School funding issue persists as Indiana lawmakers reconvene
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — As state legislators gear up to craft the next two-year budget, school districts around Indiana continue to face funding uncertainties amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The turmoil that Indiana schools have faced from COVID-19 will be a top concern of legislators during their session starting in January, Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said last week. Lawmakers warn, however, that uncertainties about state tax collections during the national recession, and whether Congress will approve additional financial assistance for states leave many questions about education funding specifics unanswered.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb has maintained that he's committed to not cutting education funding — even as other state agencies have reduced budgets. He also promised school leaders they would receive 100% of state funding for each of their students, no matter how they receive their instruction.
State officials in September approved a method to maintain that full funding for school districts regardless of whether they were offering instruction virtually or in the classroom during this fall semester. But legislators will likely have to take up the issue because current state law caps per-pupil funding for students who take at least half their classes virtually at 85% of full in-person student funding.
Huston said he expected lawmakers would act before schools are scheduled to report in February the number of students attending in-person or virtual classes.
“That will be on the list of things to deal with quickly when we return,” Huston said. “Our caucus is committed ... that’s something we want to get done.”
Indiana State Teachers Association president Keith Gambill said the issue should be a priority for the General Assembly to fix within the first few weeks of the session. He noted...