By: Jennifer Willems - May 10, 2019 -
Featured Article
Invest in Kids Act, St. Mark School Peoria, tax credit scholarships
Paying a visit to Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria) on May 7 as part of the Save My Scholarship campaign are (from left) Bobby Sylvester, Empower Illinois' regional director working with Catholic schools in the Diocese of Peoria, and Dr. Noreen Dillon, principal, and Maria Carroll, parent, both of St. Mark School in Peoria. They are wearing the blue t-shirts with the logo for the campaign, which seeks to emphasize the importance of tax credit scholarships for nonpublic school families and the need to retain the program. (Provided photo)
Some things are so important that it takes more than a line item on a budget to understand their worth. Tuition tax credit scholarships for students in nonpublic schools are one of those things. As Gov. J.B. Pritzker prepares his first state budget, concern is growing that this program will be endangered due to a […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - February 4, 2019 -
News Article
Dr. Noreen Dillon, Invest in Kids Act, St. Mark School, tax credit scholarships
Dr. Noreen Dillon, principal of St. Mark School in Peoria, confers with Cachet Rodriguez, who is starting the application process for tax credit scholarships for St. Mark families who weren't able to come or didn't have access to the internet when the Empower Illinois portal went live on Jan. 15. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Many parents who send their children to Catholic schools have made sacrifices so that could happen. Cachét Rodriguez of Peoria is one of them. “Seeing what Catholic education is doing for my children as a whole, making them grow spiritually and as just good human beings, it’s very important for me to continue that tradition,” […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 21, 2018 -
Featured Article
Catholic schools, Invest in Illinois, Jerry Sanderson, Peoria Notre Dame, tax credit scholarships
Dr. Anthony Holter, executive director of Empower Illinois, gives an overview of the Invest in Kids Act during a workshop for Catholic school leaders on Nov. 15 at Peoria Notre Dame High School. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Committed to making the second year of the tax credit scholarship program better than the first year, leaders from Empower Illinois recently worked with Catholic school principals, pastors and teams from around the Diocese of Peoria to deepen their understanding of the Invest in Kids Act and help them brainstorm ways to spread the word […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - November 7, 2018 -
News Article
Anthony Holter, Empower Illinois, Invest in Kids Act, tax credit scholarships
(UPDATED Nov. 9, 2018, to reflect a change of location for the Nov. 15 training meeting from the Spalding Pastoral Center to Peoria Notre Dame.) The first year of tax credit scholarships awarded as part of the Invest in Kids Act is coming to an end, but the work is just beginning for schools, parents […]
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By: Jennifer Willems - February 7, 2018 -
Featured Article
Gov. Bruce Rauner, Invest in Kids Act, Jordan Catholic School, Rock Island, tax credit scholarships
Gov. Bruce Rauner gestures as he takes questions from students at Jordan Catholic School in Rock Island during a visit on Feb. 2. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
ROCK ISLAND — Before the Jordan Catholic School community wrapped up Catholic Schools Week, they received a special visit from Gov. Bruce Rauner, who thanked the teachers for their hard work and expressed his support for tax credit scholarships. The Invest in Kids Act, which he signed into law on Aug. 31, 2017, provides tax […]
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