The Archdiocese of Chicago has announced the imminent closure of two long-standing Catholic schools in the city’s western suburbs, attributing their decline to the cessation of a crucial state-funded scholarship program. St. Frances of Rome School in Cicero and St. Odilo School in Berwyn, institutions woven into the fabric of their communities for nearly two centuries combined, will shut their doors come June, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Leaders from both schools lament the loss of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, suggesting a direct correlation between its expiration and their dire financial straits. Father Bartholomew Juncer, of St. Odilo, told WGN News, "More than half the students at our two schools rely on these scholarships. These are hardworking families who want a Catholic education for their children." The program's end left a substantial fiscal void, with over 160 students between the schools benefiting from the aid, WGN News reports.
The Invest in Kids Act, originally signed into law in 2017, offered a 75% tax credit for donations made to private school scholarships, capping individual contributions at $1 million and setting an annual credit ceiling of $75 million. Its termination has sparked contentious debates among state lawmakers, ultimately leading to a legislative impasse and the proposal's lapse. As a consequence, not only do St. Frances of Rome and St. Odilo face closure, but the future of numerous similar educational establishments hangs in balance, with over 5,000 low-income families across the Archdiocese impacted, the Chicago Tribune explains.
Despite democratic leaders presenting a compromise last fall, scaling the scholarship program back to $50 million annually, these proposals failed to gain traction in the legislature. The superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago school system, Greg Richmond, appealed to state legislators in vain, urging for an extension of the program to prevent further school closures, echoing sentiments across party lines about the program's impact on underprivileged families. "In this situation, trying to sustain four schools would have jeopardized all of them in the future," Richmond stated, as detailed by the Chicago Tribune.
Families from the affected institutions are being directed towards other archdiocesan schools in the vicinity, with hopes that their educational journey may continue uninterrupted. Meanwhile, Republican members of the Illinois legislature vow to attempt a revival of the scholarship program in the spring legislative session, yet for St. Frances of Rome and St. Odilo, any forthcoming aid measures are likely too little, too late, as per WGN News coverage.
