With the additional funding, the total city sponsorship behind the program comes to $2 million. In 2013, the city first invested in a program to provide eye exams and eyeglasses, at no cost to the families, for 30,000 CPS students.
Parents of more than 30,000 kindergarten students are required by state law to obtain a vision exam for their children by October 15 and to report the screening to their schools. However, during fiscal year 2012, only 11 percent of parents reported getting their child's eyes examined.
Students who have failed their vision screenings in the past, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade students will be the target populations for the new vision program that will provide proper eye exams and, then when needed, glasses.
