Benefit of Illinois Credit Misses Needy, Study Says

By John Gehring

An Illinois law that offers parents a tax credit for expenses at public and private schools has mainly helped middle and upper-income families, rather than the poorer families supporters of the program said it would benefit, a new report argues.

The report says the law actually has done little to help low-income families whose children attend public schools. It was released by the People for the American Way Foundation, the nonpartisan arm of the Washington-based liberal advocacy group People for the American Way.

During a time of shrinking state revenues, the law has diverted millions of dollars that could have gone to Illinois' struggling public school system, according to the report, "Misplaying the Angles: A Closer Look at the Illinois...