(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois lawmakers filed out of Springfield Thursday afternoon, shutting the door on legislative business for the rest of the year and that includes the Invest in Kids Act.
The state's Invest in Kids program gave scholarships to private schools through encouraging private donors with income tax credits, and it was used by more than 9,600 low- income students across the state.
That bill was never called and now the program, which is a 2017 initiative from former Republican governor Bruce Rauner, is set to expire on January 1.
Some called it a historic win for the fight against the privatization of public schools while school choice supporters said they will continue to push when the next legislative session begins in mid- January.
"It is also a win for the principle of the separation of church and state and for ensuring public dollars are not used to violate civil rights and are spent with the oversight, transparency and accountability that public spending should require," Illinois Families for Public Schools said in a statement.
"Public funds must be for public schools that serve all kids."
Republican state Rep. Blaine Wilhour supports the program, saying that "9,500 scholarships for some of the most least privileged students in the state of Illinois literally hangs in the balance."
"These are real kids. These are real families and their access to quality education is at risk," he added.
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