鈥淲e are thrilled for the families of St. Frances of Rome School and pleased that their children will have a chance to continue to attend their best-fit school. We are grateful that the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Big Shoulders Fund, and the parish could collaboratively make this happen for the St. Frances of Rome community. However, it also reminds us of the other schools that have closed and the thousands of families across the state who are in limbo after losing their tax credit scholarships. The Big Shoulders Fund, the Archdiocese and other charitable groups across the state will not be able to come up with enough donations to cover the thousands of low income, majority black and brown students who were depending on these scholarships. The only option to provide certainty for these families and prevent more school closures is for the Illinois legislature to renew the Invest in Kids Act this spring.鈥�

听The Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program is an investment in opportunities for kids and their futures. The General Assembly鈥檚 failure to take action in 2023 to save the program will cause over 14,000 students from low-income families to lose their scholarships and many may now have to leave their best-fit schools. Reinstating the program this spring is unmistakably the right thing to do.

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听

About the Invest in Kids Act

The bipartisan Invest in Kids Act passed in 2017 and created the Evidence-Based Funding model for public schools and Illinois鈥� Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to kids from low-income and working-class families to attend their best-fit private school. All students qualify based on financial need. Since the program鈥檚 inception, nearly 41,000 scholarships have been awarded statewide.

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SPRINGFIELD 鈥� In a new report conducted for the Illinois State Board of Education that can be found analysts failed to compare low-income Tax Credit Scholarship recipients to their low-income counterparts in Illinois public schools. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes testing data readily available to sort by income levels, but researchers instead compared low-income scholarship recipients to all Illinois public school students, rendering the results meaningless because they lack proper context. In fact, low-income Tax Credit Scholarship recipients actually outperform their low-income counterparts enrolled in public schools in nearly every category according to ISBE鈥檚 own data.

Dr. Patrick Wolf, College of Education Department Head at the University of Arkansas, is offering his independent analysis of the test score data: 鈥淭he evaluators made highly inappropriate comparisons between the average test score gains of the income-disadvantaged students in the program and the average gains for all public school students statewide. That comparison is apples-to-zebras and tells us nothing about the effect of the program on student achievement.鈥�

鈥淲hat belies this flawed study is the overwhelming satisfaction parents and students provided regarding their schools鈥� safety, climate, teachers, and educational opportunities. These findings demonstrate the immense value Invest in Kids gives to low-income scholarship families across the state of Illinois,鈥� said Bobby Sylvester, executive director of 今晚六合彩开奖结果. 鈥淧arents and students showed above 95% agreement that their scholarship schools provide equitable access and opportunity to high-quality general academic programs. This highlights why the Illinois legislature must renew the Invest in Kids Act (IIKA) to help level the playing field for low-income students.鈥�

Here are some highlights of the qualitative polling of IIKA scholarship parents:

• 98% say their school environment is safe.
• 98% say their school climate is positive.
• 98% say their teachers care about their child(ren).
• 98% say their children are getting a quality education.
• 97% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to high-quality general academic programs.
• 97% say their school has high expectations for student behavior.
• 96% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to receive academic support (e.g., remediation, tutoring).
• 95% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.

Similarly, scholarship students offered high praise:

• 95% feel safe at school.
• 95% say students of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
• 94% say their teachers care about them.
• 94% can get help from teachers if needed.
• 94% say students of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to receive academic extra help or tutoring.

Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of Illinois, added, 鈥淲hile the parental survey polling data highlights the enthusiastic parent satisfaction we expected, we are disappointed with how the researchers did not compare comparable test scores. Instead, low-income scholarship recipients鈥� test scores were compared to all average Illinois public school students. Despite this inequity, the low-income scholarship students performed admirably, especially on their SATs in high school. We know if researchers had compared scholarship students to equally low-income public school students, those who received the benefit of a Tax Credit Scholarship would have scored much higher than their lower income-equivalent counterparts.鈥�

鈥淩egarding special education services, school officials shared their concerns with researchers about the state鈥檚 current lack of financial resources allocated to educate students in private schools with behavioral issues and those who require more specific special education services,鈥� said Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. 鈥淢embers of the General Assembly who are champions for kids should note that schools expressed an interest in adding special education opportunities, counseling, and after-school programs if funded.鈥�

The Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program is an investment in opportunities for kids, poverty reduction, and economic acceleration. The General Assembly鈥檚 failure to take action in 2023 to save the program will cause over 14,000 students from low-income families to lose their scholarships and now may have to leave their best-fit schools. Reinstating the program this spring is unmistakably the right thing to do.

