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High school should prepare students for life after graduation—whether that’s attending a 4-year university, enrolling in an apprenticeship program, or earning a credential through a community college. But we know that life after graduation is rarely linear for any of us and students’ post-graduation paths may take them in and out of the workplace as they pursue additional certifications or change industries.
Stand for Children IL PAC, a bipartisan state political action committee, released its endorsements for the 2026 Illinois legislative General Elections.
In 2027, a federal tax credit will take effect, allowing taxpayers across the U.S., including Illinois, to claim a tax credit of up to $1,700 for donating to student funding. IL taxpayers could have the potential to redirect up to $6 billion of their federal taxes from the IRS to student funding. But Illinois students will only be able to access those resources if the state “opts in” to the program. The decision to participate rests with Governor Pritzker.
August 2026 wrap up of the top issues, successes, and updates about Illinois education and children.
Earlier this summer, we began a fellowship for high school students to explore and learn about the impact of having access to career exploration programs in high school. Join us in congratulating our summer fellowship graduates!
Given that 90% of students attend public schools, statewide education advocates have a responsibility to try to design creative, innovative, values-based approaches to turn these funds into positive educational outcomes.
