February 7, 2022
By: Katie Clancy
In January we celebrated National School Choice Week and the thousands of empowered families across the country who have the opportunity to send their children to a school that best fits their educational needs.
It also serves as a reminder for families who are unhappy with their current local public school that there are other options available to them. Depending on the policies in their state.
Arizona for example just signed the largest school choice bill in the nation. The program allows any child who opts out of public schools to receive around $7,000 each school year to use on educational expenses, “ranging from private school tuition to homeschooling supplies, tutoring and educational therapies.”
Parents are desperate for more educational options for their children. That’s why the Arizona program has quadrupled in size since the universal education savings accounts went into effect.
In Illinois, roughly 9,000 families have been awarded the same opportunity through the Invest in Kids Act, which empowers them to send their child to a better-fitting school. There are thousands more on the waiting list.
Every child, no matter their circumstance, deserves the same quality of education as the children from families who live in a wealthy suburb, attend a smaller hands-on private school, or can afford the extra tutoring and therapies needed to succeed.
Illinois lawmakers have the opportunity to uplift and empower thousands of families who wish to provide their children with the best education possible to achieve a brighter future.
The Invest in Kids Act is set to expire this year. The state legislature should make this program permanent and expand it, so more families have the ability to provide a better life for their children.
Expanding educational choice is an impactful policy that will improve our state and improve the lives of thousands of families.