_____________________________________________________

听

About the Invest in Kids Act

The bipartisan Invest in Kids Act passed in 2017 and created the Evidence-Based Funding model for public schools and Illinois鈥� Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to kids from low-income and working-class families to attend their best-fit private school. All students qualify based on financial need. Since the program鈥檚 inception, nearly 41,000 scholarships have been awarded statewide.

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CHICAGO 鈥� Following intense political pressure from special interest groups, the Illinois General Assembly failed to even vote on extending the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program during their 2023 veto session. Their inaction will result in over 9,500 students from low-income families statewide losing their scholarships following the end of this school year, causing many to leave their best-fit school.

鈥淚t is a terribly sad day in Illinois because of the legislature鈥檚 failure to address and extend the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The legislature鈥檚 inaction on such a critical issue has created very real and tragic consequences for thousands of kids, families, and entire school communities,鈥� said Anthony Holter, president of 今晚六合彩开奖结果. 鈥淲hat our families question is how a compromise bill with majority, bipartisan support was not even called to allow votes to be cast. And so, The Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program as we know it is over at the end of the calendar year. From here we are committed to continue working with Springfield leaders to figure out if they have the will to create real, quality educational options for all kids in Illinois鈥攔egardless of where they live of what school is the best fit for their educational needs.

鈥淔urthering the loss, the hopes of 26,000 more students on the scholarship waitlist have now been eliminated,鈥� added Josh Hale, president and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund. 鈥淭he General Assembly鈥檚 inaction will disproportionately harm Black and Brown students from low-income families across the state. The Invest in Kids program was designed as an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so we will urge lawmakers in the coming months to reestablish an alternative vehicle for helping these vulnerable students have access to their best-fit schools.鈥�

鈥淎 parent, practically in tears, asked me last night how will she keep her kids in school next year when she can鈥檛 even afford basic necessities right now,鈥� shared Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of Illinois. 鈥淚 had no response for her, or the thousands of other families across the state who are asking the same question. Our elected officials owe all of them an answer.

听

Bob Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, concluded, 鈥淲e expected more from our elected officials. At the very least, we expected them to represent the opinions of their constituents. An Impact Research poll conducted in August 2023 found the scholarship program has 2:1 support among Illinois voters. But our work is not over, because the kids are worth the fight.鈥�

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听

About the Invest in Kids Act

The bipartisan Invest in Kids Act passed in 2017 and created the Evidence-Based Funding model for public schools and Illinois鈥� Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to kids from low-income and working-class families to attend their best-fit private school. All students qualify based on financial need. Since the program鈥檚 inception, nearly 41,000 scholarships have been awarded statewide.

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With the Invest in Kids Act now up for renewal, we have the opportunity to build on its successes and make the Tax Credit Scholarship Program even more impactful moving forward. Our broad coalition of families, schools, and community leaders have raised their voices about this program鈥檚 importance and the need to see it continue for generations of students. As a coalition, we support policy changes that would create stability for already participating families by building onto the existing Tax Credit Scholarship Program and strengthening the program鈥檚 support for the most vulnerable students.

Lawmakers are listening and are seeking ways to support the very children the Tax Credit Scholarship Program was intended to serve, as well as narrow the program鈥檚 focus onto those families and kids who face the greatest disadvantages. The Invest in Kids Act was designed to provide increased support for families with greater economic need, students with unique learning needs, and economically challenged communities. Importantly, however, disproportionately impacted neighborhoods are most often those Black and Latino communities call home. While over 50 percent of current tax credit scholarship recipients are currently Black and Latino children from low-income households, policy changes could increase their participation significantly.听If legislators take action, these policy changes could substantially increase access to best-fit private schools for under-represented minority groups through a life-changing tax credit scholarship.

We are committed to ensuring the Tax Credit Scholarship Program remains a constant and steady lifeline for the tens of thousands of children from under-represented and under-resourced communities who rely on it. Further, we are ready to reaffirm on our commitment by advancing policy changes that provide additional opportunities to communities that are all too often denied quality options.

