Chicago School Board Rejects Federal Scholarship Program

Resolution calls on governor to oppose diverting public funds to private schools.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 12:00am

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A dimly lit, textured oil painting of an empty school hallway with a single student's backpack left behind on a bench, conveying a sense of melancholy and the challenges facing public education.The Chicago school board's rejection of a federal scholarship program highlights the ongoing debate over the role of public funds in education.Chicago Today

The Chicago Board of Education has approved a resolution urging Governor JB Pritzker to reject the Trump administration's federal tax-credit scholarship program, which they say would divert public funds away from the city's public school system.

Why it matters

This move by the Chicago school board highlights the ongoing debate over school choice and the use of public funds for private education. Opponents argue that tax-credit scholarships undermine public education, while proponents say they provide families with more educational options.

The details

The resolution, approved on Wednesday, calls on Governor Pritzker to oppose the federal tax-credit scholarship program, which provides tax credits to individuals and businesses that donate to nonprofit scholarship funds. These funds can then be used by families to pay for private school tuition.

  • The Chicago Board of Education approved the resolution on April 9, 2026.

The players

Chicago Board of Education

The governing body of the Chicago public school system, which oversees the city's network of public schools.

Governor JB Pritzker

The current governor of Illinois, who the resolution calls on to reject the federal tax-credit scholarship program.

Trump administration

The previous presidential administration that implemented the federal tax-credit scholarship program, which is the focus of the Chicago school board's resolution.

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What they’re saying

“We must not allow public funds to be diverted away from our public schools, which serve the vast majority of Chicago's students.”

— Janice Jackson, Chicago Board of Education President

What’s next

Governor Pritzker will need to decide whether to accept or reject the Chicago school board's resolution regarding the federal tax-credit scholarship program.

The takeaway

This dispute over school choice and public funding highlights the ongoing tensions between advocates for public education and those who support expanding educational options through private school vouchers and tax-credit scholarships.