Indiana Republicans nix school choice expansion from budget plan

A proposed expansion of Indiana’s school choice program has been nixed from state Senate Republicans’ budget plan, which was revealed Thursday.

Indiana Senate Republicans’ budget proposal would not provide funding to expand the state’s current school choice program, which provides taxpayer dollars to families that have an annual income that does not exceed 300% of the amount required to qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program, which equates to a family of four making an annual salary of $154,013. The proposal would increase funding for K-12 public schools by nearly 4.6% in 2024 and 2025.

The budget proposal allotted $120 million per year to cover school material and textbook rental fees rather than requiring families to cover such costs. Hesitancy to expand the state’s voucher program is because of the expected cost, Republican state Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ryan Mishler told The Associated Press.

“I don’t think there’s an issue whether we have vouchers or not, I mean we’re fine with that,” Mishler told the outlet. “I think we just have to figure out is it the 300% or the 400%, what should the eligibility be?”

State House Republicans unveiled a budget plan in February that would use $500 million to expand the state’s voucher program, widening the eligibility for vouchers to families that have an annual income that does not exceed 400% of the amount required to qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program, which equates to a family of four that makes $220,000 annually. Currently 79% of Indiana families are eligible for the vouchers and more than 35,698 students participated in the program during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

States across the nation are enacting school choice legislation; Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders signed a law in March to create a universal school choice program by the 2025-2026 school year. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law in the same month making the state’s school choice program universal.

“Ninety-plus percent of all Hoosier families send their students to our traditional public schools and we have to make sure that they’re funded properly,” Keith Gambill, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, told the AP. “With the cost-of-living changes that have occurred the past couple of years, we’re going to have people going backwards if we’re not careful.”

Mishler did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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