Tell your state senator and state representative to vote NO on any legislation that revives or funds the Invest in Kids school voucher program.
“I am a constituent who resides in your district at (address). I am calling to tell you to let the Invest in Kids voucher program end as scheduled and to oppose any attempt at making it permanent or extending it. Public funds should be for our public schools.”
Constituent contact makes a difference! Make calls and send emails no later than October 24, the first day of the fall veto session in Springfield.
BACKGROUND
The Invest in Kids school voucher program diverts up to $75 million from public education and sends public dollars to unaccountable, untransparent private schools, while over 80% of our public schools in Illinois are underfunded.
All children deserve access to a good public education. Public dollars should be used to support public schools, which open their doors to all kids without discriminating on the basis of religion, disability status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Invest in Kids diverts scarce state funding and undermines public education, a cornerstone of democracy. The public school funding shortfall harms the state’s 874,000 low-income students.
The Invest in Kids Act, passed in 2017, contains a sunset date of January 2025. The fall veto session is the last opportunity for the Illinois legislature to preserve this program. Your legislators need to hear now that the program must end.
Watch the League of Women Voters of Illinois webinar, “Why We’re Fighting School Vouchers” recorded on 9/26/23, and check out this fact sheet to learn more.
And mark your calendars to join us for Lobby Day in Springfield on October 24!
LEAGUE POSITION
The League opposes proposals that would provide public funds for private schools.
State funding levels should be sufficient to enable districts to provide for all students an education that meets both standards established by the State Board of Education and legislated mandates.
Source: League of Women Voters of Illinois
