Indiana moves student count to delay school funding question

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana State Board of Education approved a method to maintain funding for schools reopening virtually this fall after warnings of possible cuts from lawmakers last month.

“I’m fully committed to schools getting fully funded who would normally be in the physical classroom but are attending virtually at the moment this fall due to the pandemic,” Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “That’s exactly the resolution the state board of education reached.

The unanimously approved plan allows the state to use data from the last student count in February to determine whether schools should receive full funding for their students, regardless of whether those students are receiving instruction virtually or in the classroom this semester.

“[I’] share my appreciation for all the input and all the commitment to getting this issue resolved so that our schools and our faculty members and our teachers, our superintendents, our parents, the students most importantly have the funding that is needed to educate students during these unprecedented times,” Holcomb said.

School budgets won’t be penalized for students learning virtually this fall, as long as the students weren’t enrolled in a full-time virtual education program on the last enrollment count day.

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9/2/2020 10:17:04 AM (GMT -4:00)