KEEP UP THE PRESSURE FOR A BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

We are speeding toward the finish line. Our work is not yet done–we need you to keep going. 

The good news is that the Senate came back with their version of the budget (House Bill 1001) leaving out some of the frivolous and irresponsible items that the House had embedded in the education budget. 

• There is no lifting of the income caps and, thus, NO universal vouchers–something the governor and House Republicans have set as a priority. The universal voucher program would cost the state an estimated addition of $174 million over the next biennium. Indiana can’t afford this and neither can our kids. 

• The Senate’s version of the budget would cut the funding for virtual schools down to 70% of the per-pupil tuition amount that brick and mortar schools receive–contradicting the House’s version which calls for raising the amount to 100%. Senator Mishler expressed that there are still “issues” with virtual schools. ICPE has previously advocated against increasing the virtual school ADM amount.
• The Senate version also reduces the amount of money budgeted for the Education Savings Accounts as well as Career Scholarship Accounts, both are forms of vouchers and privatization that the House version proposes to increase. 

• The Senate budget proposes a 2% increase in funding for each year of the biennium. This will not get us up to the 3% that public education advocates have been asking for but with some of the increases in privatization removed, it means more for public schools than the House budget. 

With the passing of SB1 and its cuts in property taxes, gradual phasing out of business personal property taxes, sharing of property taxes with charter schools in certain school districts, now signed into law by the governor, schools are looking at a possible $744 million loss over the next 3 years.  This budget will not go far enough in preventing some serious damage to public schools and what they are able to provide our kids. We must push to build on the senate version of the budget. 

Additionally, the economic forecast is grim. The just-out April revenue forecast projects decreases in sales tax, individual income tax, and the corporate income tax dollars. Indiana’s projected revenues are expected to be $2 billion less in the next budget cycle, which will affect the bottom line for HB 1001—more cuts will be made before the bill is delivered to the governor’s desk. 

Please send some emails or make some phone calls and ask the Conference Committee members to support our kids and fund their public schools! Be polite. Build on the strengths. 

Some talking points: 

• Giving handouts to wealthy families should not come at the cost of schools which accept all children–our traditional neighborhood public schools.
• Given the difficult revenue forecast, Indiana cannot afford to expand vouchers and other experimental programs that don’t have the same requirements for transparency and accountability and enrollment as our traditional public schools.
• Now is not the time to expand CSAs or ESAs or virtual school funding.
• Explain the importance of what public schools do for kids and why they are important. Give an example from your own experience. Stories help make our points.

 

House Conferees

Rep. Jeffrey Thompson

Rep. Gregory Porter

House Advisors

Rep. Craig Snow

Rep. Jack Jordan

Rep. Chris Judy

Rep. Edward Clere

Rep. Danny Lopez

Rep. Robb Greene

Rep. Elizabeth Rowray

Rep. Mike Andrade

Rep. Chris Campbell

Rep. Edward DeLaney

Rep. Earl Harris

Rep. Sheila Klinker

Rep. Tonya Pfaff

Rep. Cherrish Pryor

House Leader

Rep. Todd Huston

Senate conferees

Sen. Ryan Mishler

Sen. David Niezgodski

 

Senate advisors:

Sen. Fady Qaddoura

Sen. Rodney Pol

Sen. Chris Garten

Sen. Eric Bassler

Sen. Travis Holdman

Sen. Ed Charbonneau

Senate Leader:

Senator Roderic Bray

Contact by phone or email. 

Find your legislators here 

(800) 382-9842 – House Democrats
(800) 382-9841 – House Republicans

(800) 382-9467 – Senators

Calling is preferred, but here are emails to cut and paste: 

h2@iga.in.gov
h12@iga.in.gov
h17@iga.in.gov
h22@iga.in.gov
h26@iga.in.gov
h27@iga.in.gov
h28@iga.in.gov
h35@iga.in.gov
h39@iga.in.gov
h43@iga.in.gov
h47@iga.in.gov
h72@iga.in.gov
h83@iga.in.gov
h86@iga.in.gov
h94@iga.in.gov
h96@iga.in.gov
h37@iga.in.gov 

s4@iga.in.gov
s5@iga.in.gov
s9@iga.in.gov
s10@iga.in.gov
s19@iga.in.gov
s30@iga.in.gov
s37@iga.in.gov
s39@iga.in.gov
s45@iga.in.gov