country. As we have adjusted to the new reality, it is important that our state budget focuses on how to best support those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.

“While the budget proposal isn’t perfect and we continue to negotiate how to utilize the funds that we have, I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide stability for residents of our state.”