FREEPORT — It's been two weeks since the launch of the state’s new tax credit scholarship program for private schools and more than $41 million has been pledged.
Nearly $33.5 million of the contributions are in Cook County, which means the funds will go toward scholarships for students there.
In Region 2 — home to Winnebago, Boone and Stephenson counties — donations through Jan. 15 totaled nearly $5.3 million. Exactly what those donations will mean in terms of dollars for local students is not known at this time.
Despite the uncertainties, area private school leaders are celebrating the beginning of one of the most significant changes in education funding in the history of Illinois. Meanwhile, public school leaders are cautiously awaiting details on how the change will affect them and students.
Students like Valerie Eilers' kids.
The Eilers live in Freeport. Three of Valerie Eilers' four children go to Aquin Catholic Schools. The fourth has a brain injury and requires special services that he can only get at Freeport Public Schools, Eilers said.
Eilers will apply for the new Invest in Kids scholarships for her three children currently enrolled at Aquin. Getting even one would be a godsend.
"It would just be a great blessing financially for our family," Eilers said. "I couldn't be happier with these schools. The curriculum is great. The teachers are great, but it's going to be costly for us to have three in private school."
More than 100 families in the Freeport area send their kids to Aquin Catholic Schools. Many of them already receive financial assistance of some kind, said Superintendent Rosemarie Brubaker.
"Enrollment has been going down," Brubaker said. "Any new families we can bring in would be good. We're really looking for those families that value education. We want them to come in a get an excellent education."
Read: Invest in Kids frequently asked questions
Long time comingState lawmakers created Invest in Kids for families like the Eilers last fall.
The program allows for private and corporation donations of up to $100 million. The donated money will fund private school scholarships for families in financial need. In return, donors will receive an income tax credit worth 75 percent of their donations.
If Invest in Kids is fully funded, an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 private school scholarships will be awarded. At the same time, public schools across the state stand to lose anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 students and the per-pupil funding from the state that goes with them.
Champions of Invest in Kids are quick to point out that the $75 million in tax credits pale in comparison to the state's $11 billion annual price tag for K-12 public education.
"This is a good thing, but it’s not a windfall," said Don Gillingham, executive director of Rockford Lutheran School. "It's a victory for that family that was struggling to pay $5,000, and now they don't have to pay $5,000. I'm happy for that.
"Perhaps the most significant thing is that for the first time since 1888 when St. Paul's opened as the first Lutheran school in Rockford, the state of Illinois is saying what you are doing is important, and we should help. ... It's a long time coming."
Public school advocates are less supportive of the funding shift.
"Community members should have no doubt about the fact that tax credits are a form of public spending," said Paul Goddard, vice president of the Rockford Education Association, the Rockford teachers union representing about 2,000 public school educators. "What troubles me is that we have public funds escaping accountability of elected officials.
"People get to elect their school board members. That means something. School board members pay a great deal of attention to what their constituents believe and a community's priorities. When public funds are removed from accountability to elected officials, that connection is lost."
Freeport Superintendent Mike Schiffman said he and other public school leaders are in wait-and-see mode.
"We were promised that the program would not take away from funding for public education," Schiffman said. "Funding from the new evidence-based funding formula for public schools hasn't kicked in yet. I'm happy and proud of the work that was done there. I think a lot of public school leaders want to put their trust in the legislature and not be too critical right off the bat.
"I want to trust that this is going to work out for our students in the most need. ... We'll have to wait and see."
Read: How to apply
Transparency concernsBeth Heitkamp, assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Rockford, which includes Stephenson County, said she expects "hundreds" of families to apply for scholarships this month.
"The bill is to get kids a better education and give them a choice," she said. "The theory is their parents know what’s best for them, but they’re stuck. ... They cannot afford a private school education, and our financial aid can only go so far."
Public schools are required to serve all students, Rockford Superintendent Ehren Jarrett said. That includes special education students, students with socio-economic needs and those who can't speak English.
Private schools are not bound by law to serve all students, Jarrett said, which raises concerns about the kinds of students private schools are recruiting for these scholarships.
"My experience with school choice is that some of the neediest students do not receive good coaching and access to take advantage of the opportunity or are unable to take advantage of the opportunity," Jarrett said. He said he hopes private schools choose students who are "a true, representative sample of the students we serve in the community in terms of race and social and economic status and special needs.
"With these dollars come responsibilities," Jarrett said. "When you take public dollars, I think there’s a transparency that we, as taxpayers, have to carefully monitor."
Eyes on RockfordAs Invest in Kids rolls out across Illinois, backers and detractors admit most eyes will be on Chicago — where most students reside and most dollars have been raised.
Rockford will be second on many people's list of places to watch.
Rockford is just the kind of place where Invest in Kids could have a significant impact, said Myles Mendoza, director of Empower Illinois, one of several scholarship granting organizations that is working with private schools to register would-be scholarship recipients and work with the state to dole out funds.
Rockford has a large population of low-income students and several under-performing schools. According to the Illinois Report Card, a little more than half of the 28,300 students attending Rockford Public Schools are considered low-income.
While some scholarship granting organizations will start accepting applications from families this week, Empower has postponed its application day until Jan. 31. The goal is to do more outreach and resolve issues involving private school participation in the program.
"We want to serve the kids who are not being served currently," Mendoza said. "We need every last second we can to do everything we can to reach those parents."
Illinois state Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, opposed the program when it was added to last year's budget bill, and she's against it now.
Wallace, who is running for lieutenant governor with gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss, said the program will be repealed if she is elected.
"This is not a program that is going to help the students of my district," she said, "and it doesn't work for the better good of low-income students across Illinois either."
Corina Curry: 815-987-1371; ccurry@rrstar.com; @corinacurry