We are disappointed that the Illinois General Assembly chose not to address the renewal of the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program during their spring session—causing real worry and deep uncertainty for thousands of families and their children throughout Illinois. We urge lawmakers not to abandon the thousands of kids from low-income and working-class communities who rely on these scholarships to attend schools that best fit their learning needs.
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’s 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.