Toward that end, and in direct response to concerns raised by legislators, we have developed a revised policy that would increase scholarship opportunities for families in under-represented communities in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.听If enacted by the legislature, this policy change would achieve the coalition鈥檚 goals, importantly keeping the Tax Credit Scholarship Program alive and helping even more students. In the coming weeks, we will be sharing the framework of this policy and related language.听 We look forward to further discussing the important impacts of this policy moving forward.

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We hope it was only a misstatement from the Governor and not a softening on his commitment to support Illinois鈥� most vulnerable families.

Governor Pritzker鈥檚 inclusion of an option to 鈥渨ind down鈥� such an impactful program is a departure from his previous statements in late May where he said, 鈥淚f the legislature passes something, I will sign it.鈥� Ending the Tax Credit Scholarship Program means ripping scholarships away from the most vulnerable, poor, and working-class children and their families. Black and Brown students will be disproportionally impacted if the Tax Credit Scholarship Program is killed by inaction as the Governor suggested, and that is unacceptable.

Announcing any burial plans for a program that has been immensely successful for Illinois children would be beyond premature.听 We expect lawmakers to do what鈥檚 right by children鈥揺xtend the program, with no cuts, no wind down.

We urge Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to act this fall during Veto Session to immediately extend the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program, providing Illinois kids and families with the reassurance and support they so rightly deserve.

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Lawmakers Leave Nearly 10,000 Children and Their Educational Opportunities in Limbo

The Illinois legislature adjourned its spring session without extending the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program. There are now nearly 10,000 scholarship recipients and their families鈥攁long with many thousands more on waitlists鈥攚ho are left in limbo about their child鈥檚 educational future, left wondering how a program created with bipartisan support was not extended.

The reason the Invest in Kids Act was not extended this legislative session is simple: special interests were prioritized over kids. State leaders should be able to come together to support education options that meet the needs of all Illinois families, especially those from low-income and working-class families.

This unnecessary delay in addressing the Invest in Kids Act instills real worry and fear in families, their children, and the school communities that educate them. We challenge our lawmakers to do what is right and good for kids and to represent the interests of all their constituents, particularly the most vulnerable members of their communities who are seeking true equity in the pursuit of opportunity.

In 2017, the Invest in Kids Act was passed as a pilot program鈥攁 test period to see if it works. Make no mistake, the Tax Credit Scholarship is an overwhelming success鈥攖he pilot program works.

• Tax credit scholarships support families with demonstrated financial need 鈥� 100% of families qualify based on their income, with nearly 70% of recipient families eligible for the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program. The average family income for all scholarships recipients is just over $40,000.
• Tax credit scholarships serve a diverse population 鈥� 60% of scholarship recipients are racially/ethnically diverse students, higher than the percentage representation in Illinois public schools.
• Tax credit scholarship support and family demand remains extremely high 鈥� For every one child who is fortunate to be awarded a scholarship, five more children are on a waitlist hoping to receive a scholarship, too. Additionally, 97% of participating families are satisfied with the program.
• Tax credit scholarships are popular with voters 鈥� An ARW Strategies poll showed 61% of Illinois voters approve of the program, including 67% of Democrats, 71% of African Americans, and 81%of Hispanics.

There is a path forward. According to recent statements by Governor Pritzker, there is time to extend this critical program during the General Assembly鈥檚 fall veto session and that he will sign it if it comes to his desk. Even more, the hopes and dreams of deserving children are buoyed by both the strong champions of the program in the legislature as well as the many other legislators who want to support it, if only special interest groups allow them to vote their conscience. We stand ready, with thousands of children and families from across the state, to ensure that every lawmaker knows the undeniable success of this program. Our work for educational equity continues because, quite simply, children are worth fighting for!

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As the legislature adjourns for this session, we remind lawmakers that nearly 41,000 scholarships have been issued since 2018, with over 9,000 students receiving scholarships last year alone, and many more thousands in line for a scholarship yet this year. Each one of these students is affected by today鈥檚 outcome, and each one is counting on lawmakers to do the right thing. Without action, these children and their families will face an abrupt end to their scholarship support and incredibly difficult changes in their educational journey at a critical time in their lives.

We stand ready and united with thousands of families, school and community leaders, donors and advocates throughout Illinois to extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program and ensure educational equity is afforded to all families, not only for the privileged few.

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