School choice in Indiana

in Indiana

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School choice is a term that refers to programs offering alternatives to assigned local public school options. Public school choice options include open enrollment policies, magnet schools, and charter schools. Other options include school vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and education savings accounts (ESAs).^[1][2]

Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Charter schools[edit]

See also: Charter schools in Indiana

Charter schools are public schools operated independently of the public school system, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are typically admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Generally speaking, charter schools receive a percentage of per-pupil funds from state and local boards of education for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, they do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants.^[3][4][5]

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 91 total charter schools in Indiana in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 40,300 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 3.92 percent of total public school enrollment in Indiana in 2015.^[6]

Magnet schools[edit]

See also: Magnet school participation statistics

Magnet schools, or theme-based schools, are public schools of choice that utilize specialized subject areas or innovative learning approaches to attract students from more diverse backgrounds. Magnet schools were first formed to desegregate public schools through choice rather than force. Magnet schools can reach beyond the boundaries of school districts, but they are still managed and funded publicly by local districts even though they are centered around specialized themes and subjects.^[7][8]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3,254 magnet schools in the United States in the 2013-2014 school year, 33 of which were in Indiana. According to Public School Review, those 33 magnet schools served 14,498 students in Indiana, 68 percent of whom were racial/ethnic minorities. The average student-teacher ratio in Indiana's magnet schools was 14:1. The table below presents this information for Indiana and surrounding states.^[9][10]

Open enrollment policies[edit]

According to the Education Commission of the States, there are two primary types of open enrollment policies:^[11]

1. Under intra-district enrollment policies, students may transfer to schools within their home districts.
2. Under inter-district enrollment policies, student may transfer to schools outside of their home districts.

Open enrollment policies may be either mandatory or voluntary. Under mandatory programs, districts must allow for open enrollment. Under voluntary programs, districts may choose whether to allow for open enrollment.^[11]

Indiana provides for statewide voluntary inter-district open enrollment. In addition, a mandatory intra-district open enrollment policy is in place for Indianapolis city schools.^[11]

Private schools[edit]

Private schools are operated by private organizations as opposed to government entities. Private schools typically rely on tuition, private grants, and donations for funding. Because private schools are not operated or funded directly by government entities, they may operate under different personnel and curricular standards. Private schools are often associated with religious institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 5,395,740 students enrolled in 33,620 private schools nationwide in fall 2013. This accounted for approximately 10 percent of the total school-age population.^[12][13]

In Indiana, 121,230 students were enrolled in 870 private schools in fall 2013, accounting for roughly 10.41 percent of the state's total school-age population. The table below presents this information for Indiana and surrounding states.

Homeschooling[edit]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were approximately 1.7 million homeschooled students in the United States as of 2012. This accounted for roughly 3.4 percent of the total school-age population.^[14][15]

Indiana is one of the few states that collects and reports the number of homeschooled students in the state each year. While in 1997-1998, 7,140 students were being homeschooled in Indiana, that number had increased to 34,294 in 2014-2015, amounting to 2.93 percent of all school-age students.

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, Indiana's homeschool law requires parents or tutors to do the following:^[16]

1. "Provide equivalent instruction in the English language" (i.e., parents or tutors must use the English language and must "provide instruction equivalent to that given in public schools")
2. Teach for the mandated number of days (generally, 180 days)
3. Maintain attendance records, which "must be made available upon request of the state superintendent or the superintendent of the school district"
4. Provide information to the state upon request

Online learning[edit]

See also: Blended learning

According to the Evergreen Education Group, 24 states operated state virtual schools in the 2014-2015 school year. State virtual schools are "operational intermediate supplier organizations that provide online learning programs to schools statewide." State virtual schools are created by legislative or state agency action and are "usually funded in part or entirely by a state appropriation or grant." As of the 2014-2015 school year, Indiana did not have a state virtual school.^[17]

According to the Center for Education Reform, Indiana was home to five virtual charter schools as of May 2016. For a complete listing of these schools, visit this website.^[18]

Financial assistance[edit]

School vouchers[edit]

See also: School vouchers

Eugene C. Eppley Auditorium at Culver Academies, a private college preparatory school in Indiana

School vouchers are government-funded scholarships that allow public school students to attend private schools. Vouchers redirect state per-pupil education funding, giving it directly to individual families instead of school districts. Families can then apply those funds to tuition costs at the private school of their choice. As of April 2016, 13 states and the District of Columbia had implemented school voucher programs.^[19]

Implemented in 2011, Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program is a voucher program that enables students from lower-income and middle-income households to attend private schools. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 32,686 students received vouchers to attend 316 private schools. In the 2015-2016 school year, the average voucher value was $3,867.^[20]

The following students are eligible for Choice Scholarship Program:^[21]

1. Students whose household income does not exceed 150 percent of the free and reduced price lunch guideline (FRPL)
2. Students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) whose household income does not exceed 200 percent FRPL
3. Students whose public schools have been assigned F grades by the state and whose household income does not exceed 150 percent FRPL
4. Students who previously received vouchers or tax credit scholarships and whose household income does not exceed 200 percent FRPL

Also, in order to qualify, a student must have attended a public school for the previous two semesters. This requirement is waived for students whose public schools received F grades from the state. Students who received tax credit scholarships in the previous school year are exempt from this requirement.^[21]

Award amounts vary depending on income of the student's family:^[21]

1. A student who qualifies for free and reduce price lunches may receive a voucher for 90 percent of the state's per-pupil funding amount.
2. A student whose household income does not exceed 150 percent FRPL may receive a voucher for 50 percent of the state's per-pupil funding amount (for students with IEPs or who previously received a voucher or tax credit scholarship, the threshold is raised to 200 percent FRPL).

Tax credits[edit]

Indiana offers a tax deduction to individuals who make education expenditures on behalf of their dependent children. Any taxpayer whose child is already enrolled in a private school or is homeschooled may claim a $1,000 deduction per child. The state also offers a 50 percent tax credit to individuals and corporations who make contributions to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations.^[22][23]

The Indiana Scholarship Tax Credit Program, which was enacted in 2009 and expanded in 2011, "provides eligible lower income families with scholarships given by certified Scholarship Granting Organizations (or SGOs) to attend the school of their choice. Private donors receive a 50 percent tax credit for their donations to these SGOs to fund scholarships." The program awarded 9,127 scholarships in the 2014-2015 academic year.^[24]

Historical events[edit]

2020[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[25]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[26]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Indiana is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Studies and reports[edit]

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice[edit]

In January 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a report ranking school choice programs across the nation by participation. Indiana's private school/homeschool tax deduction ranked seventh nationwide, being claimed on 52,149 tax returns. Indiana's voucher program ranked 10th nationwide, with 32,686 participating students. The state's school scholarship tax credit ranked 20th, providing 9,127 scholarships. For the full report, visit this website.^[27]

That same month, the Friedman Foundation released the 2016 edition of "The ABCs of School Choice," a comprehensive report detailing and commenting upon every school choice program in the nation. To access the full report, click here.

School choice ballot measures[edit]

See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Indiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Indiana.

School choice legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Indiana state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Indiana education choice. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Public education in Indiana
• Charter schools in Indiana
• List of school districts in Indiana
• School choice
• Charter schools
• Magnet schools
• School vouchers

External links[edit]

• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
• Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice
• Home School Legal Defense Association

Footnotes[edit]

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