The Chicago Board of Education wants Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reject a federal program offering donated money to students.

A new Chicago Board of Education resolution urges Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to reject a federal program that will provide donor money for students’ academic needs.

The measure passed 15-0 with three members abstaining.

Many on the board appeared to rely on the inaccurate claim that public money will be diverted for private education. But some seemed wary of blindly following the Chicago Teachers Union, which is less popular than ever.

Board member Jennifer Custer indicated she has seen a lot of community interest and that the feedback she’s heard is “50-50 for and against” the federal program.

Before the vote, board member Ellen Rosenfeld motioned to table the resolution indefinitely. While her motion was unsuccessful, Rosenfeld made clear she believed the issue belongs instead on the board’s legislative agenda.   

If the state opts into the program, thousands of K-12 Chicago Public School students could receive donor money for tutoring, test fees, career coaching, books and more.

The money would be donated by taxpayers, who would get a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit up to $1,700 each year. Any taxpayer can get the credit for a qualified contribution to a tax-exempt scholarship-granting organization.

That means the only cost to the federal government is minimal foregone income tax revenue. There is no cost to states, only the benefit of more help flowing directly to students.

If Pritzker does not opt Illinois into the program, residents will watch the money flow to other states.

Pritzker has until Jan. 1, 2027, to decide if over a million Illinois families and students will be able to access donated education money for their academic needs.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) — The body of a missing man was found in a retention pond Thursday in the northwest suburbs, police said.

Chopper 7 was over the scene at a retention pond at Higgins and Innovation Drive in Elk Grove Village, in front of a number of warehouses in the area.

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There was a large police presence there for multiple hours, surrounding the water.

Chopper 7 witnessed dive teams go in and out of the water, and there were paramedics on scene.

Elk Grove Police confirmed a male body was found in the water in the 700 block of Innovation Drive. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene.

Police identified the body as a missing 26-year-old man named Alexis Ramirez.

Ramirez had been missing since March 10. Elk Grove Police were searching the same area after Ramirez went missing after he was the sole occupant of a single-vehicle crash near Higgins and Brennan Boulevard, which is right by the pond he was found in on Thursday.

Police believe he walked away from that scene before officers arrived. At that time, the police search led to no one being found.

ABC7 spoke to the family of Ramirez on the scene Thursday, and they appeared very emotional.

Police say there is no evidence of foul play at this time as they send out their condolences to the family.

No further information was immediately available.

A busy stretch of I-64 in Illinois near St. Louis remains closed after a truck hit an overhead sign Wednesday night, with shocking photos showing beams of metal collapsed on the roadway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation posted about the closure, in St. Clair County, just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

“Heads up, Metro East travelers! Westbound I-64 approaching I-255 is currently closed due to a truck that hit a sign trust overnight,” IDOT said in a Facebook post. “Our crews are on it, working hard to get things cleared up and the road reopened ASAP. Expect major delays this morning, so if you can, try to steer clear of the area.”

According to the Illinois State Police, about 10:50 p.m., truck tractor semi trailer was in the construction zone on I-64 near Washington Park when it failed to lower its dump bed and struck the overhead road sign.

The structure holding the sign then failed and fell onto the roadway, ISP said. No injuries were reported.

Photos shared by IDOT showed the damage, with two giant green road signs over the interstate nearly touching the road, with the metal structure crushed and folded.

As of Thursday morning, all four westbound lanes remained closed due to the damage. Cleanup was expected to last for hours, with traffic diverted to IL 157, ISP said.