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* Tribune…
Two west suburban Catholic grade schools will close this summer, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Thursday.
St. Frances of Rome School in Cicero and St. Odilo School in Berwyn will close their doors in June after the conclusion of the academic year.
School and church leaders said the expiration of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program in the fall left the schools facing a financial cliff with more than half of students at the schools relying on the program to attend.
The program expired in November after state lawmakers adjourned during the final week of the General Assembly’s last session without taking up a proposal to extend it beyond Dec. 31.
* During the 2022-23 school year, St. Frances of Rome had just 13 Invest in Kids participants. But, according to the PR firm which oversaw the Invest in Kids push, that number jumped to 104 students during the current school year after a major local effort.
St. Odilo went from 27 IIK students during the 2022-23 school year to 60 this year, according to a press release.
Raw data is here. Both of those schools have experienced enrollment declines.
* From that Mac Strategies press release…
“Empower Illinois stands in solidarity with the parents, students, teachers, and communities of St. Frances of Rome and St. Odilo. Without this life-changing scholarship program many of those families simply could not afford to attend the school, forcing its closure,” said Bobby Sylvester, executive director of Empower Illinois. “Sadly, we know that these are unlikely to be the last schools to close unless our legislators act this spring to renew the program. We call on all Illinois General Assembly members to re-engage in the vital work of providing educational opportunities to low-income students through this program by passing an extension this spring.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Invest in Kids proponents should’ve tried to broker a phase-out compromise that would’ve at least continued funding for students currently in the program. Those two schools were obviously hoping to keep their doors open with a big effort to enroll students in IIK, even though people at the top knew it was quite likely that the program would be allowed to expire at the end of December. They could’ve tried to lock in those gains, but went for an extension instead.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:39 pm
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This post amounts to victim blaming.
“Hey, why didn’t you just negotiate a slow death instead of all at once?”
Comment by Hahaha Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:48 pm
In the bigger picture, this is the end of the road for the choices the church made in the 1990s when it removed church funding for schools and started to rely more on tuition.
The church made the choice to be dependent on the government. They have the funds to run the schools if they wanted to. What they want here is more money.
It was also their mistake to rely on donors who placed more importance on tax credits than donations to the schools. If your donors vanish when there is no benefit to them personall, well something something reap sow.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/4/22266445/sitting-billions-catholic-dioceses-amassed-taxpayer-aid
All around, and for decades, the church has made multiple errors in its decision making. This doesn’t even touch on what is obviously their largest error in decision making.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:49 pm
The proponents not going for a compromise is because Invest in Kids was all about weakening public schools and teachers unions.
The kids were a heart-tugging facade for the political and ideological objective, as clearly the governor, president and speaker saw.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:51 pm
“victim blaming”
Having gone to a catholic school for almost a decade, I immediately recognize this redirect as an attempted guilt trip by claiming victimhood.
As if the assumed and defacto state of the church is to survive only with government programs. c’mon.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:52 pm
===This post amounts to victim blaming===
lol
All or nothing strategies almost never work in a legislature. You cut your best deal and live to fight another day.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:54 pm
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Invest in Kids proponents should’ve tried to broker a phase-out compromise”
Catholic School grad and tuition-paying dad of three graduates from catholic k-12 schools, I can tell you this is the start of an evolving and growing story. The opponents of the IIK could/should have seen that killing the program over the perceived “lost dollars” was/will not be worth the political gain. Look at JB’s vacillation on the topic.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:00 pm
I agree with invisible man’s first post. This is all on the church. This program was hitched to a dying star, and affiliation with a scandal ridden church which is flush with assets cemented its demise. You’ve got to appreciate how the Catholic Church cries poor, when it owns lots of land, and can afford to dish out hundreds of millions in settlements to people abused by priests as children. Mac Strategies or not, this program should not be brought back.
Comment by Friend of a friend Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:03 pm
If you want to run a private business, create a business plan that shows how your business can at least break even (e.g., non-profit) without asking for the state government to pay your customers to spend government funding at your business enterprise.
If you wish to be dependent upon the state to fund your private business, then subject yourself to state regulations (e.g., state curricular regulations).
If you expect the state to provide opportunities for poor people to use your business, then limit your customer base to (a) the poor and (b) those who are not legally poor but who are willing to pay unsubsidized rates for your services.
Let the market determine the size of your customer-base, not the availability for state subsidies. Let the market determine the viability of your business. If there is not sufficient demand, then adjust your business practices, rather than expecting the state to provide customers for your services.
