School funding debate hits the Statehouse

Increased calls for expanded private and charter school funding come amid lawmaker deliberations around the next two-year state budget, which must be finalized by the end of the legislative session in late April. (Getty images)

Funding nearly every Hoosier child’s K-12 education appears to be the goal of the Indiana state legislature. While this may be an admirable effort, the question is, should we? More importantly, can we afford it? 

What is the state’s responsibility? 

Under Article 8, Section 1 of Indiana’s state constitution, all children are guaranteed the right to “a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all.” Instead of focusing on this duty and funding public education, our state legislature has been pursuing what it calls “school choice.” Hoosiers have always had the choice to go to private schools, but now, thanks to legislation, the public pays for much of it. The public never voted for school choice. 

Open to all?  

Public schools serve every child who walks through their doors–regardless of background or ability. Nearly 90% of Hoosier families choose public schools. Yet, Indiana is now seen by “school choice” advocates as a model state with public tax dollars siphoned away to privately managed schools. Indiana’s families now have over 300 private schools to choose from in which public funds can be used to help pay for tuition. However, these various “choices” do not actually allow all families to do the choosing. Many private schools can and do deny students based on gender, developmental ability, religion, LGBTQIA+ status or entrance exams. Even if “the money follows the child” in Indiana, the student’s rights (under federal law) do not always do so. Is this “equally open to all?”  

Separate but equal?  

Originally sold to the public as a means by which children in poverty could “escape failing public schools,” the Indiana Choice Scholarship or voucher program is now nearly universal. A Choice Scholarship — the largest voucher program in Indiana — is around $6,000+ per child.

The average voucher student is now a white, elementary-aged girl who lives in a metropolitan area and comes from a household of around 4.7 people making around $100,000, according to an IDOE report. The legislators’ plan to remove all income requirements will transform the voucher program into something unrecognizable from its 2011 origins and what was first sold to the public. This shift is evident in the numerous schools where 100% of students now use vouchers to help pay for tuition. We Hoosiers are funding two separate K-12 school systems (three, if you include charter schools). Small rural communities are particularly burdened by this effort by paying for “choice” with their tax dollars when there actually is no choice other than their public schools in their communities. 

Who pays? 

Despite educating significantly more students in hundreds more schools than in 2010, Indiana’s inflation-adjusted education funding has decreased dramatically. One researcher estimates a $603 million reduction on a per student basis. This has resulted in program cuts, an overreliance on grants, public school closures (some replaced by charter schools, which don’t improve the financial picture), teacher salaries lower than those in neighboring states, and repeated property tax referenda. The resulting disparity of programming and offerings for students is not a uniform system–nor is it fair to Hoosier children. Indiana’s ranking has dropped to 37th nationally in per-pupil funding. Furthermore, from 2002 to 2020, Indiana had the second-lowest inflation-adjusted increase in education spending nationwide at a mere 1.9%. This underinvestment in education will have lasting consequences for Indiana’s future.

A budget reflects our priorities.

The first iteration of the state’s budget bill (HB 1001) estimates the cost of universal vouchers at nearly $100 million more per year, pushing the expense closer to $600 million annually. Meanwhile, a handful of tax-cut bills threaten the budgets of our public schools. Is it fair to force communities to raise taxes for education through referendums while simultaneously diverting public funds to private school vouchers? What about communities that are unable to do so? The Indiana legislature has a constitutional duty to fund public education. Laws pertaining to our public schools ensure that they are accountable and transparent with Hoosier tax dollars. There are no such laws for voucher schools. 

Every child deserves a school that is fully funded and provides them with all they need to thrive. An entitlement program for the wealthy to pay private school tuition should not come at the cost of our most vulnerable children. When it comes to our kids’ future, we can’t afford it.