One non-public school committed to keeping students in the classroom

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Nearly a year after a statewide grant program ended, families are still feeling the burden.

Lawmakers let the Invest in Kids grant program expire last year.

The program allowed low-income students to attend schools that best suited their needs.

Without that grant, many families and non-public schools are struggling.

One of those non-public schools is St. Patrick’s in Springfield.

Now the Catholic school is looking for ways to keep their children in class.

“My granddaughter didn’t want to change schools, she liked the small environment here,” said Yolanda Jones, a grandparent at St. Patrick’s.

Many families were left in dire straits after the Invest in Kids grant program ended in the state of Illinois.

Scholarship money that allowed families to send them to non-public schools.

“She didn’t want to change, so Grandma actually did her best and tried to help my son and his family to make sure she could continue her education,” Jones said.

In 2023, more than 9,500 students across Illinois relied on the scholarship to attend the school of their choice.

That applies to every student from kindergarten through fifth grade at St. Patrick’s.

To keep those children engaged, St. Patrick’s offered parents affordable tuition this year.

“This allowed the school to continue last year’s success without missing a beat,” said Michael Carlson, principal of St. Patrick’s. “Nobody turned away for financial reasons.”

While this helps, families may still have to make major adjustments after losing Invest in Kids grants.

“You may have to make some major income adjustments,” Jones said. “I know a few families who have taken on second jobs because they didn’t want to take their children out of the program.”

So students like Aiden and Naomi, Grade 4 students at St. Patrick’s, can continue their education in an environment that sets them up for success.

“The community is strong and everyone here is respectful and everyone is kind to each other,” Naomi said.

“The best thing about coming to St. Pat’s is seeing this school without being bullied,” Aiden said.

Jones also added that some children cannot learn in an environment of 40 children, and that St. Patrick’s offers smaller learning environments to help students succeed.

St. Pat’s offers four different plans to each family, and they get to choose which one they can afford.

St. Patrick’s can pay up to 90% of tuition, with the help of individuals from the community.

St. Patrick’s will host a radiothon on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. to help find donors for the program.