Citing mental health impacts, Indiana legislators seek to limit social media use by children
Separate proposals would also restrict phones in schools and allow parents to set stronger filters on school-issued devices.
Education
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Notre Dame students helped prepare oral arguments for SCOTUS case
The students worked on the arguments as part of the university’s Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic.
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Law aims to help early readers
Proponents and critics of a new Indiana law crafted to boost reading proficiency at an early age agree on that basic principle.
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High Tech Crimes Units provide education and experience
The state’s efforts to combat high tech crimes brought Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council members, law enforcement and public officials together at Indiana State University earlier this month, as they heard about the recent successes of the state’s High Tech Crimes Units.
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Indiana schools respond to new law limiting cell phones in the classroom
Senate Bill 185, which became law on July 1, requires school corporations and charter schools to adopt a policy that prohibits students from using cellphones in the classroom. For students who haven’t known a world without the handheld device, the change is just that: a change, but one that many say is warranted and necessary for student learning and cooperation.
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Articles
Republican senators file bill to restore alumni-elected positions to IU’s board of trustees
Senate Bill 110 would revert the board’s makeup to what it looked like before the 2025 legislative session, with five governor-appointed members, three alumni-elected members and one student representative.
‘Classrooms to Courtrooms’ initiative brings judges to Arsenal Tech High School
Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Elizabeth Tavitas and Marion County Superior Court Judge Helen Marchal spoke to students as part of an initiative aimed at exposing high school students to different opportunities in the legal profession.
Trump administration seeks to move special education to different agency
Moving the program would not necessarily impact distribution of funding to the states. The money for the current school year has already been sent to states.
Indiana seeks federal waiver to streamline education funding, ‘align’ accountability
Indiana is asking the federal government for permission to overhaul how it spends and tracks billions in education aid — a request that Hoosier officials said would align the state’s accountability system with federal law and allow more freedom in how schools use their funds.
Judge issues nationwide block on policy that cuts off Head Start for people in US illegally
The change was part of a broader Trump administration effort to exclude people without legal status from accessing social services by making changes to federal eligibility rules.
Brad Boswell: Tackle school funding inequalities before other issues
While other policy changes may have merit or be necessary, there are some underlying truths about school funding inequalities that are preventing these policy changes from having their fully intended impact.
Federal funds for low-performing schools would be redirected under Indiana flexibility request
Indiana would redirect $25 million in annual federal school improvement funding away from low-performing schools under a state proposal for more flexibility in how it spends federal funds.
Lawsuit challenges restrictions on Head Start for kids in the US illegally
A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration’s restrictions.
Indiana’s universal school voucher system spotlighted at conservative policy conference
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston was among key panelists on Wednesday’s “school choice” education panel.
Indiana colleges cut hundreds of low-enrollment degree programs ahead of state mandate
Six of Indiana’s public colleges and universities are cutting or consolidating more than 400 academic degree programs ahead of a new state law that takes effect this week, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced Monday.
Indiana private school voucher spending tops $497M as enrollment slows
Participation in Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program grew by about 8.5% in the 2024-25 school year — marking a slowdown after record-setting enrollment growth in prior years.
Indiana schools get roadmap for K-12 policy changes following 2025 legislative session
A new academic year is still weeks away, but Indiana educators are already working to implement a slate of new laws passed during the 2025 legislative session.
Former Indiana virtual charter school official to plead guilty in $44M fraud case
Percy Clark, 82, of Carmel, who helped oversee Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy, admitted to participating in a plan to inflate student enrollment numbers to obtain tens of millions of dollars in state education funding.
Former Anderson University president joins Church Church Hittle + Antrim
John Pistole, former president of Anderson University, has joined Church Church Hittle + Antrim as a senior advisor in the firm’s Higher Education Practice Group.
Notre Dame connection may have led to Supreme Court deadlock in religious charter school case
Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself, possibly because of her connection to a Notre Dame law professor who advised the religious entity trying to establish the charter school.
Under new law, state needs to create high school workforce credential framework
In legislation newly signed into law, the state will bolster its efforts to build tailored career development pathways by creating a short-term credential framework to offer hands-on workforce opportunities.
Last-minute change removes requirement for Indiana schools to teach consent in sex education
A Republican senator detailed changes to a contentious sex education bill on Monday, including deletion of a proposed requirement for K-12 schools to teach about consent.
Trump—with Indiana Gov. Braun on hand—orders plan to dismantle the Education Department
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.
Kids’ disability rights cases stalled as Trump began to overhaul Education Department
It’s not unusual for new presidential administrations to freeze cases while they adjust priorities, but exceptions typically are made for urgent situations, such as a child’s immediate learning situation. The freeze on pending cases and Trump’s calls to dismantle the Department of Education altogether left many parents worrying about the federal government’s commitment to disabled students’ rights.