Like many of my friends growing up, I assumed I would never return to Rockford after graduating from college. When my wife landed a job here, we thought it would be just for a short season. But that season has turned into a decade in which we’ve had children, become homeowners, and realized that we love Rockford and want to see it thrive. I know thousands of others in this city feel the same way. I’ve met them at Transform Rockford meetings, in my neighborhood, and at my church.
However, Rockford has struggled with core issues for decades, which have landed us on the wrong side of lists charting local economies, violence and schools. Fortunately, intentional efforts by individuals can help and are changing the culture of our city; additionally, creative policies and legislation may also address some of the deep-seated structural issues Rockford faces.
The state of Illinois is currently handing individuals and businesses in the Rockford region a golden opportunity to have an immediate positive impact on our community. The passage of the “Invest in Kids Act” allows Illinois children, who qualify financially, the option to apply for a scholarship of up to 100 percent of a private school’s tuition and fees over the next five years. The interest that Rockford’s families have shown in this program is overwhelming, and the amount of scholarships given to local families will only be limited by the funds available.
What sets this scholarship program up for success — and perhaps the beauty of this initiative — is that the money to fund it does not come directly from the state, but rather from donors who receive a 75 percent state tax credit for their donations. Individuals, S-Corps, LLC’s, and Trusts can direct their donation to be used for scholarships at specific schools, while donations from corporations to “Region 2” will be spread among schools in our area. The “Invest in Kids Act” lists the RPS 205 as a “focus district,” which means that because of low benchmarks, children who live in our district have priority status to receive scholarship funds.
There are undeniably many, many stories of successful students and teachers in the RPS 205 School District, and plenty of families are happy with their neighborhood school. The reality, though, is that more than half of District 205 students come from low-income families. There are many parents who believe their children would benefit from the unique educational culture and opportunities that we provide at Christian Life, but they have financial limitations.
In meetings over the past two weeks, I have spoken with more than 300 individuals who are thrilled with the prospect of their kids hopefully attending Christian Life, and I know we are not alone: Private schools across Rockford have been inundated with parents who want to take advantage of the opportunity this program offers. Thus, those who donate to the “Invest in Kids” program are allowing parents across all income levels the ability to decide the educational path they know is best for their child.
As a graduate of Christian Life myself, I am grateful for the lifelong value of a quality private school education and culture. I love that the “Invest in Kids Act” will allow even more children in our community the same opportunities and experiences that I had.
Donating to the “Invest in Kids” program is an immediate way local individuals and businesses can directly impact the lives of hundreds of students and set them on a path for success, thereby also sowing into the health of Rockford and its surrounding areas.
Michael Hoekstra is middle and high school principal at Christian Life Schools.