Bill expanding private school vouchers passes House
02/07/2017

A bill that would create a pipeline of new students into the state’s already costly private school voucher program has passed the House.

HB 1004, authored by House Education Committee Chair Rep. Bob Behning (R – Indianapolis), would moderately expand the state’s pre-K education pilot program and allow students who receive a pre-K grant created under the bill to automatically become eligible for a school choice scholarship for grades K – 12.  

The bill would also provide an automatic K – 12 voucher eligibility if the family has an income of at least 200 percent of poverty.

ISTA has a long history of supporting early childhood education, but not an expansion of the private school voucher program.

While in committee, more than 20 witnesses, including representatives from pre-K advocacy groups, testified in support of expanding the state’s pre-K pilot program, but did not support the voucher expansion.

During testimony several witnesses, as well as Rep. Ed DeLaney (D – Indianapolis), noted state estimates of expanding the voucher program may cost more than expanding the pre-K pilot program to an additional five counties.

The Legislative Services Agency projects that the voucher portion of the bill would cost taxpayers between $6 – 10.5 million in the first year, depending on the number of students who use a voucher.

SB 276, in the Senate, would expand Indiana’s pre-K pilot program, without any expansion of private school vouchers. The bill is currently in the Senate Education Committee. It is scheduled to be heard Wednesday morning.