78 Comments - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:29 pm: Also of note, IPI (aka the Governor’s Office) is backing the idea of leaving the current education funding model in place so schools can open, and deabte SB1 without holding kids hostage https://twitter.com/ilpoliski/status/892796210498633729 - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:31 pm: Also, I’m kind of surprised there’s only one Fenwick alum currently in the GA. - Morty - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:33 pm: Given the quality of our legislators (on both sides of the aisle), is the fact that many of them went to private schools a good thing? Just saying - Perrid - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:34 pm: Unless they fund it REALLY well, private/parochial/charter schools will never be open to the really poor kids, and so taking money away from public schools - even in the very indirect way that they suggest, lessening tax dollars - seems irresponsible, maybe even selfish. - Aon221 - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:35 pm: Why not a 100 percent tax credit for donations to established school foundations and let them decide how to spend the dollars? This would allow the average person instead of the 1.4% to get an equitable tax deduction. Might want to consider a cap on the total amount that could be deducted though. I could easily see Mr. and Dr. Rauner really maxing out on that deduction. https://www.schoolfoundations.org/illinois - Elliott Ness - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:36 pm: Hopefully people see that this attempt to create a “Hope” or “opportunity” tax credit-voucher program doesn’t have legs unless it is tied to something else. This is a major pubic policy decision that deserves a ful hearing on the topic of voucher, charters, public money to private profits and not as a last minute addition to the funding discussion. The fact that this attempt is taking place reveals the desperation of those supporting this idea because it lacks any credibility as a single issue bill. - Moe Berg - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:37 pm: Well, despite sending their kids to private schools, Raoul and Cassidy aren’t demanding some special tax benefit for themselves or for people who donate money to private schools. So, that’s not really a gotcha. And, while Proft asserts that Raoul and Cassidy “argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools” he cites no example of them making this argument. Raoul and Cassidy know that many of their constituents have no choice in the matter, and that’s why the senator and rep are advocates for providing CPS the resources it needs to help meet the special challenges of an approximately 90% in-poverty school population. There’s no hypocrisy in wanting the best for your own kids and doing everything you can to try and improve the schools that other people’s kids attend. Typically shallow writing from an enterprise who’s whole economic existence depends on right wing welfare handouts. - Atsui shin - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:37 pm: If given the choice, most people in Chicago would send their kids to private school. I don’t blame rauol or Cassidy or rahm. their doing what is best for their kids. - hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:38 pm: This list just makes me want to elect more public school alums as legislators. And is this really the smart time to make this push? Rauner just vetoed funding for every public school in the state and he and his allies are pushing for a huge influx of tax dollars into private school endowments? - Elliott Ness - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:38 pm: Anon221- Great point, tax credits for donations to public schools if they are to become public policy for private schools. - Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:40 pm: ==Both Chicago elected officials argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools== They do? I’d love to see the quote where they “argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools.” The reality is that they support the universal availability of a publicly funded, public education in public schools. That’s it. If someone wants to pay to send their kids to a private school. Go for it! - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:41 pm: Meh, why doesn’t Proft just sweet talk his sugar daddies to up his allowance before he goes to the public trough for private purposes? Uiehlein, Griff and Rauner could cover $100M no problemo. I kid. The politics is to pick off Independent and Dem-leaning Catholics with the offer of free stuff. Tax credits is probably an easier sell than vouchers. It should be noted that the last voucher bill, sponsored by Dems in the House and Senate, largely failed due to Downstate GOP opposition. - 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:43 pm: Maybe Proft can answer this. Article X, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution is below. How is the tax credit legal? SECTION 3. PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES FORBIDDEN Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation or pay from any public fund whatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money, or other personal property ever be made by the State, or any such public corporation, to any church, or for any sectarian purpose. (Source: Illinois Constitution.) - Enviro - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:44 pm: Does the $100 million come from the money that would not be given to CPS students? - walker - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:46 pm: Obviously a “bailout” of Chicago area Catholic