Southern Illinois News

Blaine Wilhour, House Representative of Illinois, said that Governor JB Pritzker ended a program providing scholarships to low-income students, thereby removing critical opportunities. The statement was made on X.

"Gov. Pritzker, spare us the lectures on helping poor students," said Blaine Jacob Wilhour, Illinois State Representative for 110th District. "You ended a program that gave 10,000 low-income kids a lifeline out of failing, unsafe schools—because you're a coward. These scholarships changed lives. YOU took them away. This article is trash. It defends a system that protects power, not kids."

Illinois' Invest in Kids Act, launched in 2017 to offer tax-credit scholarships to low-income students for private schools, concluded in January 2024 after the state legislature declined to renew it. This decision has sparked debate over school choice and public funding, according to Chalkbeat Chicago.

WBEZ reports that more than 9,600 low-income Illinois students received Invest in Kids scholarships during the 2022-2023 school year. However, over 9,000 students lost access to these scholarships when the program expired in 2024.

Chalkbeat Chicago notes that scholarship recipients in Illinois generally achieved higher graduation rates and academic growth compared to their low-income public school peers. However, early 2024 data indicate a risk of increased dropout rates and academic instability since the program's conclusion.

According to the Illinois General Assembly, Wilhour is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 110th district. He is also a farmer and business owner who prioritizes school choice and supports scholarship programs while opposing government overreach in education.