Indiana lawmakers move to expand use of Classic Learning Test for college admission
The legislation would require the state’s public colleges and universities to consider scores from the CLT as an alternative to SAT or ACT results.
Education & Workforce Development
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Neidhammer Coffee Co. to close amid nonprofit owner’s funding crisis
The nonprofit 91 Place—which purchased Neidhammer Coffee Co. in 2023—is also seeking support to continue offering places to stay for young adults affected by homelessness, trafficking and violence.
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Mission-driven Indy furniture maker partners with national distributor
In reaching its first large-scale supply agreement, Purposeful Design intends to further its mission of training and employing men who have experienced homelessness and addiction.
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Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc. debuts microelectronics program for high schools in new training hub
The fledgling program is starting with 12 students, but Regional Opportunities Initiatives Inc. CEO Tina Peterson predicted that the training hub will become a crucial part of southern Indiana’s microelectronics and defense ecosystem.
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IBJ Podcast: Pew Research’s Richard Fry unpacks gender gap in college enrollment
Fry analyzes federal data from 2011 to 2022, highlighting a sharp drop in college attendance among young men, shifting public views on the value of a degree, and rising wages for workers without one.
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Articles
Lawmakers draft timeline for new Indianapolis education board
Indiana lawmakers have advanced a bill that would give a new governing body power over buildings, buses and taxes for Indianapolis schools, after adding key dates for when these changes would happen.
IPS experiences biggest enrollment loss since pandemic, state records show
The enrollment dips come as schools across the country experience a continual post-COVID population drop that could stem from a number of factors, including declining birth rates, stricter immigration policy, and other school options.
Indiana Senate advances bell-to-bell school cellphone limits despite bipartisan concerns
Under current state law, students are prohibited from using phones during instructional time, but they can use them during lunch and passing periods.
Whitten: Football is just one of the areas where IU is excelling
“Applications at IU Bloomington have gone up 60% since I started in 2021,” IU President Pam Whitten said. And the “biggest increase was before we were good at football.”
Boomers are staying in the job market as Gen Z struggles to break through
Tight labor markets have tended to pull more entry-level applicants into the workforce, which, in turn, lowers the average age of people being hired, experts say, but that doesn’t seem to be happening now.
Legislative roundup: Here’s what IBJ is tracking as session picks back up
From utility rates to tenderloin sandwiches, here are some bills IBJ is following this legislative session.
Bill from Indianapolis Republican seeks to ban lobbyists for public schools, universities
Rep. Andrew Ireland said he authored the bill because he’s concerned about school districts hiring lobbyists with money that could be going toward the classroom.
Legislation calls for new mayor-appointed board over Indianapolis schools, charter schools
A much-anticipated proposal that would give the Indianapolis mayor more power over schools while reducing the power of the existing elected school board has been filed at the Indiana Statehouse.
Citing mental health impacts, Indiana legislators seek to limit social media use by children
Separate proposals would also restrict phones in schools and allow parents to set stronger filters on school-issued devices.
Trump officials loosening strings on federal education money for conservative states
Education Secretary Linda McMahon approved Iowa’s plan Wednesday. Indiana and Kansas have also applied to be exempted from certain parts of federal education law, and leaders of other states have expressed interest.
Indiana high schoolers set record graduation rate in 2025
It represents the third straight year of post-pandemic improvement kicked off in 2023, following a decade-low graduation rate in 2022.
Nonprofit group Indy Women in Tech disbands after 9-year run
Indy Women in Tech was formed in 2016 to encourage women and girls to enter science, technology, engineering and math careers.
From cellphones to STEM: Education issues to watch in Indiana’s 2026 session
Multiple education bills have already moved, and one—a cellphone crackdown proposal—was heard in the Senate education committee in early December.
Gov. Mike Braun reinstates workforce development board previously dissolved by Legislature
The Governor’s Office said Tuesday that the new board will act as “a central coordinating body to align employers, education and training providers, and state agencies around measurable workforce outcomes.”
Former employee sues Avon preschool, alleges discrimination due to disability
After taking disability leave, the employee alleged that her supervisor treated her poorly, barely acknowledging her and undermining her in front of subordinates.
Wage garnishment for defaulted student loans to resume early next year
There were about 5.3 million borrowers who had not made a payment on their federal student loans for at least 360 days as of June 30.
How a fractured Indianapolis school system reached the verge of a huge power shakeup
That the city’s schools sit on the cusp of radical change is the culmination of over half a century’s worth of disruptions for Indianapolis schools that opened the door for education reformers and their allies to advance their vision.
Walmart, other US companies want to build pipeline of skilled tradespeople
The nation’s largest retailer and private employer revamped its training program last year to increase its pipeline of maintenance technicians.
Lilly’s growth explosion tests state’s workforce development
Eli Lilly and Co.’s career website this month listed 254 job openings in Indianapolis and another 90 in Lebanon, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 445 open positions the pharmaceutical giant listed across the United States.