West Side Activist Zerlina Smith-Members Calls on Citizens to Contact their State Officials and Demand they Extend the Invest in Kids Progra

Zerlina Smith-Members Photo provided by Jerry@jerrythomaspr
Zerlina Smith-Members Photo provided by Jerry@jerrythomaspr

 

West Side Activist Zerlina Smith-Members Calls on Citizens to Contact their State Officials and Demand they Extend the Invest in Kids Program

The Program that Provides Scholarships to Private School Students from Needy Families Expires on December 31

CHICAGO – West Side Community Activist Zerlina Smith-Members today called on her state legislator, La Shawn Ford (D-8th District) and Emanuel Chris Welch (D- 7th District), who is also the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, to vote on the extension of the Invest in Kids program, which expires on December 31.

Smith-Members, who lives in Austin, also urged citizens to call their local representatives and demand they extend the program, because the legislature’s failure to do so would prevent a growing number of Black and Hispanic families from having the option to send their children to the state 1600 private schools.

“I know Hispanic and Black families who cannot afford to send their children to a private school if the Invest in Kids program is not extended,” said Smith-Members, whose daughter attends a private school and is on a waiting list to obtain the scholarship. “They are paying money out of their pockets and can barely pay their rent. They are making this sacrifice because there is no option other than sending their kids to schools that are underperforming and unsafe.”

The Invest in Kids program, which began at the start of the 2018-2019 school year, allows donors to deduct 75 percent of their contributions from their taxes. The program, which allows a maximum allotment of $1 million, expires on December 31. Annually, the state allots $75 million in tax credits under this program, but the unions for public schools are against these credits because they say it takes away from funding for public schools.

Because unions are heavy funders of political campaigns, some legislators, especially influential Democrats in the Chicago area, have been quiet on this issue. Their argument is that the credit benefits mostly white students, who attend schools with limited diversity. Of the 9,600 scholarship recipients during the 2022-2023 school year, about 40 percent were Black and Hispanic, and that number will grow once more families learn about scholarships and other tax breaks that can help them pay for tuition in the state’s 1600 K-12 private schools.

“I disagree with the unions’ position,” Smith-Members said. “More students of color will receive the scholarship once their families get off the waiting list and others learn about the scholarship.”

She added, “Every parent should have the choice to obtain a high-quality education for their children.

No parent should be manipulated, bullied or forced to enroll their student in a public school.”

Stacey Davis Gates, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union, has no shame enrolling her son in a private school while her union fights to bring an end to the program, Smith-Members said. But Gates is not alone. Former mayors Lori Lightfoot and Rahm Emanuel sent their children to private schools. And we know many other leaders choose private schools, because they are the best educational options for their children.

“We cannot give our elected officials a pass on this issue,” Smith-Members said. “We must end this hypocrisy. This is our moment to take a stand. The shady politics will not stop unless we demand it stops. I urge you to contact your elected officials and demand they extend the program. Let them know that our votes count on Election Day.”

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