Crime in Chicago is bad. What’s happening with its schools is criminal

Ian Holmes-White is a young man who understands loss and struggle. Ian’s father tragically passed away when Ian was 9. Life has been hard for Ian’s family, but things are a little easier because the Chicago ninth-grader has the benefit of a school where he feels safe and can learn. 

Ian attends Leo High School, a private, college preparatory school, thanks to a scholarship from Illinois’ Invest in Kids program — a tax credit scholarship program that provides private school scholarships to about 9,000 students from low- and middle-income households. Without the scholarship, Ian’s mother may not be able to afford his tuition, and Ian could lose his education. 

Sadly, for Ian and thousands of students like him, that fear has become a reality, as policymakers failed to extend the program during a legislative veto session in November — becoming the first state to end a program of this kind. The returns from this political dereliction are coming in, first in the form of shuttered schools. Two Chicago Catholic schools have announced they will be closing at the end of this school year. 

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This means the loss of a school home for several hundred students, and the loss of employment for teachers and administrative staff. But in terms of human cost, this is just the beginning. 

Over 9,000 students now face the uncertainty of losing their scholarships. For far too many, this means a change in their life trajectory. The quality of a child’s education has a dramatic impact on their adult success.  

Where a child attends school for K-12 can mean the difference between living on government assistance or a rewarding career. It can mean the difference between incarceration or becoming a dignified taxpayer. It can mean the difference between life and death. 

In addition to the human cost for these students and their families, there is a fiscal cost to taxpayers to consider. Many of these students will be forced into public schools that do not meet their needs — placing a strain on the system and on teachers.  

According to analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute, taxpayers save over $12,000 per scholarship issued through Invest In Kids. This is a massive boon to public schools that instantly turns into a fiscal liability with the program’s closure. Ending the program also means more kids in the classroom and more work for teachers. 

Does this signal a trend of blue states repealing programs? Are we about to enter a time of ramped up partisanship, where students and families lose? 

Not so fast. 

Seven hundred and fifty miles to the east, in Philadelphia, a glimmer of hope is growing brighter. 

In late January, Senator Anthony Williams, quietly released a co-sponsorship memo indicating his intent to carry a school choice proposal targeted to students who are low-income and who reside within the lowest achieving public school zones — the Educational Freedom Act.  

This proposal would designate $5,000 for students in full day kindergarten through 8th grade, $10,000 for students in grades nine through 12; or $15,000 for students with special needs for private school tuition, school related fees, or special education fees. 

It’s no surprise Williams, a Democrat, would introduce a school choice bill. He’s a well-known and vocal advocate of educational freedom and choice. But this time, the conditions are in place for something historic. Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro planted his school choice flag in the ground on the campaign trail in the fall of 2022, making two commitments. 

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First, Shapiro committed to substantial increases in Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs. That was achieved in December, with a $150 million expansion passed into law. 

Second, the governor expressed support for a proposal called "Lifeline Scholarships," which looked similar in structure to Williams’ proposed Educational Freedom Act. Lifeline passed the Senate and subsequently broke down in the House. 

If the Educational Freedom Act comes to fruition, it would represent bipartisan cooperation for students and families not seen in over 30 years, since Wisconsin Representative Polly Williams and Governor Tommy Thompson teamed up to enact the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. 

For students across the nation like Ian, the stakes could not be higher. Every child deserves to thrive in an educational setting that meets their needs. For them, everything depends on policymakers transcending politics to prioritize the needs of individual students everywhere.  

Ed Tarnowski is a policy and advocacy director 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.