State Rep. Tom Weber | https://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?GA=101&MemberID=2755
State Rep. Tom Weber | https://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?GA=101&MemberID=2755
Tom Weber (R-Fox Lake) recently took to Facebook to speak out in support of the Invest in Kids Program, which helps provide students from low-income families grants to attend private schools. The future of the program is uncertain because Democratic lawmakers are letting it expire.
"The Invest in Kids program gave children from low-income and working-class families the opportunity to attend the school that best fits their learning needs," Weber posted on Facebook. "Its future is uncertain thanks to Democrats killing the program in the state budget."
Weber shared a link to a story in advantagenews.com that explained the program is funded with private donations in exchange for a 75% state income tax credit. The article said more than 41,000 students have benefited since the program was started nearly 5 years ago.
Illinois State Representative Tom Weber Message About The Invest in Kids Program
| https://www.facebook.com/StateRepresentativeTomWeber/posts/pfbid02rfbvhRe8R76DAq47a7sfX3L2YaBd8vQ3xeRVT3zauri93K3xf9PoL82HaVZWCZ32l
According to the article, Gov. Pritzker said he's willing to work on a solution.
"I’m willing to work with the program if it gets extended or to figure out how we would wind down the program if it doesn’t get extended," Pritzker said. "Nobody is trying to shut anything down."
Anthony Holter, who is with the granting organization of Empower Illinois, said that educational stability should be considered.
"(Schools are) making a commitment to (a) student for the next eight or nine years, and having the stability of the program to ensure that the family has the financial resources to attend that school over that period of time is critical," Holter said. "So I would ask (lawmakers) to be courageous for kids and put aside some of these other concerns to focus squarely on those who this law was intended to benefit and that’s children from low-income and working-class communities through this state who desperately need choices and who with them will have a bright and vibrant future."
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