logo
Funding requests for high ability students, public schools dominate subcommittee budget talks

Funding requests for high ability students, public schools dominate subcommittee budget talks

Yahoo18-03-2025

A Senate school funding subcommittee heard multiple hours of testimony Monday amid ongoing lawmaker discussions around the next two-year state budget. (Getty Images)
Advocates for Indiana's high ability students descended on the Indiana Statehouse Monday to make their case for continued funding in the next state budget.
Since 2007, Indiana public school corporations — including charter schools — are required to identify high ability K-12 students and provide 'appropriately differentiated' curriculum and instruction in core language arts and math courses. Oftentimes, that means students compete coursework typically intended for higher grade levels.
Julie Klusas Gasper, executive director of the Indiana Association for the Gifted and Talented, told a Senate school funding subcommittee Monday that there are 130,000 'gifted and talented' students across the state.
She urged lawmakers to retain — not reduce — budget dollars for high ability grants, emphasizing that Indiana is one of only 15 states to fund high ability programming.
'We are the gold standard among state gifted programs,' Gasper said. 'Other states look to us as the example of how to do this.'
In 2007, lawmakers earmarked $12.7 million to the gifted and talented line item in the state budget. Gasper said that's equal to nearly $20 million in 2025. IDOE uses a formula to decide how many high ability grants go to each school.
Flash forward to 2023, the Indiana General Assembly allocated $15 million to the program.
Gov. Mike Braun proposed a reduction down to $13 million for the high ability line item in the next biennial budget, however. House Republicans upped the allocation back to $15 million, but it remains unclear what the opposing chamber will do.
Gasper called on Senate budget writers to keep funding at $15 million. She said those dollars are necessary for schools to carry out universal testing of students — all students are required by law to be evaluated for high ability performance — as well as for teachers' professional development and evaluations to ensure local high ability programs are effective.
Indiana college students who are studying to be teachers are not required to be trained for high ability instruction. Gasper said that increases the importance of grant dollars for 'both new and experienced teachers … to learn how to best instruct these students.'
'What we're doing in Indiana, it works — it's really working,' Gasper continued. 'This money is essential for these kids. It is critical. It is literally a lifeline for them, and this is the only money that's allocated (in the budget).'
Gasper further pointed to IDOE's Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard, which shows that 99.7% of Hoosier high ability students passed the I-READ as third grade students in 2018. The same year, 86.1% of non-high ability students passed the standardized test.
Strong results among the student group remained high in subsequent academic years; as of 2024, 99.3% of high ability students passed the I-READ, according to IDOE.
High ability high schoolers are also high performers. Per the GPS dashboard, 99.1% of high ability students successfully completed the Graduation Pathways.
High ability teachers, parents and students — many from the Perry Township district on the south side of Indianapolis — gave examples of specialized coursework and training that 'wouldn't be possible' if their schools didn't have access to extra state funding.
'Earlier in my career, about 20 years ago … I had no idea what I was doing. I thought they were the easy kids that just needed more work to be challenged. With my zero training, that was a complete disaster at the beginning of my high ability teaching,' said Nina Bowman, a language arts teacher for a high ability eighth graders at Perry Meridian Middle School.
I can now effectively support their need to organize this vast amount of thought swirling in their heads.
– Nina Bowman, a language arts teacher for a high ability eighth graders at Perry Meridian Middle School
'I quickly and desperately needed opportunities to grow, to figure out how to handle their incredibly complex needs. … The professional development that I've had through our high ability funding over the last 20 years has made me a much better teacher. And now that I have been able to do that, I can design curriculum that is not harder, but it's deeper and more complex and it is engaging,' she added. 'I can now effectively support their need to organize this vast amount of thought swirling in their heads.'
Adelynn Davis, a junior at Southport High School in Indianapolis who has participated in high ability programming since kindergarten, said the more rigorous workload 'has instilled time management, study skills and perseverance.' She now spends half of her school days at Central Night Career Center for pilot training.
'Taking advanced placement classes has given me confidence and made my career goal of becoming a pilot more attainable,' Davis said. 'In regards to time management, I've learned to balance my extracurriculars like sports, clubs and jobs with my studies. Since elementary school, with individualized assignments, I've been able to break assignments down into manageable steps — which keeps me focused and less likely to be overwhelmed.'
Although senators additionally set aside time for committee discussion on summer school funding, no one signed up to testify on the topic.
A mix of testimony from dozens of others largely centered around proposed budget splits between traditional public, charter and private voucher schools.
As the Senate takes its turn at the next two-year state budget, investment in K-12 public education is a focal point.
House Republicans opted to increase K-12 funding by 2% each year, but that boost includes dollars for fully funded virtual school students and additional money for 'school choice' vouchers.
Public school advocates say that the increase for traditional schools alone will be closer to just 1.3%.
Indiana bill to shift more dollars from traditional publics to charter schools earns Senate approval
'If you increase the foundation amount, that helps every school district … and can be used for all sorts of purposes,' said Denny Costerison, with the Indiana Association of School Business Officials. 'The foundation amount, for me, is the key. It is the funding base that will have for the next two years … and we hope that we can find some additional dollars to continue to put into there.'
DaLynn Jones, of Mishawaka, said 'public education wasn't the best choice' for her children. Without access to Indiana's robust private school voucher program — Choice Scholarships — 'affording private schooling seemed impossible.'
'Our children are our future. In my household, raising four young ladies while staying deeply rooted in our faith and confident in their identities is a top priority. Thanks to the voucher program, we can now make that a reality. My children are thriving in an environment that suits them best,' Jones said. 'I echo the concerns of hundreds of moms when I say they are struggling. They are struggling with their educational choices on how to best to provide for their children.'
As an 'Indiana Hoosier mama bear,' Jones asked lawmakers to green light the governor's proposal to make the near-universal voucher program available statewide.
Charter school representatives also continued their call for additional state dollars. Separate from the budget, a hotly-debated bill moving through the legislature would require all Indiana public school districts to share property tax dollars with charters in their attendance boundaries if 100 or more students leave the traditional district for brick-and-mortar charters.
Although virtual charters would not qualify under the latest draft of the bill, Indiana Connections Academy Executive Director Kelly Simone requested for the Senate's version of the budget to retain House-passed language providing 'funding parity' for online schools.
Indiana virtual school students receive the least amount of funding of all school options in Indiana, Simone said; for every dollar spent in support of traditional public schools, a student choosing a virtual school receives about 85 cents.
'The funding we receive through the state budget is critical to our survival. It is our only source of revenue. We do not receive, nor are we asking for local property tax — which in 2024, averaged to around $4,500 per student,' she continued. 'I can assure you that we use every dollar that we receive to provide necessary services to our students. Without adequate and equitable funding, how are we to implement the new graduation requirements? How are we to accommodate new legislation?'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What the 'Big, Beautiful' tax bill means for municipal bonds
What the 'Big, Beautiful' tax bill means for municipal bonds

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

What the 'Big, Beautiful' tax bill means for municipal bonds

JPMorgan raised its forecast for municipal bond sales in 2025 to $560 billion as US lawmakers deliberate over President Trump's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill in the Senate. Goldman Sachs Asset Management co-head of municipal fixed income Sylvia Yeh weighs in on what policy changes to the US tax code could mean for municipal bond investors, as well as valuation catalysts in comparison to Treasury yields (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX). Goldman Sachs manages several municipal bond ETFs (GMUB, GCAL, GMNY, GUMI). To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data

Meet the candidates in the runoff for the Board of Supervisors District 1 seat
Meet the candidates in the runoff for the Board of Supervisors District 1 seat

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Meet the candidates in the runoff for the Board of Supervisors District 1 seat

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two candidates remain in the special election race for the vacant seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors representing South County, and voting is already underway. The runoff for the empty District 1 seat, which was set after no candidate received enough votes to win outright earlier this year, pits two South Bay mayors against each other: Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and Chula Vista Mayor John McCann. Both are vying to serve the remainder of the term former Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas abruptly vacated in the weeks after winning re-election. D1 Special Election: What to know | The Candidates | How to vote | More Stories Moreover, the race is going to be decisive in shaping majority control of the technically nonpartisan body the next few years. Republicans have the opportunity with McCann to take back the reins just four years after Democrats became the majority party at the county. Ballots were distributed to registered voters in District 1 last Monday, June 3 with early voting beginning via mail and drop-box shortly after. In-person vote centers will begin opening up on Saturday, June 21, ahead of the final day to vote on Tuesday, July 1. For those looking for more information on the race for a seat on the Board of Supervisors, here is an introduction to both remaining candidates. The Board of Supervisors has a wide array of responsibilities in presiding over the county, spanning executive, legislative and judicial powers. Its primary duty is to set policies for most county departments, which largely encompass public health and safety, and unincorporated areas. The board can also direct litigation on behalf of the county, appoint people to certain roles and commissions, and approve contracts for services. Similarly to other legislative offices, voting is based on districts, meaning residents are only able to vote for the candidate hoping to represent their area. To find out which district you live in, the county has a map showing the supervisorial district boundaries available on its website. Here are the candidates, listed in alphabetical order by last name: Paloma Aguirre is the current mayor of Imperial Beach. Since assuming the role in 2022, the Democrat's public profile as grown significantly, specifically for her stalwart advocacy on the Tijuana River sewage crisis. A first-generation Mexican American, Aguirre was born in San Francisco before her family returned to Mexico. In 2001, she moved back to the U.S. to attend University of San Diego, receiving a B.A. in Psychology. She also holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. After graduating, she worked as a community organizer in south San Diego, focusing on issues tied to immigration, foreclosure and predatory lending. She also worked with the marine conservation nonprofit, WILDCOAST, before her election to Imperial Beach City Council. These issues that defined her pre-politics career are at the center of her campaign for higher office on the Board of Supervisors. Her priorities include addressing the sewage crisis, preventing rent gouging, bringing down homelessness, and 'holding the line on utility costs.' During a community forum earlier this year, Aguirre says she wants to work to ensure the county is carrying its weight on these issues, especially as it relates to the Tijuana River sewage crisis and homelessness. 'It's time we get our fair share from the county,' she said. According to her campaign, Aguirre has been endorsed by a number of major actors in local politics like the San Diego County Democratic Party, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, the Sierra Club, Equality California and a number of local union chapters. A coalition of several of these unions — like SEIU and the California Labor Federation AFL-CIO —have set up an independent political action committee in support of her campaign. County records show more than $590,000 has been raised by the PAC for outside spending, largely on mailers. Aguirre has also received a number of endorsements from elected officials, including: Senator Adam Schiff, Reps. Juan Vargas and Sara Jacobs, State Senator Steve Padilla, National City Mayor Ron Morrison, and San Diego County Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe and Terra Lawson Remer. Chula Vista City Councilmember Carolina Chavez, one of the other Democrats who ran for the District 1 seat, similarly endorsed her. John McCann is the current mayor of Chula Vista. The self-identified moderate Republican has been a fixture of Chula Vista local politics for more than two decades, having held various roles over the years since he first became an elected official in 2002. Born and raised in Chula Vista, McCann holds a bachelor's and master's in economics from San Diego State University. Prior to entering politics, McCann served in the U.S. Navy, deploying during the Iraq War. He also worked for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In a conversation with KUSI earlier this year, McCann touted his record throughout his tenure in Chula Vista city governance, describing his approach to issues like public safety, neighborhood improvements, traffic decongestion and small business growth as 'common sense.' Specifically, he points to the city's reduction in crime under changes to the police department like its new drone system and doubling of officer patrols, successes of its Homeless Outreach Team, and work to eventually remove the toll on State Route 125. Should be be elected to the District 1 seat, McCann says he would bring this pragmatic approach to the county, pursuing policies that expand wraparound services for unhoused people, tackle immigration, accelerate construction of for-sale, market-rate homes in unincorporated areas and steward its resources in a fiscally responsible way. 'We need to be able to look at what are important to us, preserve those, and look at other things that are 'nice to haves' and look at how we can cut those instead,' McCann said. McCann has been endorsed by a number of groups like the San Diego County Republican Party, Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Club of San Diego and the San Diego Association of Realtors, according to his campaign. He has also received the endorsement of a number of former and current elected officials, including Greg Cox, who held District 1 seat before Vargas; Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson; County Assessor Jordan Marks; and State Senator Brian Jones, among others. As far as outside spending goes, two independent political action committees have been set up to expressly support McCann's candidacy, county campaign finance records show. Collectively, these committees have raised over $456,500 with donations mostly coming from organizations in and around real estate spaces, like the Southern California Housing Association and Building Industry Association of San Diego County, as well as the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and California Alliance of Family Owned Businesses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

TN Republicans' bill would oust officials who release 'confidential' immigration enforcement details
TN Republicans' bill would oust officials who release 'confidential' immigration enforcement details

Yahoo

time42 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

TN Republicans' bill would oust officials who release 'confidential' immigration enforcement details

Top Tennessee Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill that would make it a felony and grounds for removal if public officials jeopardize the safety of federal law enforcement officers or disrupt federal immigration enforcement by revealing confidential operation details. The bill, filed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson on June 9, comes after a weeklong operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nashville in early May. The operation led to hundreds of traffic stops, in coordination with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and nearly 200 arrests. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has been under scrutiny from state and federal Republican leaders over his response to the arrests. During the operation, O'Connell updated an existing executive order that requires city departments to report communications with federal immigration officials to the mayor's office, tightening the timeline for those reports. Even in its original version, the executive order included a provision that those communications be posted online for transparency. When O'Connell's office posted that list in late May, it originally included the names of some officials who called. Those names have since been removed from the version of the spreadsheet posted online. During the sweeps in Nashville, O'Connell also repeatedly asked federal officials to release the names and charges of the people arrested, but to no avail. Some community members, meanwhile, were outspoken in their opposition to the operation. Immigrant rights groups and other Nashvillians showed up to protest at Nashville's ICE office not long after the sweeps began on May 4. That opposition extended to further protests several weeks later, an appearance from New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and a volunteer effort to monitor and verify ICE activity. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles and other D.C. Republicans have since called for a federal investigation into O'Connell, which was officially initiated on May 30. Meanwhile, Sexton called for O'Connell to rescind his executive order, saying it risks the safety of federal immigration agents. "The people of Tennessee expect their elected leaders to protect law enforcement — not endanger them," Johnson said in a June 9 news release. "When a public official like Mayor O'Connell chooses political activism over public safety, especially by interfering with federal immigration enforcement, he has no business holding office in this state." Johnson said he hopes the legislation "sends a message" to O'Connell and other "blue city" leaders that may act similarly. 'Mayor O'Connell's public refusal to rescind his executive order makes the need for this legislation unmistakably clear to prevent future political defiance that undermines the rule of law and puts law enforcement at risk,' Johnson said in the release. Sexton and Johnson did not provide any examples of O'Connell's interference with immigration enforcement operations. The bill would make it a Class E felony for state or local officials to "negligently release" information that identifies officers tasked with immigration enforcement and paves the way to oust those who violate the law, according to the release. Additionally, it expands provisions under the Tennessee Public Records Act to protect undercover officers and sensitive enforcement activity and beefs up penalties for unauthorized disclosures of protected law enforcement information. The bill is backed by top Senate Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Speaker Pro Tempore Ferrell Haile, Republican Caucus Chair Ken Yager and Finance Committee Chair Bo Watson. It is set to be taken up in the 2026 legislative session. O'Connell's office had not responded to The Tennessean's request for comment by 11 a.m. on June 10. The move by Tennessee Republicans comes a few days after U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, introduced legislation to make it illegal to 'dox' federal law enforcement officials. She said the bill is a direct response to the spreadsheet published by O'Connell's office detailing recent communications between city departments with federal immigration agents. Blackburn filed the Protecting Law Enforcement From Doxxing Act on June 4, explicitly naming O'Connell as the impetus. That bill would make it illegal to 'publish the name of a federal law enforcement officer with the intent to obstruct a criminal investigation or immigration operation.' An individual found guilty of doing so would face a fine and imprisonment of five years. In their joint news release on June 9, Sexton and Johnson praised Blackburn's efforts and say their proposed legislation complements her proposal. "Tennessee has always stood with law enforcement and we will not allow politically motivated actors to put officers' lives in danger simply to score political points with the far left," Sexton said in the release. "Tennessee will not become California, and Nashville will not become LA or San Francisco on our watch." Typically, "doxxing" refers to the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the internet, such as their home addresses, private contact information and names of family members. As for the public availability of law enforcement officers' names, they are not typically considered private information. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN bill would punish officials who reveal immigration enforcement details

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store