With the Invest in Kids’ Scholarship Fund in danger of sunsetting several members of the Illinois General Assembly have banded together to add an extension to the program.
The Tax Credit Scholarship Program allows for donors to receive a tax benefit for donating to a state maintained scholarship program for private schools for low income families. “We the undersigned members of the Illinois General Assembly are expressing our support of the extension of the ‘Invest in Kids’ Scholarship Fund,” the signatories of a letter requesting to extend the program wrote. “This is a shared priority of both caucuses which benefits the education of underprivileged children.” “We look forward to the sunset of this program being extended.”
The letter was signed by all GOP House members except State Reps. Tony McCombie (R-Savannah), Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), Dave Severin (R-Benton), Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville), Mike Marron (R-Fithian) and Amy Elik (R-Alton).
State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) stands in the middle of a group of children.
| Chris Miller / Facebook
Illinois GOP bands together to request ‘Invest in Kids’ Scholarship Fund’ be extended
The Invest in Kids’ Scholarship Fund was created in 2017. It is set to end Dec. 31 if not included in the next fiscal year budgeting.
Over 9,000 disadvantaged students are able to attend private schools as part of the Invest in Kids’ Scholarship Fund. The fund is only open to those families making less than $90,000 per year, which is three times the federal poverty. Donors to the fund receive a tax credit for 75 cents of each dollar they provide.
“It allows families that don’t have the means to provide their child with their best fit education,” Dan Vosnos, executive director of One Chance Illinois. “It gives families reassurance that their kids are in a loving, caring, nurturing, safe environment getting the education that they may not have received at their neighborhood school.” Vosnos was involved in creating Invest in Kids. House Speaker Chris Welch said the House may not vote on the issue until fall’s veto session.
Local schools are also getting involved in the advocacy effort. Joliet Catholic Academy noted it support for continuing the program.
“The end of the legislative session is this week Friday, May 19. We must keep the pressure on lawmakers to #RemoveTheSunset and save the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Your voice matters, NOW more than ever!” the academy said in a press release.
“Hundreds of families and school leaders from our statewide coalition have been champions for the program in Springfield. You, too, can actively support the campaign by reaching out to your lawmaker once again to make sure they know saving the program is a top priority.”
SENATE BILL 3618 would “protect and expand the Invest in Kids Act.”
The bill sponsored by State Senator Antonio Munoz (D- That bill would end the sunset of the program altogether and would increase the tax benefit to 100% of that donated. The bill would also provide super-priority status to students in the program, allow businesses to designate funds for specific schools, open the program to pre-k students and allow schools to give more partial scholarships.
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