New Legislation Could Secure a College Education for All in Rockford

ROCKFORD - Many worry about paying for college, but that worry for many in Rockford might be a thing of the past.  A new state bill with local sponsors is attempting to make college free for every student in Rockford Public Schools.

The bill is entitled the Lincoln Promise Zone Act, HB 194, which sets up a location-based scholarship to send high schoolers to college for free.  HB 194 targets just three cities - Rockford, Aurora & East St. Louis.  The cities are targeted because of their high levels of poverty.  On Thursday, Springfield representatives passed the legislation 95 - 22.  Rep. John Cabello (R - 68^th District) was a co-sponsor of the bill along with Rep. Chuck Jefferson (D-67^th District).

"This is an excellent pilot program that I believe our community needs desperately," said Cabello.

After the senate passes the bill and the governor signs it, it will allow Rockford's city council to craft a program that will secure private funding and channel it into scholarships for students to attend Rock Valley College.  The same would work for the cities of Aurora and East St. Louis reciprocating to their local community college.  But RPS Assistant Superintendent, Matt Vosberg, says there are longer term goals for the program.

"Our goal would be four year school eventually," said Vosberg.

Vosberg has been working on the concept of a promise zone for a while, and says it should be an easy sell for the city.  He says other promise zones across the country have helped spur growth in growthless communities like Kalamazoo, Michigan, which saw its population boom after implementing a similar program in their community.

"This will bring in new families, college-minded families, spurring economic development, building new schools, selling more homes - all those things that come with a growing population," said Vosberg.

As the bill makes its way to the senate for approval, it has local support there too.  Sen. Steve Stadelman (D - 34^th District) is a co-sponsor of the senate bill.  He says he's confident the bill will pass in the senate and it will bring the benefits of the bill back to Rockford.

"This will ensure that students move beyond the high school diploma and receive those extra skills," said Stadelman

"Businesses will then be able to tap into a labor force that has those skills so they can acquire those new jobs." 

If the senate does pass the bill, it will move to Governor Quinn for signing.  After being signed into law, the program still has a way to go and must be crafted by city council with input from RPS Dist. 205.  They expect to start implementing the program in about two years.