At a glance
The following are just a few of the bills before the Indiana General Assembly that would affect the finances of traditional public schools:
HB 1002: Expands authority of state to establish charter schools. A larger number of schools reduces the amount of state tuition support available overall. The bill could also reallocate as much as $10 million in local property tax revenues for transportation.
HB 1003: Voucher bill would allow public dollars to flow to private schools. Every 1,000 students receiving a voucher are estimated to reduce overall state tuition support by $5.5 million.
HB 1238: Places a gag rule on school corporations, so employees would not be permitted to advocate for a referendum except at the invitation of a community group.
HB 1247: Allows students to graduate high school after three years and take a portion of state tuition support for post-secondary education. For every 300 students who participate, funding to schools would be cut by $1 million
SB 496: Parent trigger would allow 51 percent of families in schools in the lowest category of school performance for three years to petition for reorganization as a charter or to receive tuition for use at a private school.
SB 575: Restricts collective bargaining authority for teachers. School districts could reduce salary and benefits if an impasse is reached in contract negotiations.
School vouchers were not a campaign issue last fall. But they are a legislative priority today – the bill establishing them is co-authored by the Indiana House speaker himself.
Taxpayers should ask why lawmakers preaching fiscal responsibility are pushing legislation that would drain millions of dollars from Indiana’s public schools, with no data or research to support their assertion that sending public money to private schools improves education overall.
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