Statehouse policy and politics
Funding for schools increases around 2% each year, with additional dollars in 2026 earmarked for an expansion of the school voucher program.
In addition to striking down the elective course requirement, Indiana lawmakers passed bills related to math instruction, sex ed, and partisan affiliations in school board races.
The bill allows school board candidates to choose a party affiliation or remain independent or nonpartisan in general elections. Indiana lawmakers had previously tried but failed to pass such legislation.
Lawmakers need to pass a budget and bills affecting property taxes and education before the end of the legislative session in April.
The legislation sparking a teacher rally at the statehouse would cut school district revenue by an estimated $744 million over the next three years.
A proposed property tax relief bill would also require school districts to share operating property tax revenue with charter schools, amounting to a roughly $744 million cut for districts statewide over the next three years.
The Senate’s budget proposal comes as lawmakers advance property tax reforms that could cut funding for many school districts.
State officials are collecting signatures from schools and districts to ensure they’re following a directive from the U.S. Department of Education.
Indiana school districts would share property taxes with charter schools and only hold referendums during general elections under newest property tax plan.
For years, state lawmakers have debated proposals to give candidates the option of choosing a political affiliation.
The author of the proposal said the requirements are a burden for teachers. Lawmakers also attempted to clarify language on when schools can charge fees for materials.
The proposal would establish an advisory group to draw up recommendations for sharing education resources. IPS has expressed concerns about the idea, but pro-charter school groups have backed it.
A bill moving forward in the statehouse would give Indiana school board candidates the option to declare a political party.
The accounts pay for high schoolers to learn about everything from aviation to HVAC directly from local employers. But it’s not easy to get basic information about the program.
The proposed state budget increases funding for virtual schools, but appears to undercount the number of online students who come from low-income backgrounds. Fixing that apparent error could increase virtual school spending still further.
As a bill requiring IPS to share property tax revenue advances, members of the public debated the extent to which different types of schools should receive funding.
House lawmakers have passed their proposed budget, which includes $9.6 billion in tuition support dollars that fund public schools and the private school voucher program.
A House bill would require new guidelines for teacher prep programs, and mandate that schools offer interventions to students struggling in math, among other changes.
Lawmakers discussed and in some cases advanced bills about sex ed, DEI, restrictions on history lessons, and chaplains in schools.
Officials say they want to pare down funding for some programs in order to increase support for both public schools and private school vouchers.