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Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cass County communities receive $3.1M for road projects
Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program awarded Cass County communities more than $3.1 million in state funding for local road and bridge projects last week. The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program provides local communities funding for road reconstruction, bridge preservation, intersection improvements and other projects. This year, 245 Indiana communities will receive more than $200 million in state matching grants. Area grant recipients include Cass County ($1.5 million), Galveston ($660,000) and Logansport ($1,019,762.95). 'Our state and communities are continuing to grow, and the local infrastructure must keep up with the increased demands,' State Rep. Ethan Manning (R-Logansport) said. 'This program demonstrates Indiana's commitment to strengthening our infrastructure and improving the overall quality of life for Hoosiers.' To qualify for funding, smaller municipalities must provide a 25% match in local funds, while larger communities must provide a 50% match. The state requires 50% of available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or less. The Logansport City Council allocated a little more than $1 million toward street revitalization projects during a special meeting in January, days before the deadline. For the city, renovation work will be different depending on the road. In most cases, they'll be grinded down to create a smoother surface for repaving. Some roads will also receive things like sensor loops, which interact with traffic lights to make sure cars don't have to wait at red lights for too long. The revitalization work will impact Industrial Boulevard, Billiard Drive, Mall Road, Yorktown Road, Cass Plaza Drive, 18th Street from the bridge to the railroad crossing, West Roselawn from East Market Street to George Street, East Main Street from Hoosier Heartland to the light at 18th Street, East Miami Avenue from Sixth Street to West Market Street, West Broadway from Front Street to Central Avenue. 'The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program provides funding to help improve travel for Hoosiers and visitors to our great state,' State Sen. Stacey Donato (R-Logansport) said. 'I am glad to see our community leaders taking advantage of this program so we can ensure our local infrastructure is maintained.' Indiana was recently ranked as the best state in the nation for overall road conditions by Consumer Affairs, noting low rate of traffic fatalities and quality of roads. Other communities to receive grants include Delphi ($1.5 million); Kokomo ($1.5 million); White County ($1.5 million); Howard County ($1,482,653.42); Carroll County ($1,449,506.25); Monticello ($1,380,165.45); Fulton County ($1,000,560); Pulaski County ($994,531.20); Rochester ($658,477.17); and Winamac ($547,498.55). Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $2 billion to improve local roads and bridges across the state. 'Having strong, sustainable infrastructure is necessary to maintain Indiana's economy and promote growth,' Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo) said. 'This program helps address our needs and makes communities across the state a better place to call home.'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana lawmakers revive bill to allow public schools to hire chaplains as councilors
An effort to allow Indiana's public schools to hire religious chaplains is back at the General Assembly, reigniting rigorous debate over the separation of church and state. Logansport Republican Sen. Stacey Donato is reviving her bill from last year that died in the House, this time in the form of Senate Bill 523, which the Senate education committee approved by a partisan 9-4 vote Wednesday. She sees chaplains as a potential extra counseling resource for schools struggling with high counselor-to-student ratios and ever-increasing student mental health needs. Indiana's ratio was 519 to one during the 2022-23 school year, according to the American School Counselor Association, which recommends a ratio of half that. The bill gives school districts the option to employ or bring in volunteer chaplains, who can provide either secular advice or religious advice ― the latter, only if the students and parents consent. "Chaplains are not a new concept," Donato said, referencing their presence in legislative chambers, the military, police and fire departments, even in school sports. "The purpose is not to convert people to a different religion. They are there to support people regardless of their faith." Also not new: The debate around this bill, virtually mirroring the discussion last year ― down to many of the testifiers themselves. The ACLU of Indiana's Chris Daley brought up the constitutional concern about the separation of church and state. Similarly, Democratic Sen. Andrea Hunley said her main issue with the bill is the use of taxpayer dollars toward hiring these chaplains. Several people, including religious leaders themselves, said they're concerned that chaplains are not trained in areas that school counselors are trained in, such as CPR and the academic and developmental needs of young people. The requirements in the bill stipulate that the chaplains must pass a criminal background check and have a bachelor's or masters degree in divinity, theology, religious studies or a related field, as well as some years of counseling experience. "Nothing in their training gives them the skills to be a school counselor," Rabbi Aaron Spiegel said. "I recognize the problem … but chaplains are not the answer here." Sign up for our politics newsletter Gray Lesesne, a pastor at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, also brought up a potential power imbalance: even if he were to offer secular advice to a student, he would fear that his advice could be interpreted as religious counseling. "Wearing a collar makes a difference, and projection happens," he said. "This blurring of lines is inappropriate in a public school setting." The Indiana School Counselor Association expressed support for the bill last year, given Indiana's above-average counselor-to-student ratio. But this year, the association said it does not support the bill due to concerns about training and the potential that limited school resources would be used to hire chaplains instead of counselors. "We're unable to embrace legislation that could possibly divert funds away from school counselors," said Scott Carr, a representative for the association. But the Indiana School Boards Association and the superintendents association maintained their support of the concept, citing the counselor shortage. Representatives for both organizations pointed to the local control within the bill, which simply gives schools the option. Robert Thatcher, an Elkhart real estate broker who is also on the board for the National School Chaplain Association, said chaplains are already serving 30 million people in 33,000 schools, and that they help enhance graduation rates and prevent teen suicides. Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, pressed for a more specific definition of "chaplain" to be included in the bill. Sen. Jeff Raatz, the chair of the committee, suggested that perhaps everyone is overthinking it. "I see no harm whatsoever in a chaplain, whether they have the credits or not, as an adult with a clean heart, be able to spend time with you and just simply care," he said. "That's the simplicity of this concept. ... What better way to help a teenager in crisis than to just have an ear to share?" Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@ or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana bill allowing public schools to hire chaplains is back
