Indiana is one of just nine states that allow school districts to charge textbook fees to students. Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz would like to change that.
Ritz is asking for the elimination of textbook rental fees in the state's 2016-17 budget, which takes effect in July.
Textbook rentals cost Hoosier parents a total of about $70 million a year.
Ritz said eliminating those fees would be in keeping with the Indiana Constitution's promise of a "general and uniform school system that is equally open to all."
Textbook rental fees can be seen as regressive tax burden, much like the sales tax. And Indiana's state sales tax rate is tied with California's for being the highest in the nation.
Parents pay the same amount, regardless of ability to pay, for textbooks their students must have for their coursework.
"By funding these at the state level, we can guarantee that all districts have equitable resources for texts while also giving parents a much-needed financial break," Ritz said.
Indiana allows districts to charge 25 percent of the cost of a textbook for six years. After that, if the book continues to be used, the district can charge up to 15 percent of the initial cost.
Ritz is right to push for this benefit for parents.
This is an easy way to provide tax relief for parents, if you take the view that a mandatory fee is a tax by another name.
It's an easy way to put money back in the hands of the taxpayer. In fact, this should have been done years ago.
Remove this barrier to providing free public education to all students. With a state budget of around $30 billion, $70 million for textbooks is a reasonable expenditure, easily justified.