South Cook News

Patricia Bonk, a candidate for State Representative in District 30, is taking aim at opponent State Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) for not committing to extending the Invest In Kids tax scholarship program, which is set to expire at the end of the year. In a Facebook video, Bonk emphasized the importance of Davis’ vote. 

The Invest In Kids program, providing scholarships for economically disadvantaged children, faced opposition from teachers’ unions and recently lost funding as the Illinois General Assembly concluded its session. 

“Every vote is critical, and Representative Davis’s vote might be the deciding vote,” Bonk said. “There are over 85 students in the 30th District receiving scholarships in four schools. Each of these students’ future is in jeopardy. As your representative in the 30th District I will fight to make sure that these children and all children do get a quality education that will assure a better future for them. So remember, this had election time, March 19th will be the primary. Have a good day.”

Bonk's statements reflect worries over the educational future of 9,600 economically disadvantaged children. These students are disproportionately low-income minorities in struggling school districts who rely on this program for access to quality education. Notably, State Rep. Adam Niemerg urged the House passionately to extend this scholarship program, underscoring the importance of maintaining these scholarships for deserving students.

However, despite support from Niemerg and others, House Speaker Chris Welch adjourned the session without addressing this bill. This makes Illinois unique as it's now the only state that has rolled back public funding dedicated to school choice. This decision led to criticism, particularly toward Welch, State Senate President Don Harmon, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker since all send their children to private schools while scrutinized for their stance on this issue, according to Prairie State Wire.

On a similar note following Invest in Kids' termination stands Illinois as it uniquely retracted public funding dedicated towards school choice creating debates on education funding priorities, according to Wirepoints.

Lastly, when considering views within the educational community, IFT President Dan Montgomery expressed strong support for ending Invest In Kids putting focus on prioritizing public education and resource distribution towards public schools. However, there was opposition met from teacher unions revealing division within the educational community over this issue, according to a report from Prairie State Wire.