Are you a member of Team ICNS? If not, the time to join is now. Whether you are a school leader, Board member, parent, grandparent, alumni, or even a student of a private school in Illinois – it will take all of us to regain the local control of our schools. We’ve witnessed more state involvement in recent years than ever before, and it’s time to unite our efforts. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and then be sure to register your school with ICNS. 

Our influence in Springfield is growing weaker, and it’s largely because our movement is not mobilized. We represent hundreds of communities and thousands of places of worship across our state, and 1 out of every 9 students in Illinois attends a private school. That’s a lot of voters! If we can coordinate our efforts and lock arms in our approach, Springfield will have to listen. We can have influence…we can have a seat at the table…and we can make a difference. But we can only achieve this together.

The impact of ICNS just in the last two years:

1. ICNS advocates to ensure and protect the right of nonpublic schools to convene in-person learning during the pandemic while following COVID safety guidelines.

2. ICNS continues its advocacy efforts for the equitable rights of nonpublic students regarding all CARES Act Funding (ESSERF, GEER, EANS, ARP).

3. ICNS informs its constituent nonpublic schools of information regarding how to apply for and receive federal and state funding, especially as new funding sources arise.

4. ICNS continues to support, protect, and improve the $100 million Invest in Kids Act which provides a Scholarship Tax Credit to parents of low and middle income students. This allows students to attend the school of their choice.   

5. ICNS has been involved in the ISBE School Recognition Program since its inception. ICNS advocates for nonpublic schools to meet annually with the ISBE Nonpublic Recognition Team to inform its schools of new requirements and to dialogue with the State on the effect of these requirements on nonpublic schools.

Please make ICNS membership a priority for your school. Of course there are plenty of differences even among our private schools, but we still have a lot in common. As private schools, we partner with the home! We respect and appreciate parental input and even view it as vital for the most successful outcomes in our schools. We actually thrive by working together in an era where parents are being pushed farther and farther away from their child’s education in too many schools.

In addition to membership fees, we rely heavily on donations to fund our cause. We need your help! If you are able and willing to support our cause, please make your donation here. As a 501c3 organization, all contributions are tax deductible. 

Thank you for joining the Coalition – Team ICNS!