If on the other hand you wish to claim religious exemptions, then do not ask the state to help you grow your religion and fund your religion. Provide a viable business model that does not violate the principle against state-sponsored religions.
Any new push for an “Invest in Kids” scholarship fund for attending private schooling should meet such guidelines.
Comment by H-W Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:05 pm
The state should not be subsidizing sectarian religious education. This is a permanent “no” from me.
Comment by DS Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:09 pm
== They could’ve tried to lock in those gains, but went for an extension instead. ==
Many of the advocates were good with the compromise. Others wanted to fight to the death because they knew if they lost, the consolation prize was they could “own the libs” on social media by making fun of Stacy Davis Gates. It wasn’t always “about the kids” for the maximalists.
Comment by SoSide Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:13 pm
Anyone can still “Invest in Kids”. There is nothing stopping a person from donating, setting up a scholarship, whatever it might be.
If religious K-12 education is that important to someone, a tax write off should only be a bonus.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:14 pm
==The state should not be subsidizing sectarian religious education.==
Every religious college accepting MAP grants has entered the chat.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:19 pm
=== All or nothing strategies almost never work in a legislature. You cut your best deal and live to fight another day. ===
Never work for whom?
They work great for the consultants.
Reinstating “Invest in Kids” is a long shot, at best.
It’s more on the order of “Snowball’s chance.”
TheInvisibleMan really lays it out. Keep in mind that only about 2/3 of US Catholics have a favorable view of The Church, and about 1/5 of non-Catholics have an unfavorable view of The Church. Mix that with historic prejudices and current conspiracies involving the Catholic Church and government, the Jewish faith and government, and you really run into a buzzsaw in the electorate.
Comment by Juvenal Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:20 pm
Illinois spends a lot of spending on education but Illinois isn’t willing to spend money on vouchers or tax credits. Other states are. Sadly, there are limited choices for many parents unhappy with government schooling. Organized special interest dominate the political system . That’s just the way it is. Teachers unions get involved in politics because it serves their self-interest. Those who want choice in education will have to look outside the government schools.
Comment by Steve Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:23 pm
- Steve - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:23 pm:
It wasn’t teachers unions busing hundreds of kids down to Springfield on school days to advocate for a backdoor voucher scheme.
Comment by Google Is Your Friend Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:41 pm
==The state should not be subsidizing sectarian religious education.==
The state =does= when it grants tax exempt status.
Comment by Anyone Remember Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:46 pm
@Steve
“parents unhappy with government schooling”
Is that what you call it? I call it public education that is partially funded by federal and state governments, and largely funded by local communities that use public boards composed of local citizens.
But if you call it government schooling, that’s fine.
Comment by H-W Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:46 pm
You can still donate to these schools and get a tax deduction for it if you think it’s so important. You just can’t get a tax credit.
Comment by Excessively Rabid Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:12 pm
==You can still donate to these schools and get a tax deduction for it if you think it’s so important. You just can’t get a tax credit.==
You can still build your EV factory and get a tax deduction if you think it’s so important. You just can’t get a REV/EDGE/MICRO tax credit.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:27 pm
==This post amounts to victim blaming.==
The Catholic Church knows all about victim blaming.
Comment by Drury's Missing Clock Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:39 pm
@ CityZen
The MAP Grant is given to all students who apply (unless funds run out). These funds can be used anywhere - they are not targeted toward on sector of the education system.
The MAP funds are given to adults, and they follow the adults to the school of their choice.
Invest In Kids funds were not given to all children’s families. They were given to children. They followed children wishing to attend private schools, even though free public schools are provide to all.
The MAP Grant is not an equivalence of Invest in Kids. Suggesting they are equivalences is an irrational argument.
Comment by H-W Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 3:01 pm
=Sadly, there are limited choices for many parents unhappy with government schooling.=
Nonsense. If you don’t like public education you can open up your wallet and choose a private option. Just don’t expect me to subsidize your choice.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 3:20 pm
==Organized special interest[s] dominate the political system==
If “organized special interest” doesn’t cover the Catholic Church trying to direct taxpayer funding to itself, then “organized special interest” means nothing.
Comment by 48th Ward Heel Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 3:22 pm
Public schools educate everyone. If parents choose private education, they should pay tuition and not expect taxpayers to prop up religious schools.
Pot meet kettle.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 4:06 pm
stop complaining. you get propped up enough with nfp tax breaks. you are failing in so many ways. enough.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 4:09 pm