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.
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.
The Supreme Court appeared ready Wednesday to rule that religious schools can’t be excluded from a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education, a decision that could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money.
The Indiana Secured School Safety Board has approved more than $19 million in state grants, marking a third consecutive year the General Assembly has allocated funds for school safety investments.
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Friday that it will hear a case brought by families from Maine who want to use a state tuition program to send their children to religious schools.
Indiana lawmakers wrapped a legislative session conducted under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday with nearly unanimous backing of a more robust state budget than they had imagined a few months ago.
An extra $2 billion in revenue has led to new and “historic” investments in education, small businesses and broadband, Indiana legislative and executive leaders announced Tuesday.
A new state tax revenue forecast given to state legislators Thursday projects those collections going up by more than 4% in each of the next two years. That could mean about $2 billion more available for the new two-year state budget being completed by legislative negotiators after the last forecast in December projected growth between 2% and 3%.
Indiana officials have yet to describe any big plans for the influx of federal money expected from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that Congress approved this week.
As Indiana lawmakers prepare for the second half of the session, several key issues are awaiting further review.
The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is calling for lawmaker reprimands, implicit bias training and member safety measures in response to a heated Indiana House session last week that featured allegations of racism, on-the-floor boos and lawmaker confrontations in the halls and a restroom.
More than one-third of the proposed state funding hike for Indiana schools could go toward the state’s private school voucher program under a Republican-backed plan that could boost the program’s cost by nearly 50% over the next two years.
Nearly one-fifth of a proposed state funding hike for Indiana’s schools would go toward expanding private school voucher and virtual school programs under a budget plan Republican legislators released Thursday.
In a recorded State of the State address Tuesday night, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced plans for a regional investment program that would be similar to a popular initiative the Legislature chose two years ago not to keep funding.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s budget proposal for the next two years calls for increases to funding for K-12, higher education and broadband internet.
Indiana lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Monday for the start of a legislative session that will be conducted unlike any other before it.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he will try to increase funding for K-12 education in the state’s next two-year budget and, at a minimum, restore previous funding levels for higher education institutions.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has tapped his senior education adviser to serve as the state’s first secretary of education, marking the first time in more than a century the state schools superintendent position isn’t decided by voters.
The turmoil that Indiana schools have faced from the coronavirus pandemic will be a top concern of state legislators during their upcoming session, the leader of the Indiana House said ahead of lawmakers convening for Organization Day.
The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings of possible cuts from lawmakers last month.