schools. /s - Ginhouse Tommy - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:46 pm: It helps if you have the money to attend a private school. More discipline, more accountability from students. Better education. I served 12 years in Catholic incarceration so I know. Most of those on the list probably came from connected and/or well to do families. Not complaining, just saying. - hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:48 pm: Also what about a tax credit to fund public schools beyond property taxes? In the past five years, my hometown public school district had to solicit six-figures in donations from community residents to stay open and not have to consolidate. The donors didn’t get a credit and that was for a public school. - Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:49 pm: Some legislators attended private school, so taxpayers should fund private school. Sound logic. - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:50 pm: Supreme Court seemingly just ruled strictly applying that part of the Illinois Constitution to be a violation of the US Constitution in the Missouri playground case. - Free Set of Steak Knives - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:51 pm: Diverting $100 million from the budget to private schools when you cannot fund the programs you already have is not going to sit well with the public. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:52 pm: Wondering where these schools are? https://www.privateschoolreview.com/illinois - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:54 pm: My kids are out of K-12, but if this is going forward, how’s about a tax credit for the loads of fees most public schools charge for every little thing? That might move the ball a little closer to that “free” K-12 education the state Constitution requires. - Ed Equity - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:56 pm: For how many years have charters been decimating public schools? Guess what, they’ve been decimating Catholic schools too. It’s about time that Catholic schools got a leg to stand on. Charters are already a giant part of SB1, why charters over longstanding community anchors like Catholic schools?? - Sox Fan - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:56 pm: ===If given the choice, most people in Chicago would send their kids to private school. I don’t blame rauol or Cassidy or rahm. their doing what is best for their kids.=== If given the choice, I think my parents would have rather had a good public school for me and my brothers/sisters to attend than spend the extra money for Catholic school. Fortunately they were (barely) able to afford to send us to Catholic school. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:56 pm: Grand Avenue- The Missouri ruling was very narrow. From the STL Today: Melissa Randol, executive director of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, said the ruling was “quite narrow and does not address the issue of school vouchers or the constitutionality of the provision in the Missouri Constitution that prohibits the expenditure of taxpayer dollars for private schools that are not accountable to the public for student achievement or how tax dollars are spent. Nothing in the ruling changes that prohibition.” https://tinyurl.com/y74qlck5 - Spiritualized - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:57 pm: Wordslinger - it already exists. The Education Expense credit allows parents to deduct public school fees from their state taxes. After a parent pays $250, they can deduct up to 25% of their remaining public school expenses, up to $750 total. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:57 pm: –Some legislators attended private school, so taxpayers should fund private school. Sound logic.– LOL. Citizen Rauner blew off New Trier and sent his kid to CPS. Ergo-hocus-pocus-dominocus, CPS should get more dough. - Lester Holt's Mustache - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:58 pm: Let me get this straight - Millionaires in Illinois want a 100% tax write off for their own philanthropy? We can’t get the millionaire tax surcharge that over 60% of us voted for, and now we have to provide incentives for them to donate money for school kids as well? Wtf is that? If you believe in private schools so much, why do you need taxpayers to offset the cost of donating money to their scholarship funds? Bruce and his wealthy buddies don’t want taxpayer money going to pay pensions of any kind, they apparently don’t like taxpayer money going to CPS, had no problem holding taxpayer dollars for MAP grants hostage, but taxpayer money offsetting 100% of donations by the wealthy is A-OK. Not for the parents spending money to send their kids to private school, no no no, just for those of us rich enough to be able to donate. Absurd - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 12:59 pm: I agree that it was narrow and does not apply to tuition (yet), but it is obvious that one can’t interpret that passage any more to say that no state money can be given to a religious school for any purpose (which is what the clear language appears to say). - Texas Red - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:00 pm: What is missing here is that many individuals and perhaps some of the legislators on the list send their kids to a catholic school for purely faith based reasons, rather than the avoidance of an issues that may be at the public schools. No hypocrisy in that just freedom to worship (or not worship) as one likes. - Looksie - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:00 pm: Good one, Rich. Proft’s “newspaper empire.” LOL. That’s the best one I’ve heard today. - Winnin' - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:01 pm: Hustlin’ for tax dollars — the American way. These guys should never again criticize organizations that pass special legislation that creates tax benefits for their organizations. “Where’s mine?” - Grand Avenue - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:02 pm: The strict interpretation of “nor shall any grant or donation of land, money, or other personal property ever be made by the State, or any such public corporation, to any church” obviously no longer applies either - those entities need to be treated the same as others when being considered for funding for nonsectarian projects (like a playground). Plus, obviously, Loyola & DePaul get MAP grants, so I don’t know how strictly it was applied to begin with. