Lawmaker wants education money for state, but not for students
Sen. Graciela Guzman has introduced contradictory bills. One calls for more state funding, while the other would block donated federal money for students.
Illinois Sen. Graciela Guzman wants more state funding for education while she aims to block state students from receiving taxpayer-donated federal money.
Why does she think only some money for education is OK?
Guzman’s Senate Bill 3071 would increase state funding by requiring the Illinois General Assembly to fully reimburse mandated categorical programs, mainly non-classroom expenses like some transportations services and special education expenses that school districts cover.
The bill would “fix a gap in school funding” and “put the state in compliance with the Evidence-Based Formula bill passed in 2017,” according to the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
“I know firsthand what it means to rely on public schools, not just for education, but for opportunity,” the IFT quoted Guzman as saying. She said that “At a time when the Trump administration is attacking education, this bill is a line in the sand.”
Blocking money from staying in the state
At the same time, Guzman, D-Chicago, who gets funding from teachers unions is siding with them in attacking a federal program that would provide money to Illinois students — including public school students.
Guzman’s Senate Bill 3966 would prohibit Illinois from opting into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program, which provides donated money for tutoring, fees for dual enrollment, educational therapies for students with disabilities and other academic needs for public, private and homeschool students.
The bill was filed the same day the Chicago Teachers Union’s political action committee donated a total of $72,500 to Guzman’s campaign committee. It echoes myths the union has been spreading about the bill.
SB 3966 falsely labels the new federal law a “voucher program.” It also ignores that the scholarship money is from donors and instead wrongly says it “risks diverting public funds” from public schools.
Guzman’s acknowledgment that education can lead to opportunity is exactly why the state should participate in the federal scholarship program — which benefits public school students.
Under the program, starting in 2027 federal scholarship money can be used to finance tutoring, additional educational classes, books or online educational materials, fees for standardized or college admissions exams and fees for dual enrollment.
That means public school students who might be struggling in certain academic areas or needing extra help or materials won’t have to leave their local public school for the support or opportunities they need. Local educational foundations could become scholarship-granting organizations and distribute scholarships locally to students.
SB 3966 would kill the scholarships that could provide exactly the opportunity Guzman seeks in the other bill.
Demanding more state money for education while opposing donated money for students just because it’s mediated by the federal government will only hurt students. Donors will be eligible for the tax credit regardless of whether Illinois opts in.
A recent poll for the Illinois Policy Institute showed that almost 55% of Illinoisans support opting into the program, and only about 22% oppose or strongly oppose doing so. Opting in gained more support than opposition across ages, regions, race and political ideology.
The program would help struggling Illinois students. Recent state test scores show that just half of third- through eighth-graders were reading read at grade level last spring, and just 39% were proficient in math. The scholarship program offers families a way to provide the additional academic support children need and will not divert federal or state money from public schools.
Guzman and other lawmakers should join Senate Bill 3776, sponsored by Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Waukegan, to show state support for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program.