In December 2023, the Illinois state legislature allowed the Invest in Kids program to sunset, marking a heartbreaking blow to families like the Valdivias, who relied on it for their children’s future. Jerry Valdivia Sr. knows firsthand the impact of these scholarships.
After a fire claimed his wife and left his two children with severe burns, Jerry Valdivia Sr.’s son, Jerry Jr., struggled in public school. Overcrowded classrooms, bullying and a lack of individual attention made his healing process even harder.
“If Jerry Jr. had stayed in the public school system, I don’t feel like there would have been a lot of attention on him, making sure he wasn’t bullied,” Valdivia shared.
The Invest in Kids scholarship allowed Jerry Jr. to attend St. Ann Catholic Grade School, where he found a nurturing environment and the care he needed to thrive.
In 2023, over 10,400 students across Illinois attended schools that better fit their needs thanks to these scholarships. More than half (53%) were Black or Hispanic, and most came from low-income families. The average household income for all scholarship recipients was $46,079. Another 31,410 students were on the waitlist.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker struggled with ending the program. Though he ultimately voiced support to nix it, his hesitation is a testament to the bipartisan support school choice programs garner, evidenced by robust polling showing support from Republicans and Democrats alike.
So why did Illinois lawmakers let this popular program expire? It’s puzzling, indeed, considering the significant fiscal benefits for taxpayers.
Each tax credit disbursement averaged about $8,300 per student — just over one-third of the $23,000 in taxpayer funding spent annually on each public school student. Taxpayers stood to save significantly every time a student received a scholarship through Invest in Kids instead of enrolling in the public school system. Taxpayers experienced up to $360 million in net cumulative fiscal benefits while the program was in operation.
In fiscal year 2022 alone, Illinois disbursed $56.5 million in tax credits through the program. Is this enough to wreak havoc on public education? Hardly. That $56.5 million represents a mere 0.1% of the $43 billion the state spends on public schools. This program was never a financial threat to Illinois’ public school system. But fiscal benefits are just the start.
A 2019 meta-analysis by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions found that “competition resulting from school-choice policies does have a small positive effect on student achievement.” Expanding educational options lifts up the students who remain in public schools by improving learning, attendance and behavioral outcomes. Programs are also linked to long-term societal benefits like reduced crime rates and improved mental health outcomes for youth.
Moreover, as students leave public schools via school choice programs, class sizes in public schools shrink. This benefits students and teachers by allowing for more individualized attention.
Public schools also wouldn’t face sudden budget cuts due to declining enrollment. Illinois provides funding protections for districts, giving them extra time to adjust.
Lawmakers who genuinely want to help families and improve the state’s future should embrace policies that expand school choice — not retreat from them.
By allowing Invest in Kids to expire, policymakers missed a critical opportunity to improve the lives of low-income families, strengthen the state’s financial health, and build a more robust education system. Future Illinois leaders would be right to reconsider that decision and prioritize policies that are not only fiscally responsible but also serve the educational needs of children across the state like Jerry Jr.
• Martin Lueken is an Illinois native and the director of the Fiscal Research & Education Center at EdChoice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to advance educational freedom and choice for all students as a pathway to successful lives and a stronger society. Ann Marie Miller is the communications and content associate at EdChoice and resides in Chicago.