State education department outlines funding priorities as Senate lawmakers craft two-year budget pitch

The state’s two-year budget is now in the hands of Senate lawmakers, and the Indiana Department of Education outlined its funding priorities to the Senate Appropriations Committee. However, some lawmakers said IDOE’s plan does not go far enough to provide for traditional public schools.

The budget follows a similar process to any bill moving through the Indiana General Assembly. There are public hearings for public agencies and stakeholders to testify on the budget. The Senate Appropriations committee will unveil their own version of the proposed budget, which is incorporated as an amendment to HB 1001.

The budget will be tight and lawmakers have repeatedly said they must focus on their main priorities. For education, that means expanding to universal school vouchers.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner asked lawmakers for nearly $150 million for things like teacher recruitment, literacy initiatives and implementation tools for the state’s new high school diploma.

“We want to double down on what is working, what is showing return on investment. For example, the Indiana Literacy Cadre,” she said.

The largest ask is for $37.5 million to reward high-performing teachers in high-need subject areas like STEM and special education. The next largest categories that would receive increases in funding are the state’s Education Scholarship Account Program for students who have disabilities and their siblings as well as literacy initiatives like the Indiana Literacy Cadre, Summer Learning Labs and through-year ILEARN assessments.

But Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) said IDOE’s proposal does not address losses to traditional public schools through potential voucher increases, property tax caps and a proposal to share property tax dollars with charter schools.

“I’m extremely concerned about the combination of the impact of these three bills on students,” he said.

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Jenner said IDOE supports education “across the board” and will work with lawmakers to prioritize funding for all students.

The House and Senate must ultimately agree on the language of the final budget.

IDOE outlined its requests to Senate lawmakers in four main buckets:

1. Improve quality and raise academic standard

• Invest in proven literacy initiatives
  Cost: $20 million in academic improvement initiatives
• Outcome-based funding for educators moving the needle in literacy
  Cost: $10 million in academic improvement initiatives
• Support growth in reading and math with initiatives like Summer Learning Labs
  Cost: $17.5 million in academic improvement initiatives
• Expand ILEARN through-year pilot
  Cost: $11 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education

2. Prepare students for success beyond high school

• Increase college affordability, access and education attainment through Crossing the Finish Line initiative
  Cost: $2.5 million in academic improvement initiatives
• Create and implement an interactive advising tool for new diploma
  Cost: $4.5 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
• Align Academic Performance Grant with new diploma and incentivize honors and honors plus seals
  Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
• Increase CSAs
  Cost: $11 million in state treasurer’s office budget
  Further considerations: Dual credit funding and performance-based incentive funding for universities

3. Strengthen teacher pipeline

• Sustain educator supply and demand marketplace
  Cost: $4.26 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
• Recruit teachers in high-needs areas
  Cost: $5.5 million in Freedom and Opportunity in Education
• Reward high-performing teachers in high-needs areas
  Cost: $37.5 million in Teacher Incentivization/Appreciation Grants

4. Increase K-12 funding

• Increase base teacher pay to $45,000 and requiring 65 percent of tuition support toward teacher compensation
  Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
• Expand school choice
  Cost: Undetermined amount in distribution for tuition support
• Increasing ESAs
  Cost: $25 million in state treasurer’s office budget

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.