January 23, 2026/

Illinois Quick Hits: End of tax credit causes another Catholic school to close

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Another Archdiocese of Chicago school has cited the end of Illinois’ Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program as a reason for closing at the end of the current school year.

The announcement by St. Jerome Catholic School on Thursday follows a similar message from St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy on Jan. 15. Pastors from both communities said government scholarships taken from Catholic schools were a factor in the closings.

Illinois’ scholarship tax credit program expired Dec. 31, 2023.

EMPLOYMENT FIGURES

The Illinois Department of Employment Security has announced that state’s unemployment rate was 4.6% in December, up 0.2 from November and down 0.3 from the same month one year ago. T

otal nonfarm payrolls increased 0.2% in December, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

TAX TIME

The Illinois Department of Revenue says it will begin accepting 2026 individual income tax returns Monday, the same day the Internal Revenue Service opens the federal filing season.

IDOR says people who file accurate returns electronically and select direct deposit typically receive their refunds in about four weeks. The deadline to file Illinois returns is April 15.

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