School choice proponents are calling the Educational Choice for Children Act a win for all students, while opponents said the program will only benefit wealthy families.
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An estimated 138 million people nationwide could be eligible to take advantage of the Educational Choice for Children Act tax credit. by Judith Ruiz-Branch Illinois News Connection
CHICAGO - Mixed responses continue to swirl about the new federal law offering tax incentives to people who donate to organizations providing scholarships to private K-12 schools.
School choice proponents are calling the Educational Choice for Children Act a win for all students, while opponents said the program will only benefit wealthy families. Starting in 2027, people who donate up to $1,700 to organizations offering K-12 scholarships will be 100% reimbursed through federal tax credits.
Brian Jodice, national press secretary for the American Federation for Children, emphasizes it is not a voucher program but rather a donor-driven initiative to provide families with more schooling options.
"It doesn't impact state budgets. It doesn't impact the federal budget," Jodice pointed out. "It allows people to donate to these scholarship granting organizations and get a tax credit, so (it) incentivizes the donors to go do that, which we think is a good thing. But then it also incentivizes families to be able to go apply for it and let their students benefit from it."
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said more than 138 million people nationwide could be eligible for the tax credit. It predicted about 43% will participate which would cost the federal government more than $100 billion per year. States must opt in to participate.
Illinois recently failed to extend its tax credit scholarship program for low-income families. Opponents argued the scholarships would benefit those who are already in private schools rather than providing an opportunity for lower-income families to switch from public to private school. In Chicago, families who make up to about $225,000 could apply to receive scholarships.
Maura McInerney, legal director at the Education Law Center, said the program is a tax shelter, benefiting the wealthy at the expense of the poor and public schools.
"We've seen this occur in other states and there's no accountability for these dollars and how they're spent," McInerney emphasized. "The only criterion for receiving a voucher is actually a high family income limit. So essentially this money will potentially benefit students who are already in private schools."
She added the program opens the door to discrimination since there is no oversight on what qualifications scholarship-granting organizations can impose on applicants. The program also does not have a cap, which McInerney said makes it especially concerning.
Federal law said the governor or a designated agency will decide if a state participates in the program. So far, Gov. JB Pritzker has called the new federal budget a setback for students across the nation which will increase barriers to success.
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by Judith Ruiz-Branch
