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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLawmakers affirmed the need to fully fund schools serving an increasing number of students online during the pandemic in discussions at the Statehouse on Wednesday.
The number of students learning virtually in Indiana has grown sharply because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A statewide stay-at-home order issued by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb in March led schools to pivot to e-learning, and many schools continue to offer a virtual or hybrid option to families.
But the limitations on in-person classes opened new questions about school funding. Current law calls for Indiana public and public charter schools to receive some funding from the state based on the number of students they serve, a total determined by “count days” in September and February. Students who spend more than half their time learning online earn a school only 85% of what a student learning in the classroom earns.
The Indiana State Board of Education in September suspended those rules. Instead, the board fully funded students whom districts were educating online due to the pandemic. But to continue full funding for the spring will require legislative action.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, wrote an open letter last summer highlighting the issue and the need for lawmakers to find a solution in the 2021 session.
Now, lawmakers in the Indiana Senate and House are reviewing bills that would fully fund virtual students and protect schools from losing state funding—at least through July 2021. Any change after July will be up to lawmakers working on the next two-year budget to decide, lawmakers said Wednesday.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously to move forward with their bill. Its counterpart, Senate Bill 2, was discussed in the Senate Education Committee but will not receive a vote until next week.
Many lawmakers and advocates who testified made their support clear for a funding measure.
“We hope this moves quickly so our schools can have a bit of assurance,” said John O’Neal, a lobbyist for the Indiana State Teachers Association, while testifying to lawmakers.
But others questioned how the bill might affect the bigger picture around online learning. Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, said she’s concerned about learning loss for students who don’t have quality broadband access or engaged parents.
“Are we encouraging schools to not go with classroom instruction?” Leising asked.
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Leising’s question would be better positioned as – “are you encouraging schools to try to be in the buildings when they don’t have enough staffing, when it violates local health codes, or when it is deemed unsafe according to CDC and other guidelines?”
The state needs to make sure the funding is there so that the school administrations can *focus* on *teaching* the kids and not be distracted by focusing on how they are going to further cut budgets.