At approximately 10pm on Friday, March 8, the Indiana General Assembly closed their 2024 session “Sine Die.” Not being a budget year, this was a short session. As we have shared previously, we started the session tracking 64 bills. After crossover, that number shrunk to 24. At Sine Die, there were 18 bills remaining that we were tracking, and some of those don’t directly impact our non-public schools.

There were some advances this session, including expanded robotics grants access and summer school funding access. The ESA program eligibility now includes siblings. Unfortunately, there was also a good bit of “regulatory creep” that passed in several bills.

SEA 1 poses the most challenges. New regulations for state accredited and choice schools include:

• Required to offer summer school for students who have not passed or at risk of not passing (2nd graders)
• Summer School teachers must be trained in science of reading.
• Summer school curriculum must be based in science of reading.
• 90% required attendance in summer program or reading plan during the following school year.
• Must use a universal screener for grades K-2.
• Parent Notification requirement of student test results.
• Requirement that the K-8 reading programs be aligned with the science of reading.
• Notification of IDOE of the intervention used for at-risk or non-proficient readers in grades 1 and 2.
• Employment of an instructional coach trained in the science of reading beginning July 2025). Employment of a literacy coach with a literacy endorsement after June 2025).
• Retention requirement for students who haven’t passed IREAD after multiple attempts unless they meet a waiver or appeal requirement.

HEA 1243 is a various education matters bill which also had a few new areas that will impact non-pubs:

• Addition of a required stand-alone computer science course (graduation requirement 2029).
• Personal Financial Responsibility requirement expands to 8th grade.
• New diploma requirements

SEA 8 was a “higher ed bill” but also included requirements that all high schools provide the “Indiana College Core” unless they submit a feasibility report outlining why they cannot or won’t offer it.

Other Bills of Interest:

HEA 1002 defines antisemitism and specifies that the public policy of the state to provide education opportunities free of religious discrimination.

HEA 1137 allows student in public schools release time to attend off campus religious instruction.

HEA 1380 is another various education matters bill which included the October 1 birthdate eligibility date change for the Tax Credit Scholarship (SGO) and the ESA programs. It also removed the 51% in district residence for students in a non-public school to be considered coming from a feeder school. It also allows release time of 15 days/year for National Guard service.

SEA 211 Requires the department to develop recommendations for an excellence in civics education designation for schools

Bills NOT applying to Non-Pubs:

• HEA 1104 School Safety
• HEA 185 Wireless Communication Devices
• SEA 282 Absenteeism and School Attendance

We will continue to study the bills passed this session and will provide more information as it becomes available.

Next Steps

We will now begin to focus on the 2025 session and hopefully lay the groundwork for Universal Choice. We’ll need your help! You can start now by talking to legislators and inviting them to visit your school. It is important to emphasize our critical desire to not only maintain the Choice Scholarship (Voucher) Program, but also to expand it to universal status. All families should be able to use a small portion of their state tax dollars to support private school choice.