Illinois lawmakers push bills that ‘threaten to eliminate’ charter schools in the state

Illinois lawmakers have introduced legislation that policy observers say could pave the way for the elimination of charter schools in the state.

Charter schools receive public funds like traditional public schools, but they are operated by independent, private boards. House Bill 1387, along with a similar bill introduced in the state’s Senate, would prohibit an organization that operates a private, religious, or child-care facility from operating a charter school.

The bills would also increase the regulatory landscape for charter schools – including dictating how the schools could spend funds – requiring that a charter school “shall spend no less than 90% of its budget on direct-service costs for students.” Currently, charter schools have the authority to be responsible for “the management and operation of its fiscal affairs.” 

The bill also begins “laying the groundwork for the eventual elimination of charter schools by creating a process for closing or consolidating charter schools,” according to the Illinois Policy Institute. That process, per the proposed legislation, would require a charter school to ensure that all students can enroll in the local public school and all teachers are guaranteed a job there before it could close.

“These legislative efforts are a direct challenge to educational choice and opportunity for Illinois’ most vulnerable students, and these bills threaten to eliminate a critical alternative for families seeking an education outside traditional public school systems,” Illinois Policy Institute policy analyst Hannah Schmid told The Lion in a statement. “Illinois lawmakers must reject these legislative efforts.”

Schmid said that the bills follow another recent attack on educational choice for low-income children in the state.

“The proposed legislation comes on the heels of the recently terminated Invest in Kids program, which previously allowed 15,000 low-income students to attend private schools,” she noted. “Now, charter schools – where 85% of students are from low-income backgrounds – face similar challenges.”  

State law already handicaps charter school growth by limiting charter schools to 120 statewide, and no more than 70 in Chicago, Schmid said. “The new bills would further constrain these educational alternatives, potentially reducing options for families in communities from East St. Louis to Rockford.” 

The sponsors of both the Senate and House versions of the legislation received thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU).  

“The Chicago Teachers Union has a documented history of opposing charter school expansion, using both legislative lobbying and contract negotiations to restrict these schools,” Schmid told The Lion, noting that in the past, the union has pushed for limits on charter school growth as well as barriers for new openings. “If CTU cared about giving low-income students the ability to enroll in a school which best fits their needs, much like the option afforded wealthier students who can financially access private education, they’d be working to expand this public charter school model throughout the city, instead of stifling it.” 

The Lion reached out to the CTU for comment on the proposed legislation. The union faced national backlash for its political contract demands, spending, and lobbying for lengthy school closures during the pandemic. In a recent poll of nearly 800 registered Chicago voters, 60% reported having a somewhat or strongly unfavorable view of the CTU.