Indiana’s Voucher Program Best In The Country

More than 19,000 students in Indiana use vouchers to attend private school. This inclusion makes Indiana's program the best in the country.

Indiana’s school voucher program is the best in the country according to a report released Wednesday by the Center For Education Reform. In the report, Indiana ranked highest among the 15 states that have voucher programs.

Although Indiana’s voucher program is only three years old, enrollment has increased each year with more than 19,000 students currently receiving state money for private school tuition.

Kara Kerwin, President of the Center for Education Reform, says Indiana’s program is the most inclusive because it accepts any student who meets the financial requirement and not just those who come from failing schools.

Indiana Department of Education

Indiana's requirements for eligibility in the voucher program are some of the most inclusive in the country.

The report did criticize the state’s requirement to teach certain content if the school accepts vouchers.

“One size doesn’t fit all and so dictating the content is something we look at and say ‘hey maybe that’s just a little too much overreach into the private school sector,’” Kerwin said.

State superintendent Glenda Ritz opposes the voucher program, and earlier this year the Indiana Department of Education released a report saying the program cost the state $16 million, rather than saving it $4 million as in the previous two years.