Illinois public school enrollment continues to drop
Illinois public school enrollment continues to drop
Frustrated with COVID-19 disruptions and remote learning, more Illinois parents are pursing non-public school options.
Illinois lawmakers file bill to save school choice program for low-income kids, families
Illinois lawmakers file bill to save school choice program for low-income kids, families
Roughly half of the low-income students benefitting from Illinois’ tax credit scholarships are minorities, and about 26,000 students are waiting for a chance at a private school that better fits their needs. State lawmakers are working on a permanent fix.
Delia Lopez
Delia Lopez
“I hope that many Latinos come forward and ask a Catholic school, ‘What opportunities are there?’ And when they ask me, ‘Gosh, how do you do it?’ I respond, ‘Ask! Ask the school closest to your home. Go and ask.’"
Illinois teachers push back on COVID-19 vax mandate
Illinois teachers push back on COVID-19 vax mandate
Illinois teachers currently face mandated COVID-19 testing if unvaccinated. The Illinois State Board of Education might remove that option depending on whether it follows Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandate or a high court decision.
Classrooms First Act could put millions into Illinois schools
Classrooms First Act could put millions into Illinois schools
A bill to cut Illinois’ redundant school district bureaucracy could offer over $300 per student for classroom instruction. No schools would close as Illinois strived to cut administration costs that are double the U.S. average.
Toni Larocco
Toni Larocco
“I feel like the unions have no consequences. It seems that whenever they feel like something isn’t going their way, they walk out and leave our kids hanging. My fear is that this is going to continue happening as time goes on.”
Adrienne DeLeon
Adrienne DeLeon
“Every family has a different situation. Not all families are able to be serviced by the public schools."
How to expand success of Illinois’ tax credit scholarships
How to expand success of Illinois’ tax credit scholarships
The Invest in Kids scholarship tax credit program helps low-income families pay for private schools. Making the program permanent and expanding it would help more students attend schools that best fit their needs.
Illinois teachers sue Pritzker over COVID-19 school mandates
Illinois teachers sue Pritzker over COVID-19 school mandates
A class-action lawsuit filed by 88 Illinois teachers seeks to block Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mandates on shots, tests and vaccinations for school personnel.
Holiday scratch-offs are no gift to Illinois schools
Holiday scratch-offs are no gift to Illinois schools
Some states promote holiday scratchers as a way to help schools, but in Illinois that claim would land you on the naughty list.
Sarah Tafoya
Sarah Tafoya
“It's so nice, and comforting, to know that there are people out there who want to help families like ours, and want to make sure that the next generation of kids get the education that is best suited to them.”
Keep investing in Illinois’ Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships
Keep investing in Illinois’ Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships
Illinois state lawmakers resisted efforts to cut tax credit scholarships in Illinois, instead extending the program. Now low-income and minority students need them to make the scholarships permanent so they can get the educations that best fit their needs.
Sheila Passehl
Sheila Passehl
“Private education has positively impacted my children in so many ways. They’ve built friendships. They attend Mass together as a school community weekly and on holy days.”
Lucas Stangler
Lucas Stangler
“The tax credit scholarship program has enabled so many families that want to come to St. Jude to be able to do it financially. I think that’s the most important impact that the program has had."