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A provision in the bill would allow donors to lower their tax
liability by donating to accredited scholarship-granting
organizations, with a credit up to $5,000 or 10% of their
adjusted gross income.
Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, expressed his
opposition in a Senate Spotlight forum last week.
“I don’t think there were many, if any disabled children in my
Catholic schools and very few minority students, and I’m
wondering what happens with these young people who are
disabled,” said Durbin.
The bill includes language stating that participating private
schools must provide accommodations to students with
disabilities.
Durbin said the bill would siphon resources away from public
education. He questioned the quality of teachers in private
schools and the kind of curriculum offered there. Durbin also
criticized homeschooling and suggested that many parents who
homeschool their children might not really be educating them.
Shaka Rawls, Principal of Leo High School in Chicago, said
national school-choice legislation would help students in
disadvantaged communities.
“It would be life-changing for Leo and the work that we do. Our
mission is to provide quality post-secondary education for this
community,” Rawls told The Center Square.
Although tuition at Leo is $9,300, Rawls said the school’s cost
is about $15,200 per student. The principal said 80% to 90% of
that cost is raised through philanthropic organizations.
“If we can alleviate that, we can not only pool our resources to
help more students but also give students in disadvantaged
communities the opportunity to have a quality education that
prepares them for post-secondary success,” Rawls explained.
Located in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the city’s
South Side, Leo has reported 100% graduation rates for 13
consecutive years. The school’s attendance rate last year was
96%.
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