Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) said IDOE’s proposal does not address losses to traditional public schools through potential voucher increases, property tax caps and a proposal to share property tax dollars with charter schools.
(Brandon Smith)
The state’s two-year budget is now in the hands of Senate lawmakers, and the Indiana Department of Education outlined its funding priorities to the Senate Appropriations Committee. However, some lawmakers said IDOE’s plan does not go far enough to provide for traditional public schools.
The budget follows a similar process to any bill moving through the Indiana General Assembly. There are public hearings for public agencies and stakeholders to testify on the budget. The Senate Appropriations committee will unveil their own version of the proposed budget, which is incorporated as an amendment to HB 1001.
The budget will be tight and lawmakers have repeatedly said they must focus on their main priorities. For education, that means expanding to universal school vouchers.
Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner asked lawmakers for nearly $150 million for things like teacher recruitment, literacy initiatives and implementation tools for the state’s new high school diploma.
“We want to double down on what is working, what is showing return on investment. For example, the Indiana Literacy Cadre,” she said.
“I’m extremely concerned about the combination of the impact of these three bills on students,” he said.
Jenner said IDOE supports education “across the board” and will work with lawmakers to prioritize funding for all students.
The House and Senate must ultimately agree on the language of the final budget.
IDOE outlined its requests to Senate lawmakers in four main buckets:
1. Improve quality and raise academic standard
Invest in proven literacy initiatives Cost: $20 million in academic improvement initiatives
Outcome-based funding for educators moving the needle in literacy Cost: $10 million in academic improvement initiatives
Support growth in reading and math with initiatives like Summer Learning Labs Cost: $17.5 million in academic improvement initiatives
Expand ILEARN through-year pilot Cost: $11 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
2. Prepare students for success beyond high school
Increase college affordability, access and education attainment through Crossing the Finish Line initiative Cost: $2.5 million in academic improvement initiatives
Create and implement an interactive advising tool for new diploma Cost: $4.5 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
Align Academic Performance Grant with new diploma and incentivize honors and honors plus seals Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
Increase CSAs Cost: $11 million in state treasurer’s office budget Further considerations: Dual credit funding and performance-based incentive funding for universities
3. Strengthen teacher pipeline
Sustain educator supply and demand marketplace Cost: $4.26 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
Recruit teachers in high-needs areas Cost: $5.5 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
Reward high-performing teachers in high-needs areas Cost: $37.5 million in Teacher Incentivization/Appreciation Grants
4. Increase K-12 funding
Increase base teacher pay to $45,000 and requiring 65 percent of tuition support toward teacher compensation Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
Expand school choice Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
Increasing ESAs Cost: $25 million in state treasurer’s office budget
