Third of Indiana counties lack voucher-accepting private schools
Voucher use has surged in recent years as Indiana lawmakers loosened eligibility requirements, but the lack of rural private schools that accept them means many students miss out.
School Vouchers
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IPS to tap state vouchers to fund pre-K as it weighs whether to charge tuition
The switch to state voucher funding for the district’s prekindergarten program is one of several changes that IPS and other school districts will have to make as federal pandemic relief funds expire.
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Senate unveils budget with no expansion for school voucher program
The most glaring contrast between the Senate and House proposals is the way in which they intend to expand funding to charter schools.
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House passes $43.4B budget with no Democrat votes
Democrats denounced the budget for taking funding away from traditional public schools. Under the new proposal, families making up to 400% of the federal poverty level, roughly $220,000, qualify for vouchers.
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Catholic Diocese refutes state senator’s concerns about private Indiana high school
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is defending a private high school in northern Indiana after a top Republican lawmaker admonished the school for “disgusting” behavior.
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Articles
Indiana’s universal school voucher system spotlighted at conservative policy conference
Hoosier House Speaker Todd Huston was among key panelists on Wednesday’s “school choice” education panel.
Marion County preschool costs set to rise as state cuts funding
At least seven public school districts in the Indianapolis area are raising the cost of preschool for the coming year, as the state makes cuts to its state preschool voucher program, On My Way Pre-K.
Indiana private school voucher spending tops $497M as enrollment slows
Participation in Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program grew by about 8.5% in the 2024-25 school year—marking a slowdown after record-setting enrollment growth in prior years.
Attendance at private schools in Indiana, other states on the rise, report says
As Indiana’s private school voucher system continues to grow, a new report suggests other states are taking notice and boosting public dollars for private education, too.
Vouchers nearly universal at half of Indiana private schools that take them, data shows
Last year, in 178 of the 349 private schools in the state that accept vouchers, more than 90% of students enrolled used a voucher to pay for tuition.
Participation in voucher-like education choice programs soars in Indiana
Participation in Indiana’s Education Scholarship Accounts and Career Scholarship Accounts has grown dramatically after lawmakers expanded student eligibility and allowed uses for funding.
Indiana sees big spike in voucher students from wealthy families
Indiana spent roughly $439 million on its voucher program for the 2023-24 school year as enrollment in private schools hit a record high.
Indiana senator eyes 2025 for ‘school choice’ overhaul
A top GOP state senator wants to completely overhaul Indiana’s private school vouchers with a grant program that would allow all Hoosier families—regardless of income—to choose where their students get educated.
Indiana private school enrollment hits record as voucher use climbs
The state education department approved more than 69,000 Choice Scholarship applications during the first round of the program this school year.
Indiana school voucher usage continues to rise on broadened eligibility
An all-time high number of Indiana students are using Indiana’s near-universal voucher program to attend private schools this year.
Indiana’s school voucher program grew 20% last year
Voucher participation and spending are expected to jump even more this fall after state lawmakers expanded the program to be nearly universal and open to almost all Hoosier families.
Indiana House Republicans ‘committed’ to voucher school expansion
Indiana House Republicans will seek to expand the state’s “school choice” program despite a top GOP senator’s call for more voucher school reforms.
Top Indiana senator rebukes voucher school program in new letter
A top Republican lawmaker threatened to hold up new state spending for Indiana’s voucher school program after he claimed to have witnessed “disgusting” behavior at a private Catholic school in Indiana.
Supreme Court says Maine cannot deny tuition aid to religious schools
The 6-3 outcome could fuel a renewed push for school choice programs in some of the 18 states that have so far not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education.
Indiana poised to open school vouchers to families making more than $100,000
Indiana lawmakers are almost certain to approve a significant expansion of what is already a broad private school voucher program, setting one of the highest family income ceilings in the nation.
New Indiana budget proposal scales back private school voucher expansion
The budget proposal, presented Thursday to the Senate Appropriations Committee, would increase state funding for K-12 education by $408 million over the next two years.
Indiana Republicans resolute for school voucher expansion
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray of Martinsville said Republican senators have discussed the potential cost of the voucher expansion but remain firm with the GOP line that “money follows the child” and that the state is funding students, not schools.
School boards push back against Indiana voucher expansions
At least 65 public school boards have passed formal resolutions against the proposed legislation through a campaign organized by the Indiana School Boards Association.
Indiana voucher plan could take 1/3 of school-funding boost
Republicans tout their proposal as giving parents more choices over how to educate their children, while Democrats and other opponents argue that it further drains funding from traditional school districts.