Prairie State Wire

Illinois largest teachers union says state leaders should kill the Illinois "Invest in Kids" private school tax credit program because too many “white students" benefit from it.

"More white students are helped (by Invest in Kids) than any other," Illinois Education Association said on its website.

"Of the 9,348 scholarship received, 1,365 went to (blacks), 2,280 to hispanic students and 4,392 went to (whites).

The IEA’s “Stop Vouchers” website discusses race as well.

“One of the country’s biggest school voucher schemes is operating right here in Illinois. It began as a temporary five-year program under the guise of helping students of color and low-income students have a choice,” the website reads.

The program serves over 9,000 K-12 students who are the beneficiaries of the Invest in Kids Tax Credit.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker noted in a May 24 press conference he would not be seeking to fund the program going further.

“This is not something that’s been covered by the budget agreement. It’s something that still has time, potentially, but it’s not something that’s in the budget agreement,” Pritzker said at a press conference announcing a budget deal had been struck.

Prior to the announcement the Wall Street Journal called on the General Assembly to keep the plan in place for a number of reasons.

“In 2022-23 more than 32,000 students applied for scholarships, which let them attend more than 760 private and religious schools across the state. Since 2017 the program has raised more than $330 million in private donations with the most common gift around $1,000. Voters can claim a partial state income tax credit for their contribution,” the Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board wrote.

“The program is popular with voters. In May 2021, an ARW Strategies poll showed 61% of Illinois voters approved the tax-credit program, including 67% of state Democrats. Seventy-one percent of black voters and 81% of Hispanics statewide approved of the plan.”

“The program’s popularity is one reason Gov. J.B. Pritzker has reversed his earlier opposition. He ran against it in 2018 but in 2022 indicated support on a Chicago Sun-Times candidate questionnaire.”