Latest news with #LindaRogers
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Strengthening Indiana's teaching profession
School choice bill amended but passes; plus financial literacy and graduation waivers addressed. (Getty Images) Indiana's teachers dedicate their lives to shaping the future of our state. They work long hours and go above and beyond for their students, playing an essential role in strengthening our communities. To ensure Indiana remains a place where talented educators want to teach and stay, we must continue to invest in policies that strengthen the teaching profession and support the educators who shape our future workforce. Senate Bill 146, authored by GOP Sen. Linda Rogers, would raise the minimum teacher salary to $45,000; require schools to allocate at least 65% of their state funding to teacher compensation; and provide at least 20 days of paid parental leave for full-time teachers — policies that ISTA has long championed. The average teacher salary in Indiana during the last school year was recorded at $60,557 — up from $58,531 the year prior — according to the 2023-24 state teacher compensation report by the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB). Before that, average annual salaries were $56,609 in 2021-2022 and $ 53,991 in 2020-21. The lowest teacher salary reported was $40,000 — the current state-mandated minimum. The highest was $110,000. Teacher pay is ultimately set by local school districts. These priorities, which Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders support, represent a significant step toward making the teaching profession more competitive and sustainable in our state. ISTA supports this legislation and appreciates the leadership of the governor and lawmakers in recognizing the importance of investing in teachers. The lowest teacher salary reported was $40,000 — the current state-mandated minimum. The highest was $110,000. Teacher pay is ultimately set by local school districts. Competitive salaries and benefits are essential to strengthening Indiana's schools. Polling among Indiana educators shows that nearly two-thirds are dissatisfied with current conditions in the profession, and nearly one in four is considering leaving within the next two to three years. One of the top reasons? Low pay and increasing burnout. Retaining experienced educators and attracting new talent is critical to ensuring stability in our schools and improving student learning outcomes. Braun has made it clear that increasing teacher pay is a priority and now is the time for unified action. Raising salaries and providing paid parental leave are policies that will help attract and retain talented educators, ensuring that Indiana students continue to receive the high-quality public education they deserve. Providing at least 20 days of paid parental leave is especially important, as it recognizes that teachers — like workers in other professions — shouldn't have to choose between spending time growing their families and thriving in their careers. SB146 reinforces the critical role that teachers play in student success by directing more resources toward teacher compensation. Research consistently shows that when teachers are well-supported, student achievement improves. Directing more education funding toward educators will strengthen classrooms, increase individualized student support and enhance long-term educational outcomes. ISTA and its members appreciate efforts to improve pay and benefits for Indiana's educators and look forward to continued collaboration with the governor and lawmakers. Investing in teacher pay, ensuring that a greater share of education funding supports educators and expanding paid parental leave will strengthen Indiana's teaching profession. We encourage continued progress on SB146, recognizing its potential to make a meaningful impact on public education. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A fight challenge, musical moments and long meetings: Inside committee day at the Statehouse
Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, introduces a bill before the House Ways and Means Committee on March 26, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) It was a 10-committee day for Indiana's General Assembly — and your favorite reporters! That means 150 lawmakers dashing from room to room to hear testimony, explain bills, broker compromises. Lobbyists, residents and staff also fill up the halls. Add in caffeine and sugar from the snack shack, and you've got a typical Wednesday at the Statehouse. It's an early start for the House Education Committee, with a fairly full House chamber. In what has become a weekly ritual, committee chairman Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, has to ask Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, to 'Please, speak into your mic!' as others chuckle. It's not uncommon for other lawmakers to rib the grandfatherly Smith over microphone bloopers. The committee quickly settles into what would be an hours-long meeting to amend and vote out three bills, and hear testimony on two others. The House's Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee starts 15 minutes late but is quick to get through two bills already heard last week. Senate Bill 498, on child services, passes 12-0. That prompts Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, to joke, 'I just want to know if we are going to hold hands and sing kumbaya?' But the consensus ends quickly, as Democrats oppose Senate Bill 463. It loosens child-staff ratios in licensed child care centers — mirroring laws in contiguous states instead. Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, stays jovial, saying, 'I've got a lot of friends who are Democrats.' But Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, says the ratios were previously tightened for a reason. She has served on the committee for much of her 34-year tenure. 'Our children were in danger,' she says. 'When we did this, it wasn't out of ignorance. It was out of need for the time and I can't say that the time is better or worse than it was years ago.' The meeting concludes within the hour, with members scattering to their other obligations. Richmond Republican Rep. Brad Barrett has three bills moving this session — and Sen. Ed Charbonneau, who chairs the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, opts to hear all three at once. Charbonneau, a Valparaiso Republican, dubs the hearing 'Chairman Brad Barrett Day,' which coincides with National Spinach Day, according to lobbyist Matt Bell. But testimony on Barrett's first proposal, the wide-ranging House Bill 1003, drags for hours. Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, kicks off the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee's meeting promptly at 10:30 a.m. and adjourns it in less than three minutes — so quickly one member votes before he can even sit down. Lawmakers have long sought to offer former public servants guaranteed annual benefit boosts, with earlier retirees getting 13th checks and more recent retirees racking up cost-of-living adjustments. That hybrid system's onset would be delayed to 2029 under changes Rogers brought to House Bill 1221 Wednesday. All retirees would get 13th checks annually until then. Committee members accept the edits by consent within the meeting's first minute, and complete a unanimous vote before the third — despite a late arrival. The attorney calling the roll pauses as Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, dumps a bag and other belongings on the table and leans down to the microphone to vote. The House Education Committee is still trudging along, but testimony gets heated for proposed amendments to Senate Bill 373. One would create an optional pilot for groups of traditional, charter and private schools to share facilities and transportation through a newly created local board. It would also establish an Indianapolis alliance to conduct a facilities study and create an implementation plan before 2026. More than a dozen charter school families speak excitedly about efforts to expand busing, because most charters lack it. Among the supporters are several elementary schoolers, whose testimony — and fabulous reading skills — elicit compliments from lawmakers. But Indiana School Boards Association leader Terry Spradlin diverges. 'This is an amendment that we're struggling to understand the genesis of, the need of, the justification for,' he says. 'We have clear lines of authority between the superintendent, the CFO and the school board. This is only going to blur the lines of local governance and lead to a lot of confusion about authority on tax levy dollars.' The committee doesn't vote on the final bill, leaving it on the agenda for next week. This time, we're the ones late to the party — too many meetings to cover, and not enough Capital Chronicle reporters! The House's Elections and Apportionment Committee members are debating changes to Senate Bill 10, which would end the use of public college and university identification cards at the voting box. Fifteen amendments are filed, but committee members spare us. They accept — along party lines — one detailed, Republican amendment altering voter list maintenance and data-sharing. And they defeat three Democratic amendments along the same margins before consenting to one considering consular reports of births abroad proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill is approved on a 9-4 vote. Lawmakers move on. Senate Bill 137 — intended to block people with only temporary credentials from registering to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles — manages to draw bipartisan support from prominent state officials. But Julia Vaughn, leader of elections watchdog Common Cause Indiana, testifies that the BMV's data is outdated and could ensnare naturalized citizens. Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, criticizes Vaughn's description of her group as 'nonpartisan,' claiming that 99% of its 2024 donations were to Democrats. Vaughn interrupts him, voice wavering. 'Excuse me, representative, we don't make campaign contributions, so I'm not quite sure who you are referring to. … Please don't say things that simply aren't true,' she asserts, prompting Prescott to reply, 'I'm sorry — the employees.' Vaughn calls his accusation 'really unfair,' while Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, says it 'was very inappropriate' and that the committee should focus on the legislation. 'Duly noted,' says chair Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola. The committee unanimously agrees to advance it, then speeds through proposals dealing with ballot counter oaths and absentee ballot retractions in 30 minutes. That involves the party-line defeat of edits from Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, about names with special characters. The confused-looking committee is about to vote on the edits when the Election Division's Democratic co-director walks to Errington and whispers in her ear. Errington says she's been informed that the Voting System Technical Oversight Program requested the changes. 