Illinois Taxpayers for Indiana Schools?
The federal program soon will let Americans get an Education Freedom Tax Credit of up to $1,700 for donating to scholarship organizations. “Illinois residents: Take Advantage of Indiana’s EFTC Program,” the billboard says. “Turn your donation into opportunity for students and a tax credit for you.” The sign shows two smiling students, framed against Lake Michigan, with the Chicago skyline behind them.
Sponsoring the ad is the Institute for Quality Education, based in Indianapolis, which plans to participate in the federal program as a scholarship granter. Luring donors from across the state line could be a windfall: Illinois residents are as eligible as anyone to take the federal tax credit, but they can’t make those donations to local scholarship groups as long as Mr. Pritzker refuses to opt in.
Signing up for the scholarships shouldn’t be a hard choice for states. Colorado’s Democratic Governor describes it as “free money.” Funds can be used at schools both public and private, including for tuition, tutoring, after-school programs, uniforms, or support services for students with disabilities. Yet Mr. Pritzker has dithered, not wanting to cross the teachers unions.
Leaders of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association signed a letter urging Democratic Governors to reject the federal program. Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, said accepting the scholarship money would “normalize a voucher scheme that Illinois has already rejected.” She means the state’s defunct Invest in Kids tax credit, which funded thousands of scholarships, and had a waiting list of more than 24,000 children, until Illinois Democrats killed it in 2023.
