An Illinois school choice program that serves fewer than 10,000 low-income students will sunset at the end of the year, forcing those students to leave their schools for the next school year.
The Invest in Kids scholarship, which was enacted in 2017 and went into effect a year later, will cease to exist at the end of the year now that the Democratic supermajority in the Illinois state legislature has declined to consider a bill to extend the program for another five years.
NEARLY ALL MAINE RESIDENTS HAVE DATA STOLEN IN CYBERSECURITY ATTACK
Despite a series of protests and rallies held by supporters of the program this week, the legislature adjourned for the year on Thursday without extending the program, which provided scholarships that low-income students could use for private school tuition. The scholarships were funded by a $75 million tax credit program.
The Illinois Education Association, the state teachers union, celebrated the end of the program.
"It is a new day in Illinois," the union said.
"The voucher system was intentionally created with a lack of oversight and accountability, leaving us with no data to measure its effectiveness," the union said. "Public money belongs in public schools and we are glad our lawmakers believe that, too. Eighty percent of our public schools in Illinois are underfunded. We need to focus on providing the necessary funding to our public schools so that all children in Illinois continue to have access to a high-quality, public education.”
A last-minute attempt to save the program this week had the support of several Chicago-area Democratic state representatives, who introduced a bill to extend the program for five years and cut its budget from $75 million to $50 million. The bill was supported by Republicans, but without sufficient backing from the Democratic supermajority, the bill never received a vote.
Breaking- IL House Adjourns. The Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit is not called by @SpeakerWelchIL
— Illinois Freedom Caucus ???????? (@ILFreedomCaucus) November 9, 2023
The Democrats have just pulled the rug out from 10,000 impoverished children and their quality education. This will not go unanswered. #twill
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In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Illinois Freedom Caucus blasted Democratic colleagues for ending the program.
"The Democrats have just pulled the rug out from 10,000 impoverished children and their quality education," the caucus said. "This will not go unanswered."