'V-STOP has not contacted me at all about it,' Wesco remarks. '… Call the roll.' Extensive committee questioning and lengthy testimony — 21 witnesses signed up — slows the Senate's health committee to a crawl. Charbonneau urges self-imposed limits, saying he doesn't want to set a timer. 'I implore you to please make your point,' Charbonneau says just before 11:30 a.m., with more testimony ahead. The appeal doesn't curb the drawn-out speeches and exchanges. Testimony doesn't end until 12:19 p.m. and the committee still has three bills to go. During a lunchtime worship hour, music from the adjoining meditation room bleeds into the ongoing Senate health committee meeting. Aides deliver water, coffee and soda to parched senators. After Barrett's first bill is finally voted out, his second flies by in less than 10 minutes despite a flurry of revisions. Barrett's third and final bill concludes at 1:05 p.m. But committee members must stay for one more measure — though both people who signed up to testify have already left. Members amend the last bill and adjourn at last. Lawmakers and lobbyists alike leave the room wearily, with little time to rest before the next round of committees. Just a few minutes after leaving the health meeting on the fourth floor, Sen. Liz Brown promptly starts the 1:30 p.m. committee she chairs down in the basement: Judiciary. Members hear one bill to potentially add judicial officers to counties depending on caseloads. Brown, R-Fort Wayne, invites Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, to speak on House Bill 1144 — saying he's 'looking so sharp in his spring blazer.' Six proposed amendments are added. It's passed on a 10-0 vote in under 30 minutes. But there is more work to be done. Brown warns of a plan that could reallocate judges around the state based on population shifts. Counties with low caseloads might lose judicial officers. Stay tuned. Back up on the Statehouse's fourth floor, Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, gavels the Senate Public Policy Committee meeting into order. House Bill 1272, dealing with inactive state groups and inter-state compacts, gets amendments and a vote in five minutes flat. Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, settles into the witness chair to introduce House Bill 1073, which would let the Indiana Gaming Commission regulate bare-knuckle fighting, boxing, wrestling and more. It's amended and unanimously voted out within another five minutes. 'In the spirit of the bill … I'd like to challenge Sens. (Justin) Busch and Walker to a bare-knuckle fight here on the floor of the committee (room),' Baldwin says, in jest. Committee members jokingly make a motion and second it, before someone quips that they'd like to finish the meeting first. Baldwin starts, 'This bill is pretty simple, besides what's about to happen to Walker —,' '(Sen.) Kyle Walker!' interjects Sen. Greg Walker. Both 'Walkers' are on the same committee. The House Ways and Means Committee gets off to a slightly late start, with Chair Jeff Thompson holding his glass 'penalty jar' aloft. He uses it to ensure lawmakers and the public mute their cell phones. 'We're looking a little light, so feel free to leave your phones on,' the Lizton Republican wisecracks. The money is ultimately donated to charity. Lawmakers speed through their seven-bill agenda, advancing four bills in just half an hour. Nearly every bill today is 'amend and vote only' — no testimony. Republicans traditionally bat down Democratic suggestions, but Thompson surprises some by accepting back-to-back amendments from Rep. Greg Porter on Senate Bill 516. One would require the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to notify the state budget committee before it buys land, while another would require that companies invite the entire committee on tours — not just GOP leadership. Thompson asks if Porter will agree to incorporate the edits by consent. 'It gives my heart great joy,' the Indianapolis Democrat replies. The committee holds one bill back for another week, and zips through another legislative effort from Rogers. She heads back to the education panel in time for another vote. Thompson closes the meeting shortly after, but warns committee members, 'Do not expect the meeting to be this short the next two weeks.' 'No' votes largely outweigh affirmative votes during the afternoon's Senate education meeting. Republican senators shoot down a slew of Democratic proposals offered on a school deregulation bill, including one requiring the Indiana education secretary to hold at least a bachelor's degree. Another failed edit would have required the secretary to reside in Indiana. Amendment discussion echoes a morning debate in the House Education Committee, when those members contemplated whether school superintendents should have to hold high-level academic degrees. Senate committee amendments on a measure to bar transgender women from playing on collegiate women's sports teams also fail along party lines. Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, the bill's sponsor, is polite — but brief — in the few remarks she makes in opposition to Democrats' attempts to rollback the legislation. 'Thank you … but I just ask that this be defeated,' she says at multiple points in the discussion. The ban moves on a party-line vote and heads for the Senate floor for further consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Chicago Tribune
06-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana House committee hears testimony on bill that would direct referendum funds to charters
