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Indiana lawmakers are still considering education bills on charter schools, DEI and more

Today marks the deadline for bills to make it out of their Indiana House or Senate committees, but some bills that would change Indiana's education policies are already making their way through the legislative process. Other bills that received a large outcry at the beginning of the session — like HB 1136 and HB 1501 — and threatened to drastically change the Indianapolis Public Schools district appear to be dead this session. However, lawmakers can always add language to bills still moving through the process. Here is a look at some of the prominent bills dealing with education topics still moving through the legislature. Lead author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger What it does: The bill would require all traditional public school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, to share property tax revenue with charter schools in their attendance boundaries, if 100 or more kids leave the traditional district for charter schools. Status: The bill passed out of the Senate tax and fiscal policy committee by a 10-4 vote on Feb. 11. It now heads to the full Senate. More on SB 518: 'Gutting our community': Lawmakers advance bill that could close 20 schools, IPS says Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport What it does: The bill would allow public schools to hire or bring in on a volunteer basis religious chaplains, with an eye toward alleviating the burden on school counselors. Status: Passed the Senate on Feb. 11 by a 32-16 vote. More on SB 523: Indiana lawmakers revive bill to allow public schools to hire chaplains as councilors Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis What it does: The bill aims to loosen restrictions for Indiana schools and education systems, including by nixing the education credential requirement for the Indiana secretary of education, changing the timing of when teachers are paid and removing certain training and professional development requirements. Status: Passed the House by a 75-16 vote on Feb. 3. It now heads to the Senate. Lead author: Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland What it does: This is virtually the same bill lawmakers passed in 2022, which banned transgender girls from participating in girls' K-12 sports. This year's bill extends that ban to collegiate athletics. Status: The bill passed the House education committee 12-1 on Feb. 12 and has been sent to the full House. More on HB 1401: Indiana House committee OKs transgender college sports ban - with some Democrat support Lead authors: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville What it does: This bill bans all state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — from trainings to diverse hiring initiatives — at state agencies, educational institutions and health profession licensing boards. Status: The contents of this bill were amended into a different bill, Senate Bill 289, on the Senate floor on Feb. 4. That bill then passed the Senate on Feb. 6 by a 34-13 vote. More on DEI efforts: This anti-DEI bill is not law yet. State-funded colleges are ending programs already anyway Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis What it does: The bill prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student because they are chronically absent or habitually truant and expands the number of days for a school to hold an attendance conference about a student's absences from five days to 10. It also requires the Department of Education to establish best practices for student discipline on chronic absenteeism. Status: Passed the House unanimously on Jan 30. A bill that similarly addresses absenteeism, Senate Bill 482, passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 4. Lead Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne What it does: The bill restricts government entities, including school districts and the Indiana Department of Child Services, from intruding on parental rights or keeping information from parents, unless there is a compelling governmental interest. Status: Passed the Senate by a 44-5 vote on Jan. 27. It now heads to the House. Lead Author: Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville What it does: The bill would require candidates running in school board elections to start including party identifications next to their names on the ballots. Status: It passed the Senate elections committee on Feb. 10 on a 6-3 vote. It's now waiting on a third reading in the Senate. A similar bill in the House, HB 1230, was passed out of the House committee and is waiting on a second reading. More on SB 287: HSE, Carmel school board races were already political. This bill would add party affiliation Contact IndyStar K-12 education reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@ Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: These bills on Indiana's public education system are still moving