Please read the message below from Zach Wichmann of the Catholic Conference of Illinois.

I wanted to remind you all of the action alert I included in the April newsletter two weeks ago. ISBE and the Governor have proposed cutting the $12 million funding for the Parent/Guardian Transportation Reimbursement Program from the education budget. This program provides state reimbursements to parents to whom bus service is not available and therefore must drive their children to school. It is an important benefit that we have been trying to grow for some time and definitely do not want to see go away.

I am asking each of you to activate your school staff and parents to call and/or write your legislator and ask him or her to fight to restore this important funding. A sample letter with all the important details is attached and can be found on my web site: www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org. We need to act! There will be cuts in the budget this year, but we want to prevent this program from being one of the cuts!

If you do not know your legislator you can call our offices at 217-528-9200 or 312-368-1066 or visit the General Assembly's web site at www.ilga.gov and click on the Legislator Lookup link in the bottom right-hand portion of the home page.