Schakowsky Leads Members of IL Congressional Delegation in Joint Statement Urging State Lawmakers to Oppose any Extensions of the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program 

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, a former elementary school teacher, was joined by Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny Davis (IL-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Delia Ramirez (IL-03) in issuing the following joint statement urging state lawmakers to oppose any extensions of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program:

“As elected representatives of the people of Illinois, we know that equitable access to high quality public schools is essential for our communities and for our democracy. Public schools are required to educate all students regardless of income, race, health, sexual orientation, English language proficiency, disability, or academic ability. Diverting dollars from Illinois public schools that are already underfunded is fundamentally incompatible with equity and access to opportunity.   

“School vouchers, including Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships, perpetuate and deepen the education inequities that plague Illinois. The majority of private schools participating in the Invest in Kids program are run by religious groups, and using public dollars to fund religion runs counter to the principles on which our country was founded. This program diverts public funds from the public school system to be used to pay for tuition at private and religious schools. Furthermore, many of the schools funded by the program have policies that openly discriminate against students on the basis of disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, if they are pregnant or parenting, or immigration status.  

“Public schools are a public good, providing access to opportunity for all children, regardless of background. We firmly oppose the continuation of the Invest in Kids program, and we urge state lawmakers to allow the program to sunset as intended by the original law.”

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