Every School Approved For Indiana Voucher Program Is A Religious School

IU

Indiana's Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Bennett, a major proponent and main executor of the state's private and parochial voucher program.

80 schools have been cleared for participation in Indiana’s private and parochial school voucher program. So far, the participating schools are 100 percent parochial — 79 Christian schools, and one Islamic school.

The Indiana Department of Education released a list of the schools whose applications have been accepted to participate in what’s been widely called the most expansive private school voucher program in the country.

Another 20 schools or so have applied but have not yet been approved to participate, department spokesperson Alex Damron said Friday.

The department also released a document Friday afternoon giving preliminary estimates for how much tuition assistance families can expect, depending on which district from which they’re transferring.

Damron says students can begin applying next week, but he couldn’t be more specific about when the application process would officially open for the 7,500 vouchers available this year.

The voucher program has to survive a lawsuit from the Indiana State Teachers Assocation before it can be fully implemented.