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:03 pm: Spiritulalized, the max credit is $500. But you still have to eat that first $250 for your “free” public education. - Gooner - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:03 pm: Listing the schools of the kids of State Reps and State Senators? Wow, that really crosses a line. Proft owes an apology to Kelly and Kwame for publicizing that information. After they graduate? Maybe. While they are attending? No way. The public does not need to know. - Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:05 pm: I support per student vouchers similar to the GI Bill, controlled by the parent or legal guardian. Payments could go to any accredited school or home study program. Funding would be by a 2% income tax surcharge on incomes over $100,000 per year (threshold is negotiable). There would be a maintenance of effort clause for state, but not local, funding. Otherwise state legislators will divert the money. And yes this will require a Constitutional Amendment put on the ballot by the GA. The idea is to marry vouchers to a progressive income tax so the right and left can both support it. It frees up local property tax money for possible reductions. - Lester Holt's Mustache - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:09 pm: == The Education Expense credit allows parents to deduct public school fees from their state taxes. After a parent pays $250, they can deduct up to 25% of their remaining public school expenses, up to $750 total.== That’s great, but this idea is to deduct 100%, apparently up to $100 million. How about we let parents of all kids at all Illinois schools deduct 100% of school expenses, and let the rich deduct 25% after donating $2500 up to $7500 or $10,000? Sorry to butt into your conversation but this really grinds my gears. - Robert J Hironimus-Wendt - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:11 pm: Allowing the affluent to withdrawn $100 M of their tax burden from the state treasury and direct it toward the tuition revenues of private schools is a form of class warfare, is it not? - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:12 pm: Amazing how many Catholics listed here voted for taxpayer funded abortion on demand - Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:13 pm: Spiritulized is talkin fees, and Proft is talkin donations. The former is demanded by the district and the latter is voluntary (and uncapped). - Roman - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:13 pm: News flash: a large potion of Catholics attended Catholic school. Who knew? This is groundbreaking journalism. - Spiritualized - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:14 pm: Wordslinger - it was increased to $750 in the most recent budget. - anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:15 pm: No one other than the people on this thread are reading this story from Proft’s political mailers. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:18 pm: Everybody realizes that this isn’t a tax credit for parents paying private school tuition, correct? This is a credit for those who donate for scholarships so a deserving young running back from Englewood who can run a 4.4 forty can attend Mt. Carmel or St. Rita. - Ed Equity - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:18 pm: Last Bull Moose, don’t forget about First Lady Diana Rauner’s voucher program for pre-k which goes to mostly religious schools. - Gooner - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:18 pm: Regarding the merits. My kids go to a private school. I may write a check for that school’s scholarship fund on top of the tuition we pay. Nonetheless, I still want to see public schools thrive. I still want my tax dollars going to improve public schools. There is no magic to private schools. Some are very good and some are not very good. There is no guaranty that writing a check to a private school improves education in Illinois. However, in contrast, I know that public schools are underfunded and as such, I know my tax dollars will improve education in this state. - Anon414 - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:19 pm: This is obviously an attempt to shame mostly Catholic legislators into voting for the scholarship tax credit. But here’s the problem for Rauner iand the archdiocese: very few of the legislators mentioned middle class constituents will benefit from the program. The wealthy will get the tax breaks, the poor will get the scholarships. Don’t see many rank and file catholic parishioners pressuring their legislators to vote for this. - Dr X - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:23 pm: Well you see, the 100 million will create future job creators and then the lower taxes will allow them to invest in foreign labor and then…..ooops - X-prof - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:24 pm: Hmm. Given the current exodus from the GA and its long-term