INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Senate released its version of the budget Thursday, detailing how much the Republican-controlled Senate believes the state should spend on education and where those dollars should go.
Hundreds of members of the state’s largest teacher’s union, the Indiana State Teachers Association, were at the Statehouse at the same time and spoke out about the spending proposal.
“Today we have gathered to demand full funding for our public schools,” ISTA president Keith Gambill told members.
Among teachers’ concerns, a proposal in the Senate’s budget that would start giving property tax money to charter schools, while eventually eliminating charter school grants.
The House’s budget proposal called for increasing charter school grants from the current $1,250 to $1,400 per student.
“If you don’t take care of the public funding first, it’s kind of hard to give that money to charter schools when they’re still lacking funds for public schools,” said Bloomington teacher Bruce Thomas.
The Senate’s proposed budget does not expand the school choice program which gives families vouchers to attend private schools.
The House version of the budget does, more than doubling the amount the state would spend each year.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, argue vouchers take needed funds away from the state’s public schools.
“Ninety percent of Indiana kids go to public school. That’s where the majority of our kids go. That’s who we should be supporting,” said teacher Katherine Hewett.
Under the Senate’s proposal, the state would pick up the cost of textbooks at $160 million a year.
The governor’s proposed budget has a similar measure.
Lawmakers in the House did not include a separate allocation for curriculum materials, instead proposing schools pick up the tab, using increased funding their budget included for schools.
“We’re putting further burden on schools to have to find the funding to pay for textbooks. That’s the issue,” said teacher Ellie Fawcett.
Also in the the Senate’s budget, state troopers just graduating from the law enforcement academy would make the same amount as state troopers in their first year on the job.
The Senate’s version of the budget also calls for spending $225 million on public health over two years. Gov. Eric Holcomb's proposed budget requested close to $350 million for public health.
Also in the Senate’s proposal is a million dollars a year in new money for veteran suicide prevention.