Tremont Mail

Illinois State Senator Sally Turner, R-Beason

Senators Unveil Bill to Empower Parents and Improve Opportunities

A new package of legislation was unveiled last week aiming to help  Illinois parents not feel voiceless and in the dark when it comes to their children’s education.

State Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) says members of local school boards are held accountable to the families of their districts via elections. Despite the fact that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes decisions on rules and guidelines that affect all public schools, the State Board is made up entirely of members who have been appointed by the Governor.

To give parents a greater voice on statewide education decisions, the Senate Republicans have filed legislation to add five new elected positions to the State Board. These members, elected from each of the state’s five judicial districts, would be directly accountable to the parents and families who elect them.

Another component of the package is a bill to bring greater transparency to school curriculums. Under the legislation, schools would be required to publicly post on the district’s website, at least twice per year, all the learning materials and activities used for student instruction, as well as the policies and procedures for review and approval of the materials and activities. This would ensure that parents can find out what their children are being taught, so that they can work with their school board members regarding any concerns.

The Senators are also working to strengthen the “Invest in Kids” program, which helps disadvantaged students in struggling schools by offering them scholarships to private schools. The program is funded by private donations that qualify for state tax credits. The Senators identified two major issues with the program that create uncertainty for participating families, including a pending expiration for the entire system, along with concerns that students who receive a scholarship one year may not receive it the following year. The legislation eliminates the expiration date while creating an award preference for existing recipients.

The final piece of the legislative package, Senate Bill 4182, updates the Invest in Kids Program’s tax credit language to better align it with existing federal tax credits, allowing donors to maximize existing federal tax benefits while channeling more private funds into scholarships for under-privileged children.