There are 18 private school choice programs called “education savings accounts” in 16 states and growing. But Illinois leaders refuse to let parents decide how their taxes are used to educate their children.

St. Bede School in Ingleside will shut its doors without the support from Invest in Kids scholarships. Even a $500K fundraising effort failed to save the school.

A report shows low-income students receiving Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarships were more proficient in reading and math in nearly every grade in 2023 than low-income students in Illinois public schools. Their high school reading bested statewide scores.

A new bill would revive a scholarship program that was stripped from 9,600 low-income Illinois students, ending their best chances to attend schools of their choice.

State lawmakers failed to save the Invest in Kids program allowing nearly 10,000 low-income students to attend a school that better fit their needs. Now some of those schools are being forced to close and families are left with poor options.

The Illinois State Board of Education failed to publish diagnostic reports required by the Invest in Kids Act to track scholarship recipients’ progress starting in 2019. State lawmakers are letting the program expire without seeing a single report.

Illinois’ Invest in Kids school choice program for over 9,600 low-income students will end at the close of 2023. But supporters vow to resurrect it during the upcoming legislative session.

About 150 students and advocates Nov. 8 were in Springfield chanting and trying to persuade state lawmakers to keep the Invest in Kids school choice program. Parents, educators and politicians made the case during a press conference hosted by Illinois Policy.

Spring test data shows low-income and minority students in Chicago Public Schools continue to record low proficiency rates. The Chicago Teachers Union wants to kill a school choice program that could help those students.