disfunction, is membership in the IL GA still a good metric for the kind of success we wish for our children? I wish it were, but … - Ed Equity - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:30 pm: If you look under the belly of the beast you’ll see many parents, like those referenced here, who enroll their kids in private schools want out of the public system. Underlying that is they want to keep their system exclusive and keep poor kids out. Do you want to keep these schools unaccessible? - Will B. - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:31 pm: I don’t mind that Sen. Neil Anderson sends his kids to private school. What irks me is that he sends them across the river to Davenport, Iowa to school when there are plenty of good private schools in Illinois. - Ghost - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:34 pm: Whats left out is that the lids who meed special education and other services are not the ones typically going to private school. kind of like an insurance pool the kids who dont need extra services help off set the cost. if you peep away mostly kids who dont need extra services then the cost per student of public schools goes way up. like an insurance pool with just people who need costly medical services. this would require raising taxes to fund the higher school cost. so basically its oenny wise pound foolish as you just increase education costs - Robert J Hironimus-Wendt - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:39 pm: @ last bull moose - I appreciate your argument for vouchers, although I disagree with it. I published a brief essay a while back, explaining why the mathematics of vouchers does not work. If you are interested, I think this link will take you to it. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/016059760102500208?journalCode=hasa - Ahoy! - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:43 pm: –Both Chicago elected officials argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools, while simultaneously avoiding the schools themselves. – Well yes, they send their kids to private institutions but they get their money from the teachers unions… - Rod - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:47 pm: Representative Kelly Cassidy who lives not far from my own home is very nervous about her own children’s safety and has in speeches on the floor mentioned she worries about her children in relationship to gun violence in her community which does include part of Uptown. I am not sure having them attend FW Parker does anything to mollify those fears. I have never heard her urge parents to send their children to CPS schools, but she none the less does present herself as a friend of the CPS schools in her own community. As has been pointed out there are many public officials who send their children to private schools, I believe Mr. Claypool the CPS CEO did in the past, and numerous CPS teachers also send their own children to private schools in the City. On the other hand the Governor enrolled his daughter Walter Payton a CPS school and got criticized when he used his influence to make that happen. - RNUG - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:52 pm: == Unless they fund it REALLY well, private/parochial/charter schools will never be open to the really poor kids, == == It helps if you have the money to attend a private school. == Like some others here, I attended Catholic schools. There was always a small scholarship program in our parish. Back in the day, poor kids also attended; their parents paid what they could. If they were really poor and couldn’t hardly pay, sometimes the elementary school kids had jobs at the school, like working the cafeteria over lunch hour or some after school clean-up work. Could only help a couple of lids that way, but they did help. Can’t speak to if or how they do it today. Seems a different mindset from the people running them now. - illini dem - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 1:55 pm: Typically someone in K-12 have no choice in where they go to school. I don’t think its fair to compare where an elected went to high school to make the point they want to make, now where an elected sends their kids to school is fair game. - RNUG - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:00 pm: == Note the number of Catholic schools on this list. == It’s a running joke that Springfield is partially run by the “Griffin Mafia” (reference to the former boy’s Catholic high school). - notsosure - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:06 pm: Color me cynical, but how will these “scholarship funds” be set up? I can imagine all sorts of issues: who decides how to allocate the $20 million in tax breaks? who decides who gets the scholarship $? what % of the donations will go to pay staff salaries? Maybe we’d be better off if each legislator just picks 2 kids to get a state-funded scholarship. - Austin Blvd - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:08 pm: Word is that the Sfld Diocese has signed on to the proposal, but will accept funding from only those who repent. - George - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:12 pm: The whole premise of this is flawed. Essentially these guys are saying public schools suck, so people should be able to get tax credits to go to private schools. Well, if that’s the case, then just fix the damn public schools. But Proft et al’s solution is to take money away from public schools? This isn’t about children, it’s about weakening the teachers unions. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:48 pm: “It’s a running joke that Springfield is partially run by the “Griffin Mafia” (reference to the former boy’s Catholic high school).” Now it’s just called the Springfield Catholic Mafia (and since Griffin merged with its sister school, it’s called Sacred Heart-Griffin). - Ghost - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:57 pm: RNUG whats interesting is in spfld catholic schools used to have two rates. one for catholics which was lower with the local parish kicking in money and one for non cstholics who paid the full cost. they have been moving to a single fee for all relfexting the total cost as the parish kick in has declined. also decline in enrollment. This locslly seems to be driven in part by the need to reverse declining enrollment as the schools are private schools slowly going out of business. - A guy - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 2:59 pm: ==This is a credit for those who donate for scholarships so a deserving young running back from Englewood who can run a 4.4 forty can attend Mt. Carmel or St. Rita.== Who said anything about St. Rita?? lol - A guy - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:03 pm: Not sure, but this list seems to not include Leader Durkin, who, I thought I’d heard was among the Fenwick caucus. - Obamas Puppy - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:08 pm: When in doubt give tax breaks to the rich, same playbook every time. So no help for biggest SD in the state with huge debt and predominantly brown kids but find $100 million for a tax shelter…no problem! - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:12 pm: Dan Proft and the fake news empire he controls should be ashamed of themselves. It serves no public interest to publish the names of the schools that Kelly and Kwame send their kids to. None. It is intended to create envy and divisions because they go to nice private schools. If the charge was hypocrisy, then say private schools. But that’s clearly only part of the intent. But since Dan has no shame and no capability of self-reflection, this will undoubtedly fall on deaf ears. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:37 pm: A tax CREDIT!?!!? That’s unbelievably sick. “Screw healthcare and roads, I want 100% of my tax dollars to be used to emblazon my family name on a scholarship.” What a wild con. No wonder “shaming” legislators is the only way to push it. To me, that list just looks like people whose bright ideas about teacher pensions might best be viewed with a gimlet eye. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:38 pm: stuck in moderation - RNUG - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 3:53 pm: - Nick Name - @ 2:48pm I know. I’m old school, it’s still “Griffin Mafia” to me … even if a few of the gals from Sacred Heart are part of the “Mafia”. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 4:20 pm: ===No one other than the people on this thread are reading this story=== Wanna bet? - JoeMaddon - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 4:48 pm: 1) Children should be off limited. Period. 2) **On the other hand the Governor enrolled his daughter Walter Payton a CPS school and got criticized when he used his influence to make that happen.** You forgot to mention that part where Governor Rauner and his kid didn’t even live in Chicago. - Ed Equity - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 5:02 pm: Joe Maddon, it sounds like kids are off limits unless it advances your case. When legislators live in a different world outside of the policies they create it is hard for them to really understand what, in this case parents, experience. Just as they could not send their own children to schools that often don’t allow kids to gain basic proficiency, much less foster the talents of those with much more capacity that I am sure these legislators children foster, how could we ask parents they represent to do the same? I think it is not fair to bring the kids behavior or names into stories, but certainly the decision making that the parents make is fair game. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 5:53 pm: Nick and RNUG, I prefer the old-school “Griffin Mafia.” Keeps folks like AA who didn’t grow up in SPI from being profiled lol. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Aug 2, 17 @ 10:27 pm: @2:12pm: = But Proft et al’s solution is to take money away from public schools? This isn’t about children, it’s about weakening the teachers unions. = That, plus the billions in profits to be made from privatizing education in this state/country. - Anon - Thursday, Aug 3, 17 @ 12:42 am: As a point of order, Proft put McAuliffe’s alma mater in the wrong town; Holy Cross High School was in River Grove. That’s just sloppy, Dan. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Aug 3, 17 @ 8:26 am: So if this passes and the money doesn’t go to the state, and the state is short money does our taxes go up again? Can I write off 100% of my Illinois state taxes and send it to a scholarship for my union’s school? I’m sure Profit would love that. What happens if there is more scholarship money than youngsters to use it? Does it go back to the general fund? - Ed Equity - Thursday, Aug 3, 17 @ 10:23 am: Da Big Bad Wolf, yes you could donate your tax liability to the non-profit that provides scholarships for your union’s school…..this is not anti union, this is about providing funding for scholarships to kids who cant afford the options. Many of these schools got decimated by charter schools and this provides a needed incentive to keep these options open when kids don’t have good local traditional schools. Remember that SB1 has a big piece of charter funding in it…..that will only further hurt local private schools, this will at least provide them a leg to stand on. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.