More than 50 Indiana residents spoke on a Senate bill targeting public schools, requiring funds from a school corporation referendum to be shared with local charter schools. A majority of speakers at the Wednesday House Ways and Means committee meeting spoke against the bill, saying it would lead to less resources for Indianapolis Public Schools, the state's largest school district. Speakers in defense of the bill said it would allow charter schools to have adequate funding and similar resources to public schools. Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, authored Senate Bill 518, which would require corporations to share funds with charters within their attendance boundaries as of May 2025 if 100 or more students leave the district for charters. Virtual charters would not qualify in the latest version of the bill. Urban communities with several charters, including Gary, will be impacted if the bill passes, according to Post-Tribune archives. The bill stipulates that Gary School Community School Corporation would be exempt from revenue sharing until 2028 due to its distressed status. Rogers testified at Wednesday's hearing, explaining why charter schools need more funding and how the bill would help. 'When it comes to fiscal performance of charters, in addition to an audit by the State Board of Accounts, charter schools are required to have a third-party audit completed every year,' Rogers said. '(The audit) adds a cost to the charter, unlike district public schools, which are only audited by the State Board of Accounts every year and are much less rigorous.' Multiple Democratic representatives had questions for Rogers about the bill, including concerns about charters closing mid-year or how students are accepted into the schools. Democrats have criticized Senate Bill 518, saying it would cause public schools to cut their budgets further. Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, said Senate Bill 518 is not needed because charter schools already receive funding through the state and federal sources. According to Chalkbeat Indiana, charter schools receive an additional $1,400 per student for operational costs to make up for their lack of local property tax revenue. 'I don't know of any other (public) institution in this state … that is told to give money to a private enterprise and is mandated by the General Assembly,' DeLaney said. 'Why not order to give through the YMCA? It's a very worthy cause. … It would be equally unfair and inconsistent with our democratic society.' Districts would also be required to share with charters a portion of debt service levy, which is used to pay off long term projects. Keegan Williams, a student at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, testified on behalf of public schools. Shortridge is one of IPS' multiple high schools. Williams will graduate this year and plans to go to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He credits his acceptance to IPS and courses he could take through the district's International Baccalaureate program. 'The programming at Shortridge has given me the tools to make myself competitive as if I went to a private school,' Williams said. 'I would just hate to see a place like Shortridge be the first state public high school to have resources diminished, to be threatened by this bill. It threatens our history, and it threatens the very reason why I'm here.' Hilari Vargo, an IPS parent, also spoke against the bill, saying that in an effort to help charter schools more, both school types will suffer. She focused on resources that will diminish, including transportation. 'How is (Senate Bill 518) the answer?' Vargo said. 'How is that going to provide transportation? IPS will also not have transportation next year for the students out of district.' Multiple representatives from IPS, including Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, spoke against Senate Bill 518. Johnson said that if Senate Bill 518 and Senate Bill 1 — which address property tax reform — are both passed, it could 'cause significant disruption' to the school district. The loss of funding would require the district to close schools, reduce transportation and eliminate jobs. 'The question I continue to wrestle with, and the question that remains unanswered, is 'Then what?'' Johnson said. 'Then what for families who have experienced changes and disruption time and time again? Then what for our most vulnerable students in schools…?' IPS has multiple charter schools within its district that would also lose funding if Senate Bill 518 is passed, Johnson said, because the schools are part of a public district. About 30 charter schools partnered with IPS would be penalized through Senate Bill 518, Johnson said. A similar measure has been in effect in Marion, Lake, Vanderburgh and St. Joseph counties since 2023. Multiple commenters spoke in favor of Senate Bill 518, including charter school teachers, students, parents and leaders. All explained charter school benefits, including more time focused on students and increased opportunities. Those in favor of charter schools said the institutions have less available resources than public schools. Dave Ebersol, a teacher at South Bend Career Academy, which is a tuition-free, public charter school. Ebersol said charter schools are intentionally different from public schools and provide 'real-world learning.' Charter school families are already making sacrifices, Ebersol said, with students receiving about $3,000 less than those in public schools. 'This inequity is even greater because local tax dollars follow students in traditional school districts, but not when they choose to go to a public charter school,' Ebersol said. 'Instead, those dollars stay with a district that is no longer educating them. Our families are already making sacrifices because they believe in our schools.' Jean Hitchcock, executive director of Signature School in Evansville, also spoke in support of Senate Bill 518. Signature School connects students with opportunities they might not get at public schools, Hitchcock said, including some who might be the first in their families to attend high school or college. The Evansville school receives about $2,000 less per student, Hitchcock said, and they have less access to technology than public schools, including laptops. 'Fifty percent of Signature students have access to a classroom laptop, whereas most Indiana schools already have one-to-one laptop initiatives in place,' Hitchcock said. 'We're exploring the possibility of opening a middle school, but we are held back because of concern over adequate funding.' Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette, asked how students receive transportation to and from school, a concern of various representatives in the Ways and Means committee. Signature School doesn't provide transportation, Hitchcock said, but students can take the Evansville city buses or carpool. Brandon Brown, CEO of the Mind Trust — which invests in public education and advocates for charter schools — also spoke in support of Senate Bill 518. Within IPS' district, about 60% of students attend charter schools, which include a vast majority of Black, Hispanic and low-income students, Brown said. 'When we talk about ensuring that our marginalized students have access and resources, that's exactly what this bill does,' Brown said. 'We think it'll be transformative for tens of thousands of students across our state. … The majority of students who attend charter schools, those students will make significantly more progress than their peers.' Brown said the $1,400 per student is appreciated in charter schools, but for IPS it's 'a drop in the bucket.' IPS has had its local tax receipts more than double since 2018, receiving almost $9,000 per student in local property taxes, Brown said. The Ways and Means committee is expected to vote on Senate Bill 518 at a later date before it advances to the Indiana House floor.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana bill to shift more dollars from traditional publics to charter schools earns Senate approval
Sen. Linda Rogers, R-LaGrange, answers questions about her charter school funding bill on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A bill to expand property tax revenue for charter schools cleared a key legislative hurdle Thursday despite fierce pushback from both sides of the aisle and hours of debate on the Senate floor. Within Senate Bill 518 are provisions to require all Indiana public school districts to share property tax dollars with charter schools in their attendance boundaries if 100 or more students leave the traditional district for brick-and-mortar charters. Districts under that threshold would not have to fund-share. Virtual charters also would not qualify under the latest draft of the bill. Affected school districts would additionally have to share with charters a portion of property taxes used to pay off debt for long-term projects — known as debt service levy. The amounts shared would be based on the number of students attending the charter school. 'We talk about school choice, and we talk about kids. But we need to also think about the parents that are choosing to send their child to a different school — to a charter school,' said Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, just before her bill advanced 28-21 to the House. 'Those tax dollars, for years, have not followed their children. Today, we need to make that change.' The legislation was scaled back Wednesday to slow down the timeline for revenue sharing. Rogers said the amendment 'concessions' were largely prompted by her Senate Republican caucus colleagues. Twelve GOP senators ultimately voted against the bill. 'It's a contentious issue. … There are some members of ours that had concerns about it. I wasn't surprised that it was going to be a close issue,' said Republican Senate Pro Tem Rodric Bray. He cited specific concerns about the combined impact of the charter school bill alongside Senate Bill 1, the state's pending property tax reform. 'The combination of Senate Bills 1 and 518 make it, maybe, a little bit more difficult to really see with 20/20 vision the impact that's going to have on our local government, but in particular on our schools,' he continued. 'We just have to make sure that what we do there is good policy. But that does bring some trepidation to some of the members, I think.' The bill prompted widespread pushback from Democrats and advocates for traditional public schools, who argued that it will drain critical funds from already cash-strapped districts. They worried, too, that such policy will force more school closures, especially within Indianapolis Public Schools. 'The clear losers here are the students and the parents who have chosen to send their students to traditional public schools. We hear people talk about school choice, but it robs tax dollars from the parents of 90% of our future students who choose public schools. Where is the respect for their choice?' asked Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington. 'This bill takes away that local choice. It overrides the rule of voters, the will of voters.' Democrats offered 18 amendments to the bill on Wednesday, all of which failed. Those included proposals to reduce revenue sharing requirements, and to pause the bill altogether to allow for further study on impacts. 'The bottom line here today is that we've got a false argument to suggest that taxpayers benefit from money following individual children when we're talking about property taxes. Property taxes are meant to fund local systems, to strengthen entire communities,' said Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis. 'There's no harm in us taking a step back and evaluating the entire landscape of our schools and how we fund them before we start destabilizing them.' Data compiled by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools shows that 52,399 Hoosier students attended charter schools during the 2023-24 academic year — up from 46,796 in 2019-20. A state law adopted in 2023 already requires school districts in Marion, Lake, St. Joseph and Vanderburgh counties — which have high shares of charter attendance — to share a portion of property taxes used for operations with charters located in the same county. Rogers' bill seeks to extend that requirement statewide. Rogers said there are 36 Hoosier school districts that would meet the 100 or more student requirement. The phase-in period now included in the bill varies, depending on the number of students attending charter schools within each school district. Districts with fewer than 500 students attending charter schools would have three years to phase in revenue sharing. Districts with between 500 and 5,000 charter school students must complete the transition within four years, and those with 5,000 or more charter students would have five years. Rogers said the slower approach will give districts more time to assess budget impacts, including from possible property tax reforms in Senate Bill 1. The current version of that measure is projected to cost school districts more than $370 million in property tax revenue across three years. 'This provides school corporations plenty of time to make any needed budget adjustments,' Rogers said. 'We'll continue to see what the impact is of Senate Bill 1. Specifically, that's why I moved (bill provisions) to 2028, because we don't know, in essence, what we're doing with that.' The bill gradually increases the amount of school district operating and debt service revenues that are subject to sharing, from 33% in 2026, to 66% in 2027, and the full amount in 2028. As a distressed political unit, Gary Community School Corporation would be exempt from any tax sharing 2028. An updated legislative fiscal analysis estimates that Rogers' bill will redirect $18.6 million to charter schools over three years. That's a drop from the $150 million that was expected to be redistributed over the same period under an earlier version of the legislation. Charter schools would additionally have increased access to funds collected by school districts through voter referendums; any school district that adopts a property tax levy for a controlled project after May 10 — such as for new building construction or a school safety referendum — must allocate a portion of the revenue to nearby brick-and-mortar charters. The state currently gives charter schools an extra $1,400 per pupil to compensate for their lack of property taxes. But under the new funding plan, grant amounts would decrease — or be eliminated altogether — for charters netting property tax dollars. Grants would only kick in if charters receive less than $1,400 from property taxes. By further shifting the funding burden onto local property taxpayers, the state is estimated to save roughly $19 million. Rogers did not close the door on future legislative 'adjustments,' however, if the new funding model causes school districts to struggle. Unlike traditional public school districts, which receive local property tax revenue, charter schools have primarily relied on state funding. Even so, charters continue to take in more state tuition support dollars on a per-student basis than their traditional counterparts, according to legislative fiscal analysts. Charter school critics have long argued that such schools are not obligated to serve every student in a given community — unlike those in traditional public school districts. That's because capacity limits student enrollment. If a charter has more applicants than spots, a lottery is used. The public charters also have private boards and are therefore not accountable to voters, opponents say. That could change slightly; Rogers' bill includes a provision to allow traditional public school districts to appoint a member to a charter school's board. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Indiana, a Fight Over Splitting Money Between Districts and Charter Schools
Indiana's charter school advocates' push to shift property tax money and other resources from districts to charters has sparked heated debate — with charters saying their students are shortchanged and school districts warning they could be forced to close schools. The battle is playing out around three bills before the Indiana state legislature as it grapples with the rapid growth of charter schools, especially in Indianapolis. More than 60% of Indianapolis public school students attend charter schools, making the city a national leader to school choice advocates. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter One of the three bills would have eliminated the Indianapolis Public Schools and four other districts, but failed to pass out of committee earlier this week. Instead, the bill that has gained the most traction would shift $80 million in local annual property taxes from school districts to charters. The move is aimed at closing a funding gap between district and charter schools which one study estimates at $8,000 per student in Indianapolis, with districts spending $18,500 and charters $10,600. The state Senate passed that bill Wednesday after agreeing to delay some of the tax sharing until 2028. It now heads to the Indiana House. State Sen. Linda Rogers, author of the bill, said local property taxes should 'follow the student' to any school they choose, as state aid already does. 'Local funding today… remains with the district, even though the student living in the district may not be receiving their education there,' Rogers said in a committee hearing on the bill last week that drew impassioned testimony from more than 50 supporters and critics. 'If you have thousands of students that you're getting paid for, that you're not educating, is that fair?' she added. Kim Reier, vice president of strategy for the Indiana Charter School Alliance, said the state must stop 'prioritizing institutions' like districts instead of individual schools. 'Families who choose charter schools still pay the same property taxes, yet those dollars remain locked in the districts that they no longer attend,' Reier testified. But at the same hearing, Indianapolis Public Schools officials said the bill would devastate the district. Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the bill would force the district to close 20 schools, cut busing for students and likely hurt its partnership with some charter schools known as Innovation Schools. She also joined critics of charter school growth who say it has led to an 'oversaturation' of schools in the city for the number of students. 'Because there are currently no limitations of the number of new charter schools that can be opened in our boundary, the dollars will continue to be more and more splintered until every school gets something, but no school gets enough,' Johnson said. The most extreme of the three bills — one that would wipe out the Indianapolis school district and turn all 50 of its schools over to charters — did not win enough support to even have a hearing. But it both loomed as a threat in case no funding changes pass and as a rallying cry for the district, which called on residents to fight to save its schools. A third bill aimed at providing charters and private schools with two crucial needs — school buildings and busing — also awaits a hearing in the House Education Committee. That bill would appoint facilities and student transportation boards in Indianapolis and four other cities to take control of all district, charter and private school buses and buildings. Boards would include two appointees by the mayor, one by city council and two by state house and senate leaders. The boards would then award buildings to school operators, district, charter and private, deemed most promising and coordinate busing for students of all schools in the city. The bill calls for those panels to launch in the 2026-27 school year and take control of buildings over time, but legislators are considering delaying them to study how they would work. Rogers' tax sharing bill drew support from charter schools, including the KIPP Indy and Adelante charter school operators, who run so-called Innovation Schools that have support of the school district and each have agreements to use varying combinations of school district buildings, buses and internet service. Other prominent charter school operators, like the Paramount Schools of Excellence, which has four schools in Indianapolis, an online school and schools in Lafayette and South Bend, are not taking any public position. Leaders of the Mind Trust and Stand For Children, nonprofit advocates of school choice, also testified in support of Rogers' bill, praising it for trying to close a funding gap they say is unfair to charter students. Both organizations, along with Rise Indy, another nonprofit, have been criticized in recent weeks by some Indianapolis Public Schools board members and residents for promoting charter schools using money from outside the state. Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown said he is willing to 'be a punching bag' if it leads to changes that help charter schools and students. 'I am happy to take any slings and arrows if it means that we're going to be one step closer to a system that treats all kids fairly and with the respect that they deserve,' he said. But teachers opposed the bill, as did parents of children in Indianapolis Public Schools. Sally Sloan, executive director of the American Federation of Teachers of Indiana, said sharing tax money with charters would make school districts need more money and seek higher property taxes from voters. And parents said they voted for property taxes to help the school district, not other schools. 'I just don't think it should be the policy of the state to tell people how to spend their property tax revenue,' said Chris Kozak, parent of a student at the district's Eleanor Skillen Montessori elementary school. 'We voted for an additional levy for the Indianapolis public schools. I don't think I would have voted for it if I had known this was going to come.' Others called it 'taxation without representation' since charter schools don't have elected school boards. 'I think it's another handout, an unearned handout, to charter schools, of which one in three will fail, most likely due to mismanagement, not because of outcomes,' said Mark Latta, father of a student at the Theodore Potter Spanish language elementary school. 'Schools without public oversight are not public schools.' Disclosure: The Mind Trust provides financial